Nobody and Somebody

“God has a habit of picking up nobodies and making them somebodies.”  (Carman Licciardello)

 There are some people that have had such a horrific past that they are stuck there. Mentally they can’t modify their present to result in a better future. Rahab was not one of those victims. She went from harlot to heroine in a very brief amount of time.

× Around 1400 B.C, r Create an AccountRahab (an innkeeper and harlot in Canaan) hid the Jewish spies under the drying flax on her rooftop in Jericho. There she made a covenant with them: She would help them to safety (from the King’s men). They would spare her and her family when Joshua and the Israelites attacked their city. (Her business/home was up against the wall of the city.)

 Jericho was a bustling, fortified city strategically situated in the fertile plains of the Jordan valley. To avoid being noticed, they blended with the busy pedestrians outside the great city walls. It was difficult not to be visibly impressed with Jericho’s massive fortifications. The Israeli spies’ primary job was to take mental notes of the city’s layout and fortifications. Instantly they realized that these impressive man-made barriers would never be destroyed unless God intervened for the Israelites.

Rahab lived from 1213-1113B.C. The first part of her name “Ra,” had to do with an Egyptian god. As an Amorite, Rahab belonged to an idolatrous people, and had a name meaning “insolence,” “fierceness,” or “broad,” “spaciousness.” Rahab’s ability to save her and her family extended beyond her death  to her descendent, Jesus Christ, the Son of God as recorded in Matthew 1:5 (WEB): “Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.”

Other verses in the New Testament praise her bravery:

·        “Because Rahab had faith, she was kept from being killed along with those who did not obey God. She was a woman who sold the use of her body.” (Hebrews 11:31, NLV)

·        “Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by hiding the spies and aiding in their escape.” (James 2:25, VOICE)

In the song, “The Scarlet Thread,” (by Alana Allen) we learn Rahab’s family generosity eventually extended something more powerful than her memory. Because of courageous individuals like her, we have faith in a Savior that can cleanse us from our sins, and give us an eternal home in Heaven (with Him).

Verse One

A scarlet thread was bound to the window of a house known for shame and sin

There it was found as a promise of safety for those who found refuge within

On the day of the city’s destruction came the armies of the Lord

For Rahab’s house was saved that day because of the scarlet cord

Chorus

The scarlet thread running through the tapestry of time

The scarlet thread weaves a picture of love divine

The scarlet thread red with the blood of Calvary

The scarlet thread the tie that binds my Lord to me

Verse Two

And the scarlet thread turned to rivers of red

Flowed down on the wood of the tree

That stood on a hill where a Lamb was slain

To redeem humanity

And the scarlet thread draws me back again

No matter where I go

For His blood has the power to save

And wash me white as snow

The scarlet thread around my heart has twined

And I’m washed in the crimson flow

There it will stay as through this world I go

On the day of the coming judgment,

I will cling to the scarlet strand.

And the Father will look down to see my soul

In the blood of the Lamb

Chorus

Tag

The tie that binds my Lord to me (2x) [i]

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” (Helen Keller)

Rahab and the spies on the roof

---

[i] “When we come to the land, you must tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you must gather your father and mother, and your brothers, and your whole family to your house.” (Joshua 2:18, LEB) 

“I promise you that on the Day of Judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matthew 12:36, CEV)

Sources used:

·        “Profiles of Faith” by Jerrod Aust ·        “Rahab: The Woman God Took from the Dunghill” by Bible Gateway “Rahab“(https://www.geni.com/people/Rahab/6000000002689040201) ·        “Rahab” The Life Application Bible, New International Version edition   For a vocal performance of this song by husband and wife duo, John and Alana Allen, please refer to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-6XJ-YZ8dw