God Loved A Prostitute


Joshua 2

Rahab and the Spies
 1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
 12 “Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land.”
 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
 17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them.20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”
   So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

Joshua 6:12-24


12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
 15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.”
 20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
 22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
 24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day."


This story touched my heart this week, because even despite the fact that this woman was a prostitute, God still loved her. It is an amazing story of God's grace, and His love for us regardless of what we have done. Rahab, this prostitute, who sold herself to men on a daily basis so much that she was renown in the city for her trade, lived in this wall that surrounded the city. A scathing and lowly woman, who was said to be so beautiful, had no self-worth, and was as low on the totem pole of virtue as you could possibly get, yet in this one instance, she suddenly chooses to do a noble act by hiding the spies. Rahab knew she was risking her life by lying to the king, but she did it anyway. Why? She had heard about the God, Yaweh, and what His mighty power had done for the Israelites in Egypt- she believed in Him, and professed her faith in Him, and thus chose to help the men that followed Him. Although Rahab lies, which is not justified, but not out of character because obviously she had just converted, she does however immediately respond in action, and that is what is so beautiful. This woman, of no pedigree, no prestige, no wealth, and no status but that of a harlot, immediately walks out her faith despite everything she knows she is, and trusts Yaweh, God Almighty. She hides these men, covers for them, and then lets them down on the same scarlet cord they instruct her to hang over her window and what touches my heart here is that as God tells these soldiers to yell at the 7th circling march, He will make the wall collapse- the same wall that Rahab lives in- and the soldiers comply with exactly what God tells them to do, and as soon as they yell- the earth quakes and the wall immediately collapses, and everything is utterly destroyed ... except for the one section of the wall that has a window with a little red cord hanging from it. God made a huge provision for Rahab and her family. My heart just flutters at the thought of how God counted even a harlots faith worthy of accreditation, for I know that I personally can relate to Rahab, but what is even more astounding is that not only did God answer Rahab, and make an enormous provision for her, but He also redeemed her, according to Hebrews 11:30-31:


 "By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient."


Rahab- the prostitute- was even in the faith hall of fame in the New Testament!!! God redeemed her, which means she must not have remained a prostitute, but rather repented and turned to Him! But it gets even better, Rahab was also referenced by James in his explanation of how faith without deeds is dead:


 James 2:25-26:
" In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

So not only was she in the Faith hall of fame, and referenced by James, but here is the kicker - in the introduction of Matthew in verses 5, the lineage of Christ is listed, and guess who is in the lineage of our Saviour and king??? RAHAB! 


Matthew 1:1-17:
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
 1 "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
   Isaac the father of Jacob,
   Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
   Perez the father of Hezron,
   Hezron the father of Ram,
 4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
   Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
   Nahshon the father of Salmon,
 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was RAHAB,
   Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
   Obed the father of Jesse,
 6 and Jesse the father of King David.
   David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
   Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
   Abijah the father of Asa,
 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
   Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
   Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
   Jotham the father of Ahaz,
   Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
   Manasseh the father of Amon,
   Amon the father of Josiah,
 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
 12 After the exile to Babylon:
   Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
   Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
   Abihud the father of Eliakim,
   Eliakim the father of Azor,
 14 Azor the father of Zadok,
   Zadok the father of Akim,
   Akim the father of Elihud,
 15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
   Eleazar the father of Matthan,
   Matthan the father of Jacob,
 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
 17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah."

This goes to show, that God loves you where you are at, and He loves you regardless of what you have done, and where you have come from. His love for you is deeper than anything you could do or say- He loves you for you- not for what you could be, or should be, or what you have done- but just because you are you. God loved Rahab, despite her harlotry, and His love obviously transformed her life. But something to keep in mind is that Rahab is not mentioned by James, or noted in Hebrews, or is in the lineage of Christ because she hid the spies well... rather it was because she believed well. Rahab, despite all of her inequity and all the obvious implications in her surroundings that told her she was nothing more than an object for men, and worth nothing more either, she refused to allow those lies from keeping her from choosing God. I also love how the cord was red, and how "scarlet" can carry implications of meaning, though the red cord may not have any true symbolic meaning- it was the very thing that identified her window and in a sense protected her from the destruction of the city. I like to think of those red threads as an icon for her faith and God's love for her despite her sin. I love the story of Rahab because it proves that even though I come from no pedigree, no prestige, no wealth, no honor, but rather a similar harlot-like background, I too am still loved by the King of Kings, He still includes me, loves me, and calls me by name. There is no love like the love of God Almighty, and in a world of Christians that look so pious, I always need to be reminded of that because if my salvation depended on how righteous I was, I would be doomed. Sometimes it is hard not to feel so condemned in a Christian environment when you come from a background like I do, but after reading about Rahab and how God loved her despite her sins, how God wanted her despite her inequity, and how God honored her request despite her imperfections, I know that my God loves me too. What a beautiful truth to know the depth of His love, and what amazing grace He truly has upon all of us who are not worthy, but in faith will turn to Him. There is no God like my God. I am thankful that I belong to the same God that redeemed Rahab.

You must download JJ Heller's new song, "What Love Really Means," I promise it will be the best thing you have ever heard! It is a song that speaks of what God's love is really like, and when I heard it the first time I balled my eyes out because it is true. Do yourself a favor a download it, find some way to listen to it, youtube it if you have to, just listen to the words and let them penetrate your heart. 

A TEMPORARY HOLD:
So the truth be told, I am still a college student and this month I have had more school work than I have been able to handle. After long deliberation, prayer, and seeking out wisdom from others, God has confirmed His calling for me to put a temporary hold on the blog. I thoroughly enjoy writing this for you ladies, but God comes first. So in obedience, I am going to pull back for a little while. I truly feel like this will be a temporary hold, but I do not know exactly when I will be posting your weekly devotional again. I feel like I may be able to post small entries, like a scripture, or a quote here and there to keep the blog updated and not completely abandoned, but I am putting it in the hands of God and letting Him guide me. Hopefully I will be back soon. You are all in my prayers. And so I do not completely leave you hanging, my friend Jennifer Reynolds has a devotional blog she just started, and you can check her out if you'd like. Until then ladies, persevere- run on your own, use the discipline we have developed and implement it yourself, but here is my challenge to you for this rest period: begin to encourage others and challenge them like I have had the opportunity to challenge you. Weather that be in a blog, or in a note, or just verbally- encourage the sphere of people God has placed you within. Be the light, literally. Be in his word, literally. Remain in prayer, and whatever he tells you to do, be like Nike and Just Do it! I love you ladies; be blessed, be strong, be faithful, and be obedient- persevere.
Talk with you again soon. 
With Love,


Jessica K. Haas


***Here is Jennifer's link: 


http://jenniferjill92.blogspot.com/

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Jessica! I’m an unapologetic woman of faith in Jesus Christ. My heart beats for Gods Word, Girls Ministry, Art,& as an overcomer of poverty, I have a fierce passion for serving at-risk youth. I’m the CEO & founder of The Birds Nest Co., a multidisciplinary arts business& virtual store that sponsors my official ministry,UNBOUND, which is focused on freeing at-risk girls from poverty, but is fervently dedicated to empowering& serving all at-risk youth in the name of Jesus Christ. UNBOUND meets real needs among the under-served youth of our nation as well as gives others the opportunity to join the movement. It is my hope as a writer, speaker,& artist to bring glory to Jesus name, to teach His Word to girls with excellence, &raise funds, equip,& empower disadvantaged children to overcome poverty at an outrageous level. It’s through The Birds Nest Co.& UNBOUND Ministries that I am answering the call God has placed on my life to set the captives free. UNBOUND is the message the Lord has called me to speak& the mission He has put in my heart to serve. This blog is the host of my journey.Thank you for visiting& God bless!

Upcoming Events/ Appearances

  • March 2016. Speaking & Speed painting. Made4This Girls Conference. Nashville, TN
  • December 6, 2015. Speaking & Speed Painting. Mount Pleasant Christian Church. Greenwood, IN
  • November 8, 2015. Speed Painting. Skyline Church. San Diego, California.
  • November 6, 2015. Speed Painting. BSM Sports Conference. Houston, TX
  • October 23/24, 2015. Unbound Campaign Launch. Nashville, TN.
  • September 6, 2015. Speaking, Speed Painting, Guest Judge. SOCO Pageant. South Haven, MS
  • July 1, 2015. Featured on A & E Country Bucks. Wednesday 10/9C
  • March 7, 2014. Community Ambassador. Lexington Chili Super. Lexington, TN
  • March 15, 2014. Miss Tennessee Workshop. Jackson, TN
  • March 16/19 2014. Speed Painting/ Speaker. Journey Church. Jackson, TN
  • March 22, 2014. Photo Shoot. The Birds Nest Photography. Memphis, TN
  • March 26, 2014. Volunteer. Make A Wish Foundation-Mikes Day of Giving. Bellevue, TN
  • April 6, 2014. Speaker. Lexington Methodist Church. Lexington, TN
  • April 12, 2014. Speed Painter and Ambassador. FedEx Family House Gala. Memphis, TN
  • April 20, 2014. Speed Painter. Adventure Church. Columbus, OH
  • April 27, 2014. Speaker & Speed Painter. Relay For Life. Lexington, TN
  • May 10, 2014. Wedding Stylist. The Birds Nest Co. Memphis, TN
  • May 17, 2014. Wedding Stylist. The Birds Nest Co. Memphis, TN
  • June 14-22, 2014. Miss Tennessee Pageant. Jackson, TN

Past Events/ Appearances

  • March 4, 2014. Goodwill Ambassador for CMN. National Pancake Day. IHop- Searcy, AR
  • February 26, 2014. Meeting with Mayors of Lexington/Henderson County. Lexington, TN
  • February 25, 2014. Spokesperson. Kids Kan Event for Mid-South Food Bank & Fox News-Memphis. Germantown, TN
  • February 21-23, 2014. DNOW Group leader. Bellevue Baptist Church. Memphis, TN
  • February 15, 2014. Visiting Titleholder. Miss Banana Pudding Festival Pageant. Centerville, TN
  • February 8, 2014. Visiting Titleholder. Miss Dyersburg Pageant. Dyersburg, TN
  • February 1, 2013. Celebrity Guest. Princess Tea Party & Crowning Ceremony. Arlington, TN
  • January 25, 2014. Miss Lexington/Henderson Co. Pageant. Lexington, TN
  • December 22, 2013. Speed Painting. Faith Baptist Church- Christmas Program. Memphis, TN.
  • November 27 2013. The Birds Nest Co. Virtual Store Launches.
  • November 27-December 11, 2013. The Birds Nest BFA Gallery Show. Memphis College of Art. Memphis, TN.
  • November 22-23, 2013. Speaker/ Speed Painting. Dallas Church Girls Retreat. Dallas, TX
  • November 15, 2013. Photo Shoot. The Birds Nest Photography. Memphis TN
  • November 1-3, 2013. Interior Designer. BN Interiors. Austin, TX.
  • October 26, 2013. Photo Shoot. The Birds Nest Photography. Memphis, TN.
  • October 4-5, 2013. Speaker. Church on The Rock. Texarkana TX
  • September 2013. Launched The UNBOUND Project with the U.S. Dream Academy-Memphis. Memphis, TN
  • July 2013. Interior Designer & Artist. The Birds Nest for Bellevue Baptist Church. Memphis, TN
  • June 2103. Miss Tennessee Pageant 2013. Jackson, TN
  • May 2013. Host & Coordinator. CMN Talent Show Fundraiser. Collierville, TN.
  • May 2013. Meeting/Award Ceremony with the Prince of England, Miss America 2013, & Governor Haslam. Nashville, TN
  • May 2013. Speaker & Speed-painter. Bellevue Baptist Church. Arlington, TN
  • May 2013. Ambassador and Spokesperson for Collierville Parks & Recreation. Fishing Rodeo. Collierville, TN
  • April 2013. Speaker. Crosswinds Elementary School. Germantown, TN.
  • April 2013. Speaker. Girls Ministry. First Baptist Church. Collierville, TN
  • April 2013. Ambassador. Volunteer Mid-South. Memphis, TN
  • April 2013. Spokesmodel for FedEx Family House Gala. Memphis, TN
  • March 2013. Host for The Southern Women's Convention & Model for Cache'. Memphis TN
  • November 16, 2012. Speaker. Happily Ever After Girls Ministry Event. Bellevue Baptist Church. Memphis TN
  • October 2012. Speaker. Freedom Girls Conference. Heritage Baptist Church. Texarkana TX

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