A Rahab Bible Study: The Real Life of Rahab

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Are you ready to dig deep into the story of Rahab? Rahab’s story is one of my absolute favorites. Grit, abandon, and surrender. These are the words I use to describe the character of Rahab in the Bible. My guess is you’ve heard her described much differently.

Rahab; the harlot.
The prostitute.
Rahab; the girl lost in an incredibly sinful life.

There was a time when these descriptions were 100% accurate. The cool thing about encountering God is that the identity we have in Him transcends the broken person we were before Him.

If we only look at our past, who we were in our own strength; we’ll fail to see the lesson, hope, and beauty of a life touched by God. That’s what I intend to deliver and hope you’ll find in this Rahab Bible study. Are you ready to dig in? Download our free Rahab Bible Study pdf worksheets and join us!

Let’s start with the basics.

Who Was Rahab in the Bible?

Rahab is one of five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus. This surprises a lot of people because Rahab’s life wasn’t a pretty one, but it certainly belongs. You’ll come to understand why as we continue to study through her story, which you can find in the book of Joshua.

The more common introduction (the reason people are shocked that she’d have the honor of being in the lineage of Jesus): Rahab was a prostitute. A fairly popular one at that. What scripture doesn’t explicitly state in the facts about Rahab is whether this occupation was voluntary or not. In Rahab’s day, it was normal for women to be bought and sold for sex (or even marriage). Sexual sin was deeply embedded in Canaanite culture. It could be that Rahab was coerced into her lifestyle. In fact, that is a big part of why God chose to destroy the Canaanites in the first place. Both Deuteronomy and Leviticus record detestable practices of life and worship (including sexual perversions) that were the norm for Canaanite peoples. So He tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 9:5,

It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 9:5

This leads us to Rahab’s real shining moment; the role she played in helping the Israelites conquer Jericho.

Interested in digging deeper? Get our free Rahab Bible Study pdf worksheets! Or grab the full book study here. 

The Story of Rahab and the Spies at Jericho

While the Canaanites were living large and partying doing all the things that were grotesquely sinful things (child sacrifices, idol worship, pagan rituals including but not limited to sexual perversions), God was faithfully bringing the Israelites to the land He had promised them in Genesis 15:18-21 and Exodus 33:1-3.(from here on out we’ll refer to it as the Promised Land). It had been 40 years since Joshua, Israel’s leader at the time, had set eyes on the promised land. They had the chance to occupy it once before under the leadership of Moses, but despite God’s promise fear got the best of them. Instead of occupying the land as instructed, they convinced themselves they weren’t strong enough and opted to return to Egypt; the land God had just freed them from (see Numbers chapters 13 & 14).

So here we are 40 years later, a new generation of Israelites (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, none of the Israelites from the previous generation were still alive). Moses had passed and appointed Joshua as the new leader of Israel and with God’s blessing and instruction the Israelites were again preparing to enter Canaan (the Promised Land), starting with Jericho.

This time around, instead of sending a group of spies to scout out the land, Joshua sent only two.

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. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.” Joshua 2:1-2

The Risk That Made Her Famous

Scripture doesn’t say explicitly, but I think the arrival of these spies was an answer to Rahab’s prayers. Something tells me she had been waiting for an opportunity like this; a chance to escape the darkness in Canaan and the hurt of her life. I say this for two reasons:

1. It’s evident in Joshua 2:8-11 that Rahab has little to no confidence in the life she’s been living and the gods her people worship.

“Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon, and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Joshua 2:8-11

Rahab wasn’t content where she was. She KNEW the life she had been living was a lie and she was desperate to find the truth.

2. Rahab was quick to abandon the life she had built for the HOPE of a new one.

Rahab put her life at risk several times while helping the spies. The first time is mentioned in Joshua 2:4-7 when soldiers came to her door demanding she brings the spies to them. Rahab leads the soldiers to believe the spies had come and gone.

As if that wasn’t enough risk, Rahab goes on to help the spies create a strategic and safe return home (Joshua 2:14-16). All for the HOPE of a new life, with the One True God and His people.

There was no guarantee these risks would pay off, but to Rahab, these risks were worth it. In exchange for her good deeds, the Israelite spies promised that IF Rahab was alive when they returned and IF she kept the scarlet rope (which they used to escape that night) hanging from her window – when the Israelites invaded Jericho, Rahab and those in her home would be kept safe.

Is Rahab’s Story A Model of Salvation?

This is one of my favorite chapters to work through in the Rahab Bible Study (find it here!). See, despite her many shortcomings, there is one character of Rahab’s that Christian women in a sin-driven world should be eager to adopt: Abandon

This is why Rahab is so important.

We don’t typically hear the word “abandon” being used to describe positive behavior. It describes a toxic one, or more relate-ably a toxic person. It portrays a lack of commitment or diligence; sometimes to a task and other times towards a person or relationship. It’s deemed irresponsible. In Rahab’s case, it wasn’t any of those things. It was beautiful.

When something is abandoned it is no longer receiving the nurture it needs to grow. It will likely shrivel and die unless someone else comes along to provide a life source.

These things require a steady work ethic and a life source in order to thrive. When we abandon them we are essentially starving them; no longer allowing them to feast on the things that sustain them. Rahab’s example of abandon reminds us that there are many things we are given in life that we are not meant to hold onto. And it highlights the one thing that is – life with God.

…Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Matthew 16:25

Let’s take a look at the things that Rahab chose to leave behind to gain life with God.

4 Things Rahab Abandoned to Cling to God

1. Her loyalties
2. Her religion
3. Livelihood and citizenship
4. Her identity

Rahab Shifts Loyalties

From the moment conflict arose between the Israelites and Rahab’s people, Rahab had set in her heart whose side she was on. She had grown up in Jericho (according to the Midrash she had been there for nearly 40 years, possibly more). This was her culture. These were her people and this was her King. Yet, in an instant, she abandoned her people and her king. Why? Because she was ready for the real deal.

Rahab found God, ran to Him, and didn't let ANYTHING keep her back. #purposedbook Share on X

A Change of Heart and Religion

For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, who you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”
Joshua 2:10-11

The confidence in Rahab’s statements here astounds me. Part of me wonders how long she had been questioning the legitimacy of the idols and false gods her people worshiped; of which there were many. Canaan (where Jericho was located) was a polytheistic land. They didn’t necessarily deny God’s existence, but they had little reverence for God as the sovereign One and saw no problem with giving glory to idols and other “deities.” It was the norm. We don’t know how invested Rahab was in honoring Canaanite worship practices but we do know that however invested she was, it wasn’t enough to keep her from abandoning their falsehoods for the One true God.

Leaving Behind Her Livelihood and Citizenship

This is a BIG DEAL. Not solely because of the type of livelihood she was leaving behind (although that’s a part of it) but primarily because Rahab was no in a position to easily take care of herself. Partly because of her reputation as a prostitute but also because of the restraints put on women in those times. A woman of Rahab’s age (40+) left unwed and without a child was shamed. Women in that position often struggled to provide for themselves (the book of Ruth draws great attention to this). In addition to the hurdle of finding actual work, Rahab would also have to find enough favor with the Israelite people to be allowed to dwell among them. Her only other option would be to seek out another people group and cling to them. Rahab’s livelihood was her security. She was willing to abandon it if it meant getting to know the One true God.

Rahab’s New Identity

Of all the things Rahab left behind, I bet this was the one she was most happy to let go of. Her identity. Can you imagine being “that girl?” The one who was known for sleeping around? The woman men came to for a quick fix? A purchase? 

For many of us, our identity is our hang-up. How people view us is our stumbling block and often times we associate God’s view of us with man’s view of us. We assume that if imperfect people can think so lowly of us how much worse we must be seen in the eyes of a perfect God. What’s amazing about Rahab is that she didn’t let those thoughts keep her from running to God. She found God and she ran to Him and He gave her an entirely new identity.

Faith Like the Rahab In the Bible

According to the Oxford Dictionary, there are a couple of different definitions of the word “abandon”. We’ve talked about it as a verb but there is one more definition I want to bring into this conversation before we come to an end.

(noun): abandon – complete lack of inhibition or restraint.
Synonyms: Recklessness

Rahab let go of some of the biggest pieces of her life. Actually, let’s rephrase that. She didn’t just let go of some things, she abandoned EVERYTHING. And she did it in a moment. Sometimes we get this idea that to escape from the things that separate us from God we need to slowly wean ourselves off of them. What I admire so much about Rahab is that she took the “reckless” route. She refused to nurture those things anymore. She let them shrivel and fade and was completely content in that because she knew what was hers going forward; LIFE.

This is the type of commitment we were called to have as women following Jesus. We talk about making an impact finding purpose in life but seldom do we realize that to walk out the things God created us for often requires us to abandon things of this world that define us; the culture we live in, our own ideologies, status, and even how we view ourselves. Living purposefully for Christ starts with laying down all that was, and clinging to all that He is.

Rahab Bible Study Questions

Below is a list of common discussion questions for the story of Rahab and Joshua 2 Bible study questions. Most of them just skim the surface of Rahab’s story. For a full list of well-rounded questions, I invite you to click here and print our free Rahab Bible study pdf worksheet! 

1. What does the story of Rahab teach?
2. What are the characteristics of Rahab?
3. How did Rahab obey God?
4. Why did Rahab betray her people?
5. How does Rahab’s story foreshadow the gift of the gospel?

I hope you enjoyed this summary of the story of Rahab in the Bible! You can keep digging and learning about Rahab and how the event of her life point to the hope of the gospel in the full Rahab Bible Study book!

Find a digital copy of the Rahab study here.