Why I Believe Rahab is an Example of God's Sovereign Election
While reading Joshua, I was thinking about the possibility of using Rahab as an example of God's sovereign choice. Just think about what Exodus 33:19 says as:
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
The fate of the Canaanites was already long sealed. God anointed that in time that the cup of the Amorites' sin was not yet full (Genesis 15:6). The whole issue was that God already signed the doom of the Canaanites. Yet, you've got stubborn Israelites who rebelled and eventually caused a wandering for forty years. Why did God allow that? It would sound unfair why God allowed it or why He in His wisdom granted Moses' and Aaron's request not to destroy everyone. Instead, God said that all those who were 20 and upwards who murmured will die in the desert (Numbers 14). God allowed 40 years of testing. The faithful would have to undergo the testing while the unfaithful were to die in the desert. I wonder if a lot of those who didn't murmur against Joshua and Caleb soon got so tired of the others? Eventually, Moses and Aaron also died. Eleazar became the new high priest in his father Aaron's place. Joshua at 80 years old became the new leader in the place of Moses.
I was thinking that Rahab was probably not yet born during the time the Israelites murmured. You can think that Rahab was probably very young when the new generation was about to invade Canaan. If Joshua and Caleb had their way - I don't think Rahab would be born. However, I'd like to imagine that God chose Rahab in eternity past to be part of the Davidic dynasty. Mary was already chosen to be Jesus' earthly mother. Rahab and Ruth were no different to be part of that lineage. Just think in Genesis 49:10 that Shiloh will come out of Judah. You can imagine that God already ordained Judah to be the Messianic tribe. Now, you can see people getting into the Messianic tribe as planned.
Eventually when Joshua took over - Rahab was now a woman of ill repute, a prostitute. Joshua 2 tells us about this encounter. You can see God's divine providence at work in the least expected way. How can two Israelites suddenly expect help from Rahab? For a Canaanite prostitute to help them seems too good to be true. However, she really hid them. It feels too random that suddenly Rahab who was probably a temple prostitute and priestess was now seeing the power of the living God.
We can also read this passage from Joshua 2:
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: 5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
This has me thinking that the others shut their gate fearful of the Israelites. In the case of Rahab, the evidence of God's power and terror melted her heart and she saw the true and living God. I think that it felt too random that a Canaanite woman of ill repute would suddenly believe that God had given the land to the descendants of Jacob. The other Canaanites heard of it but their hearts didn't melt in contrast to the others. Rahab and her immediate family soon gave in to the LORD's will and decided to help the Israelites. But God gave His sign of providence by making Rahab help the two Israelite spies. In fact, her house stood still as soon as the conquest began (Joshua 6).
Why would I even consider Rahab's change of heart a part of God's sovereign election? I don't think Rahab on her own could believe that. Remember the other Canaanites were fearful of the Israelites and chose to still resist God's will. However, Rahab by faith, ended up getting spared when she finally saw the true and living God away from the idols she worshiped. She converted away from the idols she so worshiped to believe in the one true God. Presumably, she was a temple prostitute who saw the truth. In fact, her marriage to Salmon was soon recorded in Matthew 1 and she is discovered to be the mother of Boaz who became the father of Jesse and Jesse is the father of David. It would be foolish to say it was an accident that Rahab was just randomly put into the Davidic or Messianic line. Only God could convert the hardened heart of Rahab to believe in Him and to become part of the Jewish people. The other Canaanites still remained hardened. I think that only sovereign election could've changed Rahab's heart to side with the people of God.