A Prostitute Saves the Day

“Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.” – Joshua 2:1 (NKJV)

Have you ever put God in a box? Do you think someone has to be a Christian for God to use them? Can God use secular entrepreneurs to carry out His purposes?

The mistake we often make as Christians is that we assume God only uses those who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior. We mistakenly think that non-Christians are outside of God’s overall plan and, as a result, dismiss certain acts of God simply because of where the acts originated. Though God desires that all come to know His son Jesus Christ and that His children would accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, He continues to use all people to fulfill His ultimate redemptive plan. Consequently, He sometimes uses non-Christians to demonstrate His sovereignty over the world and all creation. God is God whether we acknowledge His existence or not. We may not all be His children, but we are all His creation.

In chapter two of the book of Joshua, Joshua sends spies into Jericho to explore the land and gather information to develop their military strategy. The spies find refuge in the home of a prostitute named Rahab. She was not exactly a Biblical Entrepreneur. Her business was selling sex, and her strategy was using lust to draw married and unmarried men to use her services.

Was God condoning her behavior? Was He endorsing her business? Why could He not find a more honorable entrepreneur in Jericho to use?

It’s important to remember that God’s use of individuals or organizations does not necessarily imply His endorsement of them. God can use whatever (i.e. the donkey He used in Numbers 22) and whoever He desires, regardless of their morality. Also, we must understand that we do not know Rahab’s story. What led her to become a prostitute? What were the circumstances of her life?

What we do know about her, is that she enthusiastically offered to help the Israelite spies and negotiated with them to save her entire family, because she knew of their past victories and the power of their God. She was a true businesswoman. She probably learned of these powerful individuals from her male clients. She knew that they had left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea on dry land, and destroyed major kings along the way to possess the land of Jericho. She knew that their victory was because they served an almighty God. With all this in mind, she had most likely already decided to assist them. Were her actions manipulative? Maybe. Strategic? Definitely!

Those who do not know God act not based on a love for God, but rather on a fear of loss or desire for gain, but God still uses that fear and desire to draw them to Himself. As a Biblical Entrepreneur, you must not limit God to a Christian box and miss the fact that He may use the most unlikely person or company to facilitate His will in your life and business. It may be a secular company that is known for unethical business practices, a homosexual employee who has not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, a crooked politician who uses his or her office for personal gain, or perhaps a vendor who does not understand your commitment to transforming communities and nations through your business rather than making as much money as possible. Furthermore, as God uses them in your life, He will open their eyes to see His power and grace. This may be all He needs to draw them to Himself.

Though Rahab may have been introduced to us as a prostitute, she certainly did not die as one. She not only closed her sexual business, but she also found a husband among the Israelites. And what’s even more amazing is that together they produced a child that became a part of the lineage of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.” – Matthew 1:4-6 (NKJV)

In spite of all this, the most unfortunate aspect of Rahab’s story is that, in some Christian circles today, it would be difficult for God to use a person like her. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we have limited God to only using people who talk like us, look like us, act like us, dress like us, vote like us, and attend church like us.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to see the Rahabs around you so that you may not stand in the way of Him accomplishing His will in their lives and yours.