Which woman hid Israelite spies and was saved when Jericho fell?

The Answer

Rahab was a prostitute living in Jericho who hid two Israelite spies on her roof. In return, they promised to spare her and her family when Israel attacked. She hung a scarlet cord from her window as a sign, and her entire household was saved.

Rahab had every reason to be disqualified. Her profession, her nationality, her past — by any standard of the day, she was the last person you would expect to find in a story about God's faithfulness.

And yet she is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The same lineage that includes Abraham, Ruth, and David also includes a Canaanite woman who simply believed God was who He said He was — and acted on it.

Your past does not determine your place in God's story. Your worst chapter is not your last chapter. If Rahab can hang a scarlet cord from her window and find herself woven into the greatest rescue story ever told, then no one — absolutely no one — is beyond the reach of grace.