Jericho had been standing there for hundreds of years.  It was fully fortified.  Its inhabitants thought that it was invincible.  But Rahab heard God’s word through those who had been traveling through town.

One theologian commented, “The people in Rahab’s time who most frequently used such houses of prostitution were traveling merchants.  From them she had probably repeatedly heard of the marvelous nation which was approaching from Egypt and the God of Israel who had perfected such striking miracles.”[1]

God had been sending her information about Himself in the context of a brothel.  Maybe it was her pagan clients who told her about the miraculous way the Israelite God had parted the Red Sea and delivered Israel from the hand of their other enemies – namely the 2 kings of the Amorites.

She didn’t have much information about the God of the Bible.  She had never been to a Jewish religious meeting.  She had never read the Scriptures.  Regardless of her lack of religiosity, she believed that Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, is the real God who made heaven and earth.  She believed in the Israelite’s God and she acted on that simple, mustard-seed sized faith in the way she knew how to act on it.

Remember that we defined faith as “Trusting that God will Fulfill His Promises.”  She had a basic understanding that God was the one who was really sovereign over all things, not the false demon-gods of the Canaanite culture.  Rahab believed that judgement was coming on her land and she had a basic, reverential fear of this sovereign God.

Like James, the writer of Hebrews points to Rahab as a hero of the faith.  Hebrews 11:31 says, “31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”

She isn’t a hero of the faith because of her religious activities.  She is a hero of the faith because she put her life and everything dear to her on the line for the Lord.  She trusted the God of the Israelites without hesitation, qualification or reservation.

I’ve heard it said that works are the fruit of our salvation, not the root of it.  “The root of justification is by FAITH.  The FRUIT of justification is by WORKS.”  James 2:25 says that Rahab demonstrated bold, saving faith by her actions.  It says, “25 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?”

Real saving faith fuels bold actions for God’s glory.  Rahab believed God and consequently was willing to risk it all.  She showed her faith by what she did.