“Since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9, 10).

Although she didn’t “receive what was promised” (Hebrews 11:39), Rahab—in helping the Israelite spies—is a prime example of what Paul is talking about in Colossians 3.

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them (Joshua 2:1-4).

How does a prostitute, of all people, escape God’s judgment? And how does she not only avoid death, but find a new life?

Acknowledging God
First of all, Rahab recognizes God for who he is.

[Rahab] said to them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:9-11).

The kings of Egypt, Og, and Sihon have opportunities to turn from their ways when they hear or see the power of the Almighty. In fact, the whole city of Jericho recognizes the awesomeness of God. Only Rahab and her family do anything about it. So the first step in taking off our old self is to recognize God is Lord of Heaven and earth.

Admitting Need
Second, Rahab recognizes her need for salvation. “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death” (Joshua 2:12, 13).

I am reminded of the Philippian jailer who cries out to Paul and Silas, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household’” (Acts 16:30, 31).

Rahab is willing to humble herself, for she realizes salvation for herself and her family is something she cannot do herself. And because she is willing to risk punishment from the king of Jericho and hide the spies, they agree to save her. “‘Our lives for your lives!’ the men assured her. ‘If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land’” (Joshua 2:14).

Demonstrating Repentance
After being saved when the walls come down, Rahab recognizes she needs to put her past behind her and start living a new life.

Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day (Joshua 6:24, 25).

Did you catch that last phrase? “And she lives among them to this day.” If Rahab had continued in her chosen profession, she would not be living among the Israelites. The Jews have laws about what to do to such people, and the result is not life!

Rahab is able to escape death and find new life by accepting who God is, crying out to the only one who can save her, and getting rid of the “old self” by embracing the new.

This change is evident to the writer of Hebrews who includes her in his “hall of faith” (Hebrews 11:31), and to James who says of her, “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?” (James 2:25).

And as a result of her change, some great men are born.

Rahab becomes the mother of a godly man named Boaz, who marries Ruth. They are the parents of Obed, who is the father of Jesse, who is the father of David. And God fulfills his promise to David, that his throne will endure forever, through the birth of Jesus.

(Additional reading: Hebrews 11; James 2:14-26; Acts 2:37-41; 16.)

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* All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.