3 Things You Can Learn From a Prostitute

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Yes, you read that right.  All of us can learn something from a prostitute.  In Joshua chapter 2, time has drawn near for the Israelites to begin their conquest of the Promised Land.  The first target on their list is Jericho, a mighty city with a seemingly impenetrable fortress.  As leader of the Israelite people, Joshua sends out two spies from Shittim to gather a report on the city (Joshua 2:1). 

When the spies arrive, they meet a prostitute named Rahab and stay in her home.  She was a prostitute and innkeeper whose house was built directly into the city wall (v. 15).  Rahab may have started out in life as a prostitute, but she’s living proof that people can overcome their surroundings.  She is mentioned three times in the New Testament, and all of them are positive.

The first time she is mentioned is in Matthew 1:5.  It reads, 

“and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,” (Matthew 1:5, ESV).  

 From this we can infer that she eventually gave up prostitution, married and had a family.  Her husband was a man named Salmon, and they had a child named Boaz.  Boaz married Ruth (Ruth 4:10) and had a child named Obed.  Obed then had a child named Jesse, who was the father of King David of Israel (1 Samuel 17:12).  That makes Rahab King David’s great-great grandmother and an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The second time she is mentioned is in Hebrews 11:31 in the so-called “Hall of Faith.” The Hall of Faith is a chapter in Hebrews dedicated to extoling the virtues of some of the Bibles most venerated figures of faith.  And this former prostitute is included! The passage reads, 

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” (Hebrews 11:31, ESV)

The third and final time she is mentioned is in James 2:25 which says, 

“And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?" (James 2:25, ESV)

So this prostitute is mentioned in pretty high regard in the New Testament.  Two of the three New Testament passages note an event in her life regarding the spies in Joshua chapter 2.  It was probably this event that changed her life forever, transforming her life of prostitution into one of faithful obedience to God.

Looking at this event in her life from Joshua 2, I believe there are three things we can learn from this prostitute: (1) No matter how bad you’ve been, God can and will forgive you if you turn to him! (2) If you truly believe what God says, you will obey him.  (3) Faith requires action.

1. No sin is too great for God to forgive!

The first lesson we can learn from Rahab’s life is that no sin is too great for God to forgive.  What a wonderful promise in Scripture: 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV) 

We see living proof of this in Rahab’s story.  The Bible picks no bones about the fact that she was a prostitute.  But she didn’t stay that way.  She repented, turned to God, married, and had a family.  We see her faith emerge in Joshua 2:8-11 where she makes the following assertions: 

(a) “I know the Lord has given you the land.” (v. 9) 

(b) “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea when you came out of Egypt.” (v. 10)

(c) “The Lord your God is God of the heavens above and the earth beneath.” (v. 11).   

No matter how bad you’ve been in your life, no sin is too powerful for God’s love and mercy to overcome if you bring it to Him!

2. If you truly believe what God says, then you will obey Him.

The second lesson from her life is this: If you truly believe what God says you will obey Him!  Rahab took in the spies and protected them when the king of Jericho came knocking at her door, demanding that she turn them over, saving them from definite execution. (Joshua 2:2-7)  If she had been caught lying to the king, she could’ve been beaten, or worse.  Yet the possibility of earthly retaliation didn’t matter much to her.  She’d heard the rumors of the God of Israel, and her faith began to grow.  She truly believed what she’d heard, and she acted on her faith.  Nothing the king could’ve done would’ve stopped her from assisting God’s people. 

The exact same thing is true for us today.  Rahab truly believed in God, therefore she acted on that belief.  If we truly believe in what God has revealed to us through His Word, then must act on it. The Apostle John quite vividly states the fate of those who do not obey God, 

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8, ESV)   

If we truly believe that, if we truly take God at His word, then we will obey Him. 

3. Faith must be accompanied by action.

The third and final lesson we can learn from Rahab’s life is that faith must be backed up by action. When James wrote about Rahab’s story in James 2:25, he uses her actions to illustrate the truth that he’s teaching in regard to faith and action.  Faith and action go hand-in-hand.  Rahab had heard and believed in God, but she didn’t have to help save the spies from the king.  She could’ve easily acknowledged her belief in the power and nature of the God of Israel, but if she hadn’t acted on that faith, then it would’ve been a worthless faith. 

We have to act on our faith, just as Rahab did.  If we say, “I believe in you Jesus” but do nothing, then our faith is absolutely and totally worthless.  Let us all learn to have the faith and obedience of this former prostitute and wonderful woman of God!

Misogyny in the Lord's Church

There is a misconception out there that we in the Lord's church believe, teach, and practice misogyny in our worship.  Not only does this greatly hurt me personally, it is totally false.  I believe that both women and men are completely equal in all ways and are both created in the image of the Almighty.  My grandmother was the most godly woman I have ever met.  She never led in public worship in any shape, form, or fashion in her nearly 85 years of life here on this earth; yet she was far better than I, as a preacher, could ever dream of being!  My fiance, Staci, is also a much better person and follower of Christ than I ever hope to be.  I am surrounded by so many godly and wonderful women. 

However, the Bible is clear on the role of men and women in worship:

¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:11-14, English Standard Version)

³³ For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, ³⁴ the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. ³⁵ If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (1 Corinthians 14:33-35, English Standard Version)

With that being said, do I like what Scripture teaches in regards to this subject? No, I don't like it.  Would I have done it differently had I been in charge? Probably.  Could some women do better than some men if they were to preach? No doubt.  My grandmother could've done much more for the kingdom in a leadership position than I ever can.  My fiance Staci, would be a much better preacher and teacher than I am.  But, it does not matter what I like or don't like, or what I agree or disagree with.  God laid out his plan, gave his commands, and I'm going to do my best to be completely obedient regardless of my own personal feelings.  God's commands supercede my feelings.  Unfortunately, it seems like many people have forgotten this fact.

Further, my grandmother's life of love, kindness, and servitude to Christ was far more valuable than anything that will ever come from the pulpit.  She led in other ways: Ladies' Day, Ladies' Classes, etc.  Just because God assigned women a different role in worship does not mean they are inferior to men in any way whatsoever.  Children have a special bond with their mother in a way they will never have with their father because their mother carried them for nine months.  As a father, I'll never be able to have that maternal bond with my kids.  I would love to bond with my kids at that level.  Does the fact that God gave women the ability to bear children and not men mean that men are inferior to women? Not at all, he just assigned us different roles!

Finally, Paul elaborates in 1 Timothy 2 on the reason why God assigned different roles for men and women in the church:

¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

It's not some ancient culture's misogynistic conception of deity that designed worship order in this way.  It is the simple fact that: (a) Adam was formed first (and then God saw that is was not good that he should be alone, and he formed Eve [Genesis 2:18]) and (b) Eve was deceived by the serpent to partake of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, whereas Adam was not.

Women and men are completely and unequivocally equal.  Women are of utmost importance and value. I hope I have cleared this matter up.  May God bless you all. 

For further reading on this subject, I highly recommend Wes McAdams' wonderful article over at RadicallyChristian.com: "I'm Tired of People Demeaning Women in the Church."