Rahab was not a woman of God, in fact she was a harlot the Bible says, yet she is the one whose house the spies went to when Joshua sent them on ahead to spy out Jericho. Jericho was about to be taken over by Joshua and the Israelites under God's command and this one woman in this town was the one chosen to be saved along with her family. In Hebrews the 11th Chapter verse 31 we read,

"By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies in peace."

By faith, this one woman, was able to save her family from destruction. What did her faith cause her to do? When the spies entered Jericho she hid them in her house from those who heard that the Israelites had entered into their town. The King of Jericho sent men to her house to bring the two spies out. Rahab hid the men from their enemy and then when it was clear for them to leave she told them the way to go, that they might go and report back to Joshua. Her words to them were

"I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more courage in any one because of you, for the LORD YOUR GOD, HE IS GOD in heaven above and on earth beneath."

When God does something it is heard throughout the land. The mighty miracles He had performed for the Israelites bought fear to all of their enemies. Their hearts melted just knowing the Israelites were about to come against them. Was it for this reason that she was willing to hide the spies. Yes! She was afraid for her life and the lives of her family. She knew she needed protection and she knew that the God the Israelites served was THE GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE AND ON EARTH BELOW. This reminds me of the Scripture that says, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. She had heard and now she had the opportunity to be protected and because of her faith her whole family was saved.

She said to the spies, after she had hidden them from the King of Jericho's servants:

"Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."

Rahab didn't just ask for their lives to be saved, she also asked for "all that they have", their possessions, their goods. She interceded on behalf of her family and what they owned. The spies agreed to do as she asked on one condition,

"We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers and all your father's household to your own home."

Now Rahab had to mix faith with obedience. And there were others involved too and this is what I have thought about since I read this story. She had to tell her family what they must do to be saved, and her family had to trust her, believe her and come into her house to be protected from death. I wondered what if they had not listened to her; what if they just thought she has lost her mind or something. What if they also did not mix faith with works? They would have died. They would have been destroyed. But we go on to read, that when Joshua and the Israelites destroyed Jericho in Chapter 6 of the book of Joshua that Joshua said to the spies:

" Go into the harlot's house and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her. And the young men who had been spies went in and bought our Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had, So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel."

We go on to read that she dwelt in the land of Israel because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

One woman made a difference for her family. One woman's faith saved her whole household and their goods. One woman's obedience to bring them all into her house and to hang the scarlet cord from the window allowed her and her family to dwell safely with the Israelites and then to be written about in the great 11th Chapter of Hebrews, the chapter of people of faith.

This one woman made a difference. We can make a difference. We also have a scarlet cord, but for us it is the Blood Of Jesus that was shed for us and for our households. By faith and obedience to the Word of God we will see our families dwell in eternity with Christ Jesus. The prayer of our hearts should be that our family receives and believes what they see us do and what they hear us speak. When we proclaim the mighty work of God in our lives they are hearing our faith, we pray their hearts melt and they become fainthearted enough to realize there is protection for them from all the works of the enemy, that even death cannot hold them, because of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

ONE WOMAN MADE A DIFFERENCE IN HER FAMILY

We also have the opportunity to hold fast to our confession of faith, to pray for and intercede daily on behalf of our families and to listen to the Lord as He instructs us and guides us to say and do the things that will lead them to HIM. Some times we think, but I am only one person, what can I do for the Kingdom of God? Well I pray you will let Rahab be an example of what God will do when we are willing to take risks and put our feelings, our emotions, and our fears of rejection on His altar and boldly go before Him daily to intercede on their behalf. You may be alone, you may be one woman, but oh what mighty things our King can do when we look to Him to save those we love.

Let us all be that "one woman" for our family and friends and let us clearly confess the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the saving grace of His blood to those we love and trust God with their lives, for He will be their Shield and their protector.

God bless you and may you know: "THE LORD, HE IS GOD.”