The first thing we are told about Rahab is that she was a sinner. So why did the spies go there? Well, no doubt the Lord guided them there. Why? No one would have been surprised at two unknown men going to a harlot's house.

Joshua 2v3-6: And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, "There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: and it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them." But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them which the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

Rahab it seems has little choice here but to lie. If she tells the truth the spies she is trying to hide will be discovered. Yes, she could have just told the men to search the house for themselves and trusted the Lord to hide them. However, we have to remember Rahab is at the beginning of her Spiritual journey and for her to hide the spies in the first place required an exercise of faith in itself. No doubt she would have come before the Lord and asked for His forgiveness for this sin of lying.

Joshua 2v8-11: And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 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. 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. 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.

Here we see Rahab's faith. She didn't just think maybe the Lord is with them, she was certain that the Lord was with them. She and the other inhabitants had heard testimony of what the Lord had done. She recognised God as who He is, the Lord God, of Heaven and earth, and she feared Him. We are reminded elsewhere that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111v10, Proverbs 1v7 & 9v10).

Joshua 2v12-13: "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: 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."

Showing her faith in God she asks them to swear by the Lord knowing that He would ensure the spies kept their promise. It is lovely to note the compassion she had for her family that they might likewise be protected, should not this remind us of the concern we should have for our own families, that they might be Saved as we are.

Joshua 2v15-16: 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. 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."
Joshua 2v18a: 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 ...

So having received a promise from the spies that they would keep her safe, she gives them further instructions to keep them safe on their journey. How appropriate it is that the same cord she used to let them out safely, they asked her to use as a sign that it was her house, when they returned with the rest of the Israelites. It shows how our service for others can oft times be a blessing to ourselves.

Joshua 2v21: 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.

Again she shows her faith in the men's words. For all she knew they could easily have killed her as well as the other inhabitants on her return. How good it is for our words to be trusted because we are of God, and how often we need to be reminded to respect that trust by being truthful always.

Joshua 6v17: And the city shall be accursed, even it and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
Joshua 6v22-23: 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. 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.
Joshua 6v25: 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.

And so we have the conclusion of the story. Rahab and her family are saved alive. In a coming day we likewise will be delivered because of our faith in God.

Hebrews 11v31: By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had recieved the spies with peace.
James 2v25: Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way.

So we come to Hebrews 11, the chapter which records many a great man of faith and two women of faith. The first is Sara, the second is Rahab. Here we have final proof of her faith, yes she was a sinner from the Gentiles, but by faith she was saved.
The verse in James reminds us that Rahab was justified by works. What good was Rahab's faith to the messengers if she didn't put it into action and receive them?

To conclude, Rahab is a lovely picture of God's grace. Here a sinner of the Gentiles is saved by her faith in God. Faith should always show forth in a believer's life with good works just as we have seen in Hebrews and in James that Rahab's did .

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