Rahab, A Godly Mother?
(Hebrews 11:30-31)
Does it surprise you to find Rahab included with all of these faith heroes in Hebrews 11? Rahab could have continued traveling on the low hell-bound road of degradation, and defilement, and depravity. She could have proceeded on as that woman of unworthy purposes. She could easily have been the Mata Hari of Jericho and revealed to her king the location and intention of the two spies which sought lodging in her household. But --- "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace" (Hebrews 11:31).
I. Her Sinful Existence
A. Her Condition. When we first encounter Rahab, we are perhaps appalled by the life from which she comes. This sinful existence is understood as we consider her nationality. It is accepted that Rahab was an Amorite, and as an Amorite, she belonged to an idolatrous people. John Owen says she was "of that race and seed which in general was devoted unto utter destruction." Not only does her nationality evidence her condition, but her name defines her character. The first part of Rahab - "Ra," was the name of an Egyptian god. This is intensely indicative of her heathenistic background. Her name means "insolence," "fierceness," or "broad."
B. Her Career. She had certainly gone down the "broad" road of fierce destruction and demoralization. She was a harlot. Five times she is connected with the mention of the word "harlot." Thrice in the O.T. and twice in the N.T. What about the meaning of this designation "harlot?" Some have suggested that the term merely denotes a hostess or innkeeper, but the New Testament usage of harlot comes from the Greek word "porne" from which we get our word "pornography." It is a word which strongly points to her involvement in fornication and wickedness.
C. Her Condemnation. Her sinful existence is further comprehended and compounded by the notification of her impending doom. Rahab has become very afraid because Jericho was about to be conquered. In Joshua 2:10, Rahab tells the two spies that she and all the inhabitants of the land did faint and fear because of the Israelites. They had heard of the crossing of the Red sea, of the destruction of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og. Fear was present in all, but faith seems to have been found in only this one harlot. She had become very aware of the impending destruction of her and her people. "And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us..." (Joshua 2:9).
Rahab might have exclaimed, "Oh cruel fate!" The sentence of death has been passed. All that she has ever known and loved in life is about to be utterly destroyed. Her home and family will be devastated. Her city and its inhabitants will be annihilated. Her entire world will be overthrown. Cruel fate? No, merely the justice of Almighty God in the case of a people who collectively surpassed Rahab in their wickedness. But where fate and fatality would obliterate, faith would obtain.
Her testimony doesn't end in the house of shame. No. God specializes in things thought impossible or unlikely. We find many unlikely candidates for salvation throughout the Word of God. We find the repentant thief at Calvary. What could he possibly add to the kingdom? He could not sing or teach Sunday school. He could not tithe or be faithful to church. He is about to die, but Christ considers this man kingdom material. And who would want a Christian killer to preach their next revival meeting? Well, God took a Saul and turned him into a Paul. A prostitute standing on the same plain with men like Enoch and Abraham and even Moses! Unlikely? Sure. Impossible? Not where faith is involved. Rahab moved out of Jericho's house of shame into faith's hall of fame.
II. Her Salvation Experience
A. She Had A Saving Faith. We observe in Rahab's situation, as in no other in the entire Bible, the fact that salvation is ---"by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). "She ...perished not with them that believed not" (Hebrews 11:31). Hence, she perished not, because she believed. We find no clearer illustration of saving faith. "Only trust Him. Only trust Him. Only trust Him now. He will save you. He will save you. He will save you now!"
B. She Had A Singular Faith. She trusted, not in her namesake god, Ra of Egypt, nor in the fortified walls and defense systems of Jericho but in Jehovah, "God (singular) in heaven above and earth beneath" (Joshua 2:11). When it came down to God or Jericho, she said with the song-writer, "I think I'll just go with God!" In Him and Him alone would she find safety and experience salvation, not just for herself, but for her family as well.
C. She Had A Sanctifying Faith. She was transformed from a sow's ear into a silk purse. As it has been said, God can take a crooked stick and draw a straight line with it. She did not continue in harlotry, but she involved herself in those works which accompany salvation. "Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?" (James 2:25).
God took her out of the miry clay of sin when Jericho fell. Oh, blessed scarlet thread of deliverance! Strange though it is that Rahab is found in Hebrews 11, it is even stranger that we should find her in the legal paternal ancestry of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1. "And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth..." (Matthew 1:5). Unquestionably, "Rachab" is the same person as Rahab, the harlot. What? No reference to her harlotry here? No. For when a sinner becomes identified with Christ, the shame and stigma of sin is sterilized.
So somewhere, way back in time, somebody called Rahab "Mama." Again, according to Matthew's genealogical records, she had married Salmon (undoubtedly one of the spies who originally visited her Jericho townhouse). And in process of time, they had a son named Booz, or Boaz. "And Salmon begat Boaz..." (Ruth 4:21). I suggest to you, dear reader, that Rahab was a good mother to her son Boaz. Moreover, I suggest that she was a godly mother. Rahab, a godly mother? The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Thus do we express the formidable influence that a mother has upon the development and outcome of her child. I believe that we can look at the life and character of Boaz and evaluate Rahab's competence as a mother.
III. Her Son's Excellence
A. The Dignity Of Her Son. In order to show the qualities of Rahab's son, we must venture to the book of the Bible where he is a key character. The confines of this study preclude an in-depth analysis of the book of Ruth, but we can glean a few insights into the person, Boaz. Consider the honor and prestige ascribed to Boaz as the Bible briefly refers to him as "a mighty man of wealth" (Ruth 2:1). Brief though the phrase may be, it nonetheless reveals his valiance (involved in the definition of "mighty") and his virtue (involved in the definition of "wealth").
B. The Disposition Of Her Son. As we read the book of Ruth, we see that Boaz was good to his servants. He imparted kindness to those around him. We definitely see generosity in those "handfuls of purpose" (Ruth 2:16). There is a Spanish proverb which says that an ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. Could these positive qualities have been instilled in this man during the formative years of his childhood by a loving mother?
C. The Devotion Of Her Son. Let's reflect together on this final point about Boaz which reflects favorably on Rahab's mothering. In Ruth, chapter 4, we see the deliberations and dialogue of the two prospective kinsmen redeemers. To the greatest extent, Boaz shows a devotion to honor, particularly in desiring to raise up the name of the dead of the house of Elimelech. As well, the godly example of his mother, Rahab, seems to have cultivated within Boaz a respect for womanhood. He loved Ruth as his wife and he is presented as a devoted husband.
Can I offer a speculative commentary? Could it be that when Boaz was growing up, Rahab would sit him on her lap and tell him the story of how God Almighty had destroyed her whole hometown and spared her life. Maybe tears swelled up in her eyes, and she began to worship and give thanks. I think Boaz was devoted to honor, and he was devoted as a husband; but I think too, because of that godly mama, he came to have a devotion for the Holy One of Israel.
So often, as parents, we question our adequacy and our ability. But if God can take an old harlot like Rahab and transform her into a godly mother, then BY FAITH, God can help us to "train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).