Recently in my Bible classes, Rahab has been mentioned more in discussion than I ever remember happening before.  She is the unexpected hero of Joshua 2, who is quick to help out the two Israelites sent to spy out the land. Even before the men of Jericho became suspicious and came looking for the men, she had already hidden them. Before the spies went to sleep for the night, she made some really surprising statements of faith. She expressed confidence that God had given Israel the land. Then she referenced an event that had occurred 40 years prior as proof: the drying up of the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross out of Egypt. The Israelites had wandered in the desert for forty years, until all of the fighting men had passed away (Joshua 5:6). They were out in the desert until an entire generation had passed.  

The implications of this statement are interesting, because this means that the story of Yahweh drying up the Red Sea had been passed down among the people of Jericho for a generation. They heard the story and believed it to be true. It had impressed the fear of the Lord upon her and her community. Rahab was not at the Red Sea for the crossing, but she probably had grown up hearing the story. Hearing those stories led her to believe. Her desire to be a part of Israel’s story led to bold moves that endangered her but ultimately led to the success of the spies’ mission as well as her own family being saved. Rahab had developed a collateral faith.

Throughout the Old Testament, God made provisions for the Jews to tell the history of what He had done for them. In Joshua 4, as they crossed the Jordan River into the promised land, God had one representative from each tribe stop to pick up a stone. Then they set them up as a memorial for the way God had helped them. In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel erected a large stone to commemorate how God had thrown the approaching Philistines into a panic and caused them to scatter. God wanted future generations to know about what he had done to help His people. In Exodus 13:14, instructions were given about how to celebrate Passover.  Part of the feast was to explain how it is connected to God bringing his people out of Egypt and out of slavery. In Joshua 4:21-24, it specifically mentions that parents should tell the story of what God did at the Jordan when future generations ask about what the stack of stones meant.  In 4:24 it says, “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God” (NIV). What a beautiful connection between the impact on Rahab’s faith and the purpose stated here about why God dried up the Red Sea.

So what does this mean for us? God has worked in our lives, our communities, and our families. We often do not consider how God’s stories of power, redemption, and provision might inspire others, even those outside of our church communities. Could it be that God is caring for us and blessing us so that those who do not yet know Him may learn about Him? Often we never even think about sharing the good things God has done for us with those who do not yet believe. Perhaps we need to commit to be more faithful in sharing not only the good news of Jesus, but the good news about what God has done in our lives. This could bring hope and healing, and it could help another want to come to faith.