A Safe Place for Rahab, Part 2

Christmas Potpourri, Part 3

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What makes a conversation unforgettable? I can't remember what I did last week but this morning I remember a conversation I had as a twenty-three-year old pastor's wife, almost forty years ago.
"You are such a kind, gentle, peaceful woman. I love spending time with you." My new friend's response to my genuine encouragement confused me. She paused and spoke quietly, "Still waters run deep." I asked her what she meant.

"Just because I appear peaceful don't conclude that my actual life is peaceful." When I asked her to explain, she gently refused and changed the subject. Rather than feeling rebuked by her words, I felt taught. As the old saying goes, you can't tell a book by its cover.

Rahab, The Harlot

This morning as I thought about this long ago-conversation I remembered how Rahab is always called Rahab the Harlot, in scripture. You don't have to wonder about her life story. And yet.... Everyone has a story that is multi-layered and if we dig deep enough, we find out that every person mentioned in scripture also has a story that is pregnant with life application. Is "HARLOT" an appropriate description of Rahab's life?

Read Joshua 2 for the Full Story

We read Rahab's story in Joshua 2. In preparation for battle, Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. We can only speculate as to why they ended up at a brothel, Rahab's house. But in God's sovereign plan, Rahab was ready to help them. We don't have time in this post to dig deep into her story, but the Bible tells us that Rahab had heard the stories of God's faithfulness to the Israelites and she "believed." Rahab not only believed but she acted, at great risk to herself and her family. Her story is full of encouragement and hope for every woman who has concluded her past makes her ineligible for Kingdom life and work.

I have often wondered if Rahab herself insisted on using the title, Rahab, The Harlot, as her "15 second elevator message" way of declaring God's story in her life. You know,
"Once I was a harlot. Now because of my faithful God's love, I am a princess!"

Rahab is one of five women mentioned in Matthew 1, the genealogy of Jesus. Every Christmas I think about Rahab's inclusion in such a sacred history. In our book, Treasures of Faith, Living Boldly in View of God's Promises we write about this worldly-wise woman:

Among God's people Rahab found a safe place in which to learn the ways of Yahweh and His people. Rahab was given a second chance; she was able to put her past behind her and enjoy a whole new life. She was eventually brought into the family of no less a person than Nahson, head of the entire clan of Judah (Numbers 1:7, 16; 7:10-17; Matthew 1:405). His son, Salmon, would eventually marry Rahab. Their son Boaz, in turn would marry another outsider, the incomparable Ruth. Their family line would continue unbroken on to King David and, eventually, to Christ Jesus Himself. What a marvelous demonstration of the transforming grace of God! In Rahab's story, we watch with awe the rise of a woman who overcame, by faith, a sordid and ugly past to become royalty, a forebear of the very King of Kings. (Page 215-216)

I have a feeling that anyone who met Rahab didn't have to guess about any still waters in her life. She most likely had no qualms about her past because she had confidence that God clearly saw her through the eyes of His grace. The evidence of His grace?

Rahab and Salmon gave birth to a son, Boaz. Boaz married Ruth, the Gentile. When I studied the life of Ruth and her romance with Boaz, I wondered if one reason Boaz had no problems marrying Ruth, a Gentile, is because his own mother, an Israelite outsider, Rahab, taught him to see each person through the eyes of God's amazing grace. Boaz apparently didn't see Ruth as the Gentile outsider. He saw Ruth as a person of worth. His mother's life story impacted him in an eternal way.

Every circumstance of our lives, even the sordid, messy part, is a gift we can give back to God to use in whatever way He desires to encourage our covenant family, His Church. After sharing this truth at a speaking event, a tearful woman approached me with these words, "I am divorced and I have hidden that part of my life story because of shame. I have been afraid of the reaction of my church leadership or even my close friends. But now I see that God can redeem my bad choices and mistakes when I surrender my story to Him, with a willingness to share it with another woman who might be ready to make the same mistakes. I feel such freedom in knowing that God doesn't see a smudge on my life, but rather an opportunity for me to help another woman avoid the pain I have experienced."

Another woman told me that she had married an unbeliever, against the wishes of her pastor father. She said, "If there is a young woman about to make the same mistake, I am willing to share my story in an effort to help turn her heart toward God's better plans for her." Both of these women recognize that God can redeem their pain for the good of His church. I think Rahab leads the way in showing us that God's grace washes away those smudges that we are sometimes unwilling to lay aside.

When Chuck and I are at the mall, a restaurant, or just walking along a city street, he will often muse, "I wonder what that person's story is. Everyone has a story."

What is your story? Does it include God's amazing grace removing the smudges? If so, be on the alert for an opportunity to share your story with someone today, praying that your story, even your messy story, will help turn another person's heart toward our faithful God. If your story does not include His amazing grace, I would love to share with you how you can experience His grace, too. What better way to experience Christmas?

Tomorrow - Twelve Days of Christmas Grief Relief - Day 1

In His grip, Sharon

A Safe Place for Rahab, Part 2

Christmas Potpourri, Part 3

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