rahab

My dear little ones, let me tell you about the time when the Israelites came to take over Jericho.

I was a self-employed businesswoman then, selling my wares in the temple. The townspeople snubbed me for being in business for myself, but I was a lone woman, and I had to survive. I had a little house in the wall of the city, where I could advertise my wares for sale, and it suited me fine.

One day, two nice young men came to take lodgings with me. One was very young, the other was older. I thought they might have been brothers. I thought at first that they had come to see me for business reasons, but the more they talked, I realized that they were there to spy on us, all of us!

So these were the dreaded Israelite conquerors, who had already slain so many people in their march up from the desert. And now they wanted to conquer Jericho. I realized that these men might actually be the first wave of invaders who would put us to death.

But they seemed so

nice.

Then one of my nosy neighbors noticed them -- she was probably hanging out her window, gossiping with another neighbor, doing some spying of her own. I was a favorite target in the neighborhood. The women just loved to cluck about what a tramp I was. However it happened, the king learned about my lodgers and sent me a message to put them out.

I was not about to forego the income from the lodgers, spies or not. Business had slacked off recently, and revenues were down, so any money was welcome, even if it came in from invaders who were going to slaughter me in my bed.

Bloodthirsty invaders they might be, but they might also be open to a bargain. I had a prime location there in the city wall, and I began to see how I might be of use to them. If I made myself useful, I might be able to save myself and my kin.

I told the king’s men, “They left. They were here -- that’s true --” No use denying it when my neighbors had probably already tattled on me. “I didn’t know where they came from. Why, are they dangerous?”

The king’s guard said roughly, “They are spies from the Israelite invaders.”

“Oh, no!” I feigned horror. I was a good actress in my day, if I say it myself. It was a talent that had made me a successful businesswoman, and now I used it to save my life. For, even though the king’s guard had been a repeat customer, I didn’t doubt that he would smote me on the spot if he knew that the men were still within. “How terrible! But they are gone now. They left at dark, when the gate shut.”

“Do you know where they went?” he asked, and now his voice was a little gentler.

“No,” I said, and shuddered. “I never heard them speak of their destination. But they were hurrying when they left -- you’d better go quickly after them, if you are to overtake them.”

“You have been helpful, Rahab,” he said. “I shall return when we capture them.”

“May the gods be with you,” I said, and then I added the final touch. “And

I’m going to lock my door! Who knows what they want to do! Slaughter us in our beds!”

And when the king’s guard and his men left, I found my lodgers, hidden under the beds. They had hidden themselves when the guard had come to the house. I told them about the order I had received from the king. I offered to hide them in my house that night, after the city gate closed, so that they could do their spying without any interference. I told them what I could do to help them, and I told them what I wanted them to do for me.

In the heat of the afternoon, before the king’s men arrived, I took my visitors up to the roof where I had spread out my stalks of flax. We spread out mats for them to sleep during the day, and I brought them food and wine.

“You are good to us, mistress,” said the younger one.

“I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my heart,” I replied briskly. I wanted to get everything out on the table. “We know that the Lord has given you this land. We live in dread of you, all of us. Everyone knows how the Lord protected you, drying up the waters so that you could pass through from Egypt. This is a fearsome God that you have. We are all disheartened and afraid. We know that he is God in heaven and on earth, and nothing can withstand him. So you are going to conquer us, as you conquered the Amorites beyond the Jordan and doomed them to destruction.”

“What do you want?” said the other. “If you know all this, why do you help us?”

“I am showing kindness to you,” I said, pouring them wine, “because I want you to show kindness in return by sparing my family. I want you to spare my father and mother, and my brothers and sisters, and all the rest of my kin. I want us all to live, and I want you to swear to this by your God.”

The two men exchanged glances. Clearly, they were not used to bargaining with a woman, and not an Israelite woman, either. In their eyes, I was probably lower than the insect that crawled on the roof. I didn’t care. They needed me, and I needed them. And I could make them die just by screaming once.

The older man said then, “Lady, we will pledge you our lives. Help us...do not betray our mission. We swear to you by the Lord our God that we will show you and yours kindness when the Lord gives us the land.”

So we agreed. And that night, I hung a rope from the window of my house, built high into the city wall, and they climbed down the rope to escape. I had packed them provisions for the few days’ journey back to their people. I told them to go hide in the hill country for three days, while the king’s men searched for them within the city walls. Then they could return to their people.

“Farewell, lady,” said the younger one -- and you’re guessing now who he was, aren’t you, my child? Yes, it was your grandfather, Salmon. And that is how he and I first met. “When we come into this land --”

“Yes,” I said, “how will you know to tell your people to leave my house alone?”

“You have this scarlet cord hanging here in your window,” said the older one. “What is it for?”

I thought rapidly. I did not want Salmon to know how I made my living -- and never you mind, child, why I hung it there! “I hang it there to show my weaving.”

“Then leave it there,” he said, “and when we return, gather all your kin into your house and stay there. Tell them not to stray outside. If anyone goes outside the house, we cannot be responsible for their safety. But we swear to you that everyone who stays in this house with the scarlet cord will be safe.”

I agreed.

“But if you betray us,” he added sternly, and put his face right down to mine so that I took a step back in fear, “we will be quit of our oath to protect you, and then you and your family --”

And, almost cheerfully, he drew a finger across his throat.

So I promised, of course. And after they left, the scarlet cord flapped in the window.

When the invasion came, we hid in the house, my kin and I. Everyone in the city, man and woman, child and beast, fell to the sword. But in my little house in the wall, with the red cord in the window, we huddled in fear, but we were safe.

And when all was silent, Salmon himself came to my door, and bade me open it. I knew his voice, and so I opened the door to our rescuer. And he led us out of the city, all of us, to the Israelite camp, while they burned down our city.

But we lived! And when we built Jericho, my family and I went back and lived there. And we’ve been there ever since. And for that, my children, you can thank

me.

I always was a good business woman.