Hope for Everyone: Rahab, Redemption, and Grace

Devotional

Day 1: God includes unlikely people in Jesus' lineage

Matthew's genealogy deliberately names women and the scandalous stories behind them to show that Jesus' family is not a roll call of the respectable but a line of redeemed, unlikely people — outsiders, foreigners, and sinners are brought into the very ancestry of the Messiah to display God's mercy and the scandalous grace of Christmas. [06:48]

Matthew 1:1-6 (ESV)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,
4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.

Reflection: Name one person in your life who seems unlikely or 'outside' the church; what one concrete step will you take this week to welcome them (a phone call, an invite for coffee, or a written note telling them you are praying for them)?

Day 2: Rahab's faith brings rescue and mercy

Rahab recognises the God of Israel, throws her lot in with His people, hides the spies, and seeks mercy for her household — her action of faith puts her at the centre of God's rescue plan and marks her as an early example of how God welcomes the outsider into His covenant. [14:07]

Joshua 2:1-17 (ESV)
1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out from Shittim two men secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.
2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”
3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
5 And when it was time to shut the gate at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”
6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.
8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof
9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.
11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
12 Now therefore please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign,
13 and that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”
14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours if none of you tell this business of ours. And if you tell it, then we shall be guiltless concerning your oath that you made us swear.”
15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, and she dwelt in the wall.
16 And she said to them, “Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned, and afterward you may go your way.”
17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless concerning this oath of yours that you made us swear.”

Reflection: If you feel outside God's people or know someone who does, what one tangible act of faith will you take today to align with God (pray aloud for them, invite them to church, or offer tangible help), and who will you tell about that step?

Day 3: Faith saved Rahab despite her past

Hebrews looks back and names Rahab as one who by faith did not perish — faith, not pedigree or past virtue, is the decisive mark of being numbered among God's people and receiving His mercy. [24:12]

Hebrews 11:31 (ESV)
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

Reflection: Identify one decision where God is calling you to act in faith rather than rely on reputation or works; what is the first concrete thing you will do today (a prayer, a phone call, a step of obedience) to demonstrate that trust?

Day 4: Jesus exposes pride and redefines true lineage

Jesus confronts religious pride in John 8 by showing that true descent from Abraham is proved by doing Abraham's works of trust and obedience, not by boasting about purity of birth; the gospel humbles the proud and lifts up the humble. [38:39]

John 8:38-41 (ESV)
38 I say what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,
40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”

Reflection: Where do you find yourself defending your reputation or looking down on others? Choose one specific instance today to confess that posture to God and to one trusted person, asking them to hold you accountable.

Day 5: God fills believers with hope and joy

The closing benediction reminds the church that God is the God of hope who intends to fill believers with joy and peace through trusting faith, so the Spirit empowers a life that overflows with hope even now. [53:04]

Romans 15:13 (ESV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Reflection: Pray Romans 15:13 aloud today, write down one hope (for yourself or someone else) that you will hold onto this week, and send a short encouraging message to one person sharing that hope and this verse.

Sermon Summary

Tonight we slowed down with Matthew 1 and Joshua 2 to look closely at the surprising names God chose to weave into Jesus’ family line. Matthew deliberately includes Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and “the wife of Uriah,” spotlighting stories that carry scandal, sorrow, and foreignness. That is not a PR mistake—it is the point. God is showing his heart: he rescues sinners, welcomes outsiders, and delights to build his kingdom through people the world would never pick.

Rahab’s story in Joshua 2 helps us see this grace up close. She is a Canaanite and a prostitute—an enemy and an outcast. Yet she hears what the Lord has done, fears him rightly, and confesses, “the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” She throws her lot in with the people of God, not because she’s strong, but because she’s convinced she will not survive unless the living God shows mercy. She asks for kindness not only for herself but for her whole household, and God preserves them. In God’s providence she becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David, and thus part of Jesus’ line.

This is what Christmas unveils: God’s nature is to save. He is not reluctant, needing to be persuaded; rescue is his joy. Jesus did not avoid scandal—he stepped into it. He was willing to bear the whispers about his birth and ultimately the shame of the cross, so that our scandal could be taken off us and placed on him. The gospel humbles the proud who think they don’t need a Savior and lifts the humble who know they do. No one is too far, too stained, or too late. The genealogy is not an embarrassment; it is a banner of grace. If Rahab can be written in, so can you—by faith in the Lord who saves.

Key Takeaways

1. Grace welcomes the most unlikely God does not curate a pristine bloodline; he names Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba to show that his kingdom is built by mercy, not merit. These stories are not footnotes—they are front and center so we can stop performing and start repenting. When we face our real condition, grace stops sounding sentimental and starts sounding like oxygen. [06:48]
2. Faith begins with a true confession Rahab moves from fear to faith by confessing that the Lord is God over heaven and earth. Turning from lesser gods to the living God always involves this kind of re-naming of reality. Faith is not bravery in us; it is clarity about him—and that clarity reorders our loyalties. [21:52]
3. Ask boldly for mercy—God loves to save Rahab risks everything to ask for kindness for her whole family, and the Lord honors it. Grace does not shrink under the weight of our need; it meets it and multiplies it. Bringing your household to God is not presumption—it is obedience to his rescuing heart. [24:12]
4. The gospel humbles and lifts Matthew’s genealogy confronts our respectability projects: no one is worthy, and no one is beyond reach. The proud stumble because they don’t think they need help; the humble are raised because they come empty-handed. In that upside-down exchange, shame loses its final word. [42:18]
5. Jesus embraced scandal to remove ours He bore suspicion about his birth and the shame of the cross to stand in for sinners like Rahab and us. He did not rescue at a distance; he entered our story to rewrite it. If he was not ashamed to be called our brother, we need not be ashamed to run to him. [44:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:48] - Women named in the genealogy
[08:56] - The scandal of Tamar
[10:01] - Ruth the Moabite’s loyal faith
[11:21] - David, Bathsheba, and exposed sin
[12:21] - Why include these stories?
[14:07] - Spies meet Rahab in Jericho
[21:52] - Rahab’s confession of faith
[24:12] - Mercy sought for her household
[29:11] - God’s heart: to rescue the unworthy
[31:55] - Outsiders welcomed into the Kingdom
[42:18] - The gospel humbles, then lifts
[44:24] - Jesus embraces scandal to save
[46:48] - A genealogy drenched in grace
[53:04] - Benediction and next steps

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

- Matthew 1:1–6 — The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. - Joshua 2:1–17 And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out. Before the men 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 and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now therefore please swear to me by the Lord that you will deal kindly and truly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign, and spare my father and mother, and brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver us from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours — if you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and truly with you.” Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, and she lived in the wall. And she said to them, “Go to the hill and hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go on your way.” The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you made us swear.”

Observation Questions

Which women are named in Matthew 1:1–6, and how does the genealogy identify their stories (what words or brief descriptions stand out to you in these verses)?
Read Joshua 2:10–11. What specific facts about Israel’s history and power does Rahab recount, and what phrase does she use to describe who God is? [21:52]
What action does Rahab take to protect the spies (Joshua 2:4–6, 15–16)? How does that action show the link between her faith and risk-taking?
In the sermon the pastor emphasised that Matthew’s inclusion of these women is intentional. What reasons does he offer for naming scandalous and foreign women in Jesus’ genealogy? [06:48]

Interpretation Questions

How should one interpret Rahab’s statement “the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11) with respect to what faith involves — is faith primarily intellectual assent, allegiance, fear, or something else? [21:52]
What theological message is communicated by Matthew putting Rahab, Tamar, Ruth and “the wife of Uriah” into Jesus’ ancestry? How does this reshape a person’s view of who belongs in God’s kingdom? [42:18]
Rahab asks the spies to swear to spare her entire household (Joshua 2:12–13). What does this tell us about how personal faith can extend to family and community responsibility? How might that shape a church’s understanding of intercessory, household, or generational prayer? [24:12]
The preacher argued that God’s character is to rescue and that Jesus “entered scandal” to save sinners. How does this claim affect the way a Christian should respond to shame or reputational fears about their past? [44:24]

Application Questions

Confession: The Bible and the sermon both show Rahab making a clear confession about who God is. What is one specific sin or self-justifying excuse you need to confess this week? How will you do it — who will you tell, when, and how will you invite accountability? [21:52]
Ask boldly for mercy for your household: Rahab asked for kindness for her whole family. Who in your household (family, flatmates, close circle) needs you to plead for God’s mercy right now? Name one concrete step you will take this week (a specific prayer, a time to invite them to church, a conversation). [24:12]
Stop performing — start repenting: The sermon pushed against “respectability projects” and said grace is oxygen. Where are you tempted to perform (at work, online, in church) to look “worthy”? Pick one public behaviour you will change this week to make space for honest repentance (for example: share one realistic struggle with a friend; stop posting a curated image; ask for prayer). [42:18]
Welcome the outsider: Matthew’s genealogy includes foreigners and outcasts. Who in your life or neighbourhood is presently an “outsider” (immigrant, recovering addict, single parent, someone shamed by past choices)? Decide on one concrete invitation or helping action to do for that person in the next two weeks (a coffee, a practical favour, an invite to a church event). [31:55]
Tell a short story of mercy: Rahab’s faith became part of Jesus’ story. Can you tell your one-minute story of how God has shown you mercy? Practice it with someone in the group or record it on your phone this week — then commit to sharing it with one non-Christian in the next month. [46:48]
Take a shame step toward Jesus: The preacher said Jesus entered scandal to take ours. What is one shame you have been hiding that would be life-giving to name to Jesus and one trusted Christian this month? Set a date and a name of the person you will tell and a short prayer you will pray beforehand. [44:24]

Sermon Clips

God's nature, his very character, his very core is to be a God who desires to rescue those he loves. It is his longing to respond to those who recognise who he is and ask for his mercy because they've been given his gift of faith. And so Jesus knew exactly who he was dying for when he died on the cross—those like Rahab who'd lived before him, those like us who live after him. [00:30:23] (37 seconds) #RescueIsGodsNature

There in the midst of Jericho, Rahab stands as a wonderful example that nobody is so far removed that it would not give God pleasure to rescue them. It stands as a hint to the future kingdom that Jesus is bringing. And remember, Matthew's all about declaring that Jesus is king and a kingdom that he brings. And this kingdom that he has brought and will one day bring in full has birthed the beauty of the church. [00:32:02] (38 seconds) #NoOneTooFar

The reality is God is in the business of saving. And when we look at someone's life like Rahab and Ruth, recognizing people who don't belong, the message declares out there is nobody—nobody—who will call upon the name of Jesus who will not have Jesus respond in any other way than what is his nature: to say, yes, receive my forgiveness, believe in me, follow me. There is no one too far. [00:33:18] (45 seconds) #JesusRespondsToAll

``Why I love that Matthew writes this genealogy the way that he does is because he has this wonderful thing to point out from the Christmas message, and it's actually the gospel itself, which aggressively confronts us. See, the gospel has this ability to turn your world upside down, and in doing so it turns your world right way up. Gospel comes and says if you believe you're too good to need a Saviour, your arrogance will stand against you being saved. [00:40:23] (42 seconds) #GospelTurnsUpsideDown

He doesn't write all the best people. In some ways, he writes the worst people. If you want a nice kingdom full of nice people, surely Rahab would be unworthy of such a beautiful place. And the gospel comes and says nobody is worthy, but if you know you're not worthy and if you turn to God in your helplessness, he'll save you. He says, listen, I want you to not be ashamed of Rahab. [00:41:41] (33 seconds) #GraceForTheUnworthy

God the Son in the flesh chooses—the only person who ever chose to be born—chose to be born into that family in order that Matthew could write down the genealogy and say he was related to Rahab, he was related to Tamar, he was related to Ruth, he was related to David and Bathsheba, he was related to them all. And to glory in the fact, not that Rahab was a prostitute, not that she was a foreigner, but that she believed in Lord Jesus and called out to him for help. [00:43:02] (38 seconds) #ChosenAmongTheLeast

The gospel brings down the proud and elevates the humble. That's why Jesus isn't embarrassed to be born into this kind of family who might have had a reputational problem. He joined a sinful family because he came to redeem those who believed in his name. He came in humiliation, knowing that the crowds and certain people in the crowds would say, we weren't born—I know who my father was, Jesus, do you? We weren't born in sexual immorality. [00:43:43] (36 seconds) #GospelLiftsTheHumble

Certainly I'm right to face scandal, but I came to enter into scandal to bring hope. Jesus doesn't run from it, but he joins in. And of course, Mary was not unfaithful. She conceived from the Holy Spirit as a virgin, one of the great miracles. But he was happy to take the scandal, because ultimately Jesus came to take scandal. As Jesus dies on the cross, he takes my scandal and your scandal. [00:44:53] (45 seconds) #ScandalOfGrace

So that people like me and women like Rahab could have the assurance that God is in his very nature in the business of saving people. That he does not believe it is beneath himself to make himself a servant in order to rescue us from our sin and our eternity without him, to bring us into right relationship with him under the authority of Jesus, who alone achieves it for us. [00:46:22] (30 seconds) #ServantSavior

Matthew 1 is not a humiliating genealogy. It's a delightful genealogy that delights in the grace and mercy of a loving, faithful God who rescues and redeems. [00:46:53] (15 seconds) #GraceInTheGenealogy

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