Rahab the Harlot had her scarlet letter, and she wore it out throughout the Old Testament, but undoubtedly, God changed her life and gave her a new beginning. She was a harlot in the land of Jericho. The word “Jericho” means “the moon”, more than like because of the way that the city was shaped by an amphitheater of hills surrounding it (Dake, p. 264). It was the first city conquered by Joshua after crossing the Jordan River and entering into Canaan. Jericho is situated in the lower Jordan Valley, which, according to Genesis 13:10, “was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord.” The Old Testament town lies beneath tell es-Sultan near one of Palestine’s strongest springs. The combination of rich alluvial soil, the perennial spring, and constant sunshine made Jericho an attractive place for settlement. Jericho was known as “the city of palms” because of its palm trees, and it still has plenty of palm trees to this day (Holman Bible Dictionary). Not much is said about the worship that was done there, but undoubtedly, it was filled with idolatry for it to be the city that Israel overcame. Numbers 33:50-56 says, “50And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 51Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 52Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: 53And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. 54And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. 55But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 56Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.” The inhabitants of Jericho apparently had idols that they worshiped, as well as pornography on their walls. They had high places where every form of sexual perversion was at work. Whether Rahab’s prostitution was in relation to false gods or not is hard to say, but this city was operating against the will of God, and she recognized who the one true God was. 

Joshua had sent two men to spy secretly concerning the land of Jericho. We all know the story of this city. The children of Israel, in obedience to God’s Word, marched around the city once for six days, but on the seventh day, they marched around for seven days, and after their last march around the city, they sounded trumpets before God, including that of ram’s horns, and they shouted a great shout of praise. When they did, the walls came tumbling down, and God gave them a wondrous victory! One of the reasons that this happened was because of Rahab protecting these two spies who searched out the land. Joshua 2:2-7 (NASB) says, “2It was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5“It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. 7So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.” God is searching out this land to take inventory as He is getting ready to invade our territory, but He is looking for people who will protect His glory. He is not looking for people who will make a mockery or a financial profit from His presence. He is not searching for people who treat God like a Sunday fix where they are more addicted to church instead of His presence. He is not choosing people who have an outward show of religion but no inward hunger for His presence. He is searching for people who will reverence and protect His presence. It does not matter if it is someone who has a background like Rahab because even Rahab’s life would change forever when she began to house God’s people. It does not matter the label that you have on your life. That label is broken through Jesus Christ. It is tore off of you when you make the choice to serve God with everything inside of you. It is not about you, but it is about Him!

Joshua 2:8-21 (NASB) says, “8Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. 10“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11“When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12“Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of truth, 13and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14So the men said to her, “Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” 15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. 16She said to them, “Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.” 17The men said to her, “We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, 18unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household. 19“It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20“But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear.” 21She said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.” 

Rahab expressed her faith in the God of Israel as a result of the signs, wonders, and miracles that followed them wherever they went. She befriended and protected them because of her reverence of the true God. So, she made an oath with them that because she extended kindness to them that when they took over Jericho her and her family would be protected. They agreed and stated that they would die if she died in battle. Then, she let them down along the all with a rope, and they said that they would be free from the oath if she did not tie the cord of scarlet thread in the window. It was the very thread she let them down by the wall with. This scarlet rope represents the blood of Jesus Christ. The only way to escape temptation is by the blood of Jesus Christ. When the enemy threatens, the only way out is the blood of Christ. When God invades our territory, He is saving those who are willing to believe without any shame in the blood of Jesus Christ! It reminds me of when the last plague came upon the land of Egypt, which was the death of the firstborn. Death passed by those who had the blood of the Lamb on the side and upper door posts. Death has to pass by when he sees the blood of Jesus Christ. You need to plead the blood over your home and family. You need to show your faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. You may feel as though you are in an idolatrous area, but if you are unashamed of God, He will be unashamed of you and be faithful to the covenant that He has made with you. The new covenant is sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Without the blood of Jesus Christ, the oath comes to nothing! When we do our part, God will do His! It does not matter what your past looks like. The blood of Christ will change your life forever! The very blood that saved someone else will save you too!