The Five Women Named in Matthew's Lineage of Christ, Part 3

By Jerelyn Wright Pearson

| Introduction | Tamar | Rahab | Ruth | Bathsheba | Mary |

 

Rachab or Rahab

We read in Matthew 1:5, "And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab." Rahab is the second woman named it Matthew’s genealogy. She and Salmon were the parents of Boaz.

Rahab was a resident of Jericho, the city to which Joshua sent spies in his quest to conquer territory in the Promised Land. She hid the spies and sent the authorities on a wild goose chase.

Joshua 2:6-8
6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

Here Rahab gives her testimony of faith and asks for salvation for herself and her family.

Joshua 2:9-15
9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

It was God who directed the men to Rahab’s house on the wall.

Joshua 2:16-22
16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

The scarlet line attached to her dwelling would be a protection for her house to be spared when the invasion occurred, and an identification of her location for the rescue of her and her family, much like the blood on the doorposts at Passover also representing the protection of believers by the blood of Christ.

In Joshua 6:22-25 we find the keeping of the promise of rescue of Rahab and her family.

Joshua 6:22-25
22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Rahab is also acknowledged twice in the New Testament as a great believer.

Hebrews 11:31
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

James 2:20,25-26
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Rahab, a harlot from Jericho, a gentile, trusted and obeyed the Lord according to his will and purpose that she be included in the lineage of his Christ.

We learn in the genealogy that Rahab married Salmon, the father of Boaz, who married Ruth.

Matthew 1:5
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

Rahab, a harlot by profession, was not even an Israelite, but lived in Jericho, a land destined to be conquered by the Israelites. Yet because of her faith, God rescued her and her family from her pagan land into his kingdom. He had chosen her to be included in the lineage of Christ just as future Gentiles would be included in his offer of eternal salvation.

UP NEXT: RUTH

---

Presented 31 January 2021 in French Settlement, Louisiana