The Identity Of Rahab
“Ashewo! Ashewo!”
“Prostitute! Prostitute!”
Rahab looked at the women clustered around her. She and her family were camped outside the camp of Israel and some of the Israelites had come out to see them. The news had spread far and wide that one family was saved from among the citizens of Jericho. And that the woman who saved them was a prostitute.
The crowd continued to gather till many of them were holding stones.
She heard them whispering among themselves.
“The law of Moses says to stone every woman who prostitutes herself. She should not be allowed to desecrate the camp of Israel!”
Harsh tones went back and forth and she could feel the heat of condemnation from their hearts.
Her own heart cried out to this God who she knew was all powerful. She looked up to the sky: “did you save me to kill me? Did you let me go from among my people so you could use me as a lesson and warning to your own people?”
She chanced a look at the crowd and saw one of the spies who had camped at her house. Her soul fluttered at the prospect of salvation but then as he walked away again, all hope died.
Who would save her now?
She knew she was a prostitute but wasn’t there hope for her?
Who would save her now?
Was her soul absolutely condemned?
Couldn’t she start afresh again?
What if she wanted her name and identity changed from Rahab the harlot to Rahab the one accepted by God?
Her soul silently cried out to God.
Couldn’t there be a way to change who I am and who I am called by you?
She sat on the floor expecting the stones to start raining down on her any minute.
“…thats her”.
She lifted up her head to see the spy who had come before leading the commander she had seen fighting before to her. Men cleared the way as he advanced towards her. He was a big and strong man, with fiery eyes and a gentle demeanor. She wondered at the sharp contrast between his eyes and general body disposition. How can one seem gentle and at the same time be fierce?
She hoped that his gentle demeanor would be to her favour.
“Men and brethren” he began addressing the Israelites.
“You must have heard of Rahab the woman who saved our Israelite spies. She is a harlot.”
Rahab’s head dropped ans her heart cried: “No I don’t want to be one anymore. Is there no hope for me?”
Joshua continued: “She saved the spies when the king of Jericho wanted them killed and in exchange for her good deed, the spies promised to save her.
We are not like the pagan countries who lie. We keep our word”
Her eyes met with Joshua’s eyes and it was almost as though he looked deep into her soul.
“As for whether she stays here outside the camp or outside the camp, depends on her”
As a murmur ran through the crowd, Joshua explained.
“You yourselves know that our father Abraham was called out of a pagan culture. He was an idol worshipper. I have asked the Lord what to do about this woman and He said to leave the choice to her.
Just like our father Abraham, the Lord leaves a choice before her today. If she would leave her father’s and country’s gods behind and follow the Lord, He would graft her in and make her a daughter of Abraham”
A man stepped out of the crowd.
“My lord Joshua, commander of the armies of Israel. I do not dispute your words but how can this be? How can a stranger become one of us?”
Joshua replied: “I do not know how the Lord does His things. I do not know how the Lord judges but I know that the Lord is a righteous judge. He has made a way open to this woman. She has the choice to make and not us”.
Joshua looked at her, silently beckoning her to speak and she felt her mouth opening with the desire she felt from the inside of her.
She couldn’t dare to address them as my people could she?
“Hear me the people of the Most High God. It is true that I was a harlot. It is true that I willingly took part in prostitution and I was one of the richest women from my trade. My trade fed me and took care of my family but I was tired of it long before the spies came to my house.
I wanted to change but I didn’t know what to do. Everyone knew me as Rahab the harlot. I had thought that your God saved me with my good deed to the spies but what is salvation if I am to be killed again here by you? I accept my fate but here is my heart desire: I want to be called by a new name. If I will be accepted by your God then I want to change, turn aside from my wicked deeds and serve Him with the rest of my years”.
As she spoke she could see the faces of some of the men crumble and she couldn’t understand why.
Joshua spoke again.
“My dear brothers and sisters. You yourself know how the purification rites have to be done for us each year otherwise we would not be able to come to God as His. You yourselves know the struggle against sin and living right.
If God grants us the opportunity to be purified and to become His every year, then why should we deny this woman an opportunity to be called His too?
She has made her choice to be called one of His own. If God does not deny her of this choice, then should mortal men deny her?”
He looked around at their faces.
Salmon, go call the feasts and prepare for the ceremonial cleansing of Rahab the harlot. From this day she would live among us as a new woman for as long as she pleases. Because she believed in the Most High God.”
“This is the list of ancestors of Jesus Christ, descendant of David and Abraham. Salmon and Rahab were the father and mother of Boaz. Boaz and Ruth were the father and mother of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse,”
Matthew 1:1, 5 GW***
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As we glean lessons from the life of Rahab, we see that there is so much to learn from this woman.
Rahab had an identity cemented by the people. She was called “Rahab the harlot”.
She had saved the spies but the smell of her past stuck. It was like a bad smell that couldn’t go away no matter how much she scrubbed at it.
Have you ever been someone in your past by whom you were judged and appraised?
You desire to change but cannot.
Your heart cries out: “but I want to be someone else. Who can make me someone else?”
There is good news for you: we serve a God WHO IS OUR IDENTITY.
Who is a woman?
Who are you?
Are you the name of your past?
Are you your mistakes?
Are you your failures?
No.
We serve a God who takes a harlot and molds her into an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus Christ – God Himself.
Like Rahab did all those years ago, all He needs you to do is to cry out to Him and believe Him when He calls you His.
Prayer:
Father I have done a lot of things in my life. I have erred but I don’t want to be known by my mistakes; I want to be known by You – by who you call me.
Please forgive me Lord and fill me with the knowledge of MY IDENTITY IN YOU.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
I Peter 2:9-10 NKJV
A Few Things:
TWTW is about to start a series of meetings around Nigeria called “The Father’s Girls”
What is the Father’s Girls?
The Father’s Girls is a series of small meetings much like and patterned after the meeting Jesus had with the Samaritan woman in John Chapter 4.
They are small meetings with conversations much like Jesus’ lone conversation with that neglected and guilt-ridden woman at the well.
They are meetings with no condemnation but with only a call to COME SEE A MAN WHO HEALS AND CAN HEAL YOU FROM THE SCARS OF YOUR PAST. HE KNOWS EVERYTHING YOU EVER DID AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU AND HOLDS WATER FOR YOU THAT CLEANSES, HEALS, AND REFRESHES.
The Father’s Girls are meetings where the Father is calling “I see your pain, I see your hurt and I want to heal you”
We would have guests share their stories and also with the gift of transparency and openness begin the healing process for the Father’s battered girls.
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The next meetings hold in:
1: Ibadan on Saturday, March 31st 2018
Venue: Agodi Gardens
Time: 12pm
2: Ado-Ekiti
Sunday, April 1st 2018
Venue: Fajuyi Park
Time: 2pm
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Please email us at 4thewomenatthewell@gmail.com to confirm your attendance.
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There is a call for partnership and collaborations too. If you feel like the Lord is leading you to partner and collaborate with us to bring this to your city, also email us.
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Please also help share to a daughter of the King who needs this.
To healing,
Amen.
Hephzibah Frances,
For
THE WOMEN AT THE WELL
www.4thewomenatthewell.com
@twtwinternational on social media.
God bless you
