“Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” Joshua 2:14

Today we are going to visit a real redlight district to meet a special woman! I can just hear you saying Redlight District! Are you out of your mind? I thought this was a Christian podcast. For those of you who do not know what a Redlight District is …it is an area where prostitution is officially tolerated. Now before you shut off this podcast or stop reading this blog, remember the Great Commission we must go into all the world. So give me a few more minutes as we visit the RD.

Rahad, the prostitute lived in the well-fortified city of Jericho. She was strategically placed as her house was a part of the city wall with a window tactically designed in it. Her house was well known by natives and strangers alike. She was an established part of the redlight district. Living on the wall meant that Rahad would have interacted with persons from all the elements of society : from merchants to king’s men. She would be aware of the latest news and would be sought out as a reliable source on the who’s who and the latest in Jericho. It is no wonder that when Joshua sent out two secret spies to scope out the land, that they went straight to Rahad’s house and stayed there. Doesn’t this sound straight out of a spy movie where the heroes go into the heart of trouble to uncover the required information. Hold on a minute! What are some of the places God is sending us to that are out of our comfort zone? Are we prepared to get down and get dirty? Think on these things. I digress. Conflict comes to a head when the spies are sought out by the very people that they did not want to find them. The king himself was told that the spies were staying at Rahad with the intention to spy out the land of Jericho. The command is given to Rahad to bring them out at once. Can you imagine coming to the king’s attention for the wrong reasons? Being seen as harbouring would be assassins? Can you just see Salmon and his spymate trying to figure out what their next move would be? Both Rahad and the spies are caught between a rock and a hard place! What is going to happen next?

Firstly, Rahad had been in this business for some time, she knew that these clients needed to remain hidden from the top brass of Jericho. Rahab took charge of the situation and faced the obstacle facing her. She hid the spies on the roof of the house under the stalks of flax. I t is likely that the spies were being hidden on the very wall that would be later torn down. What a irony hidden on the wall and let down on a rope through it! Rahad knew the king’s men would come so she ensured that the spies would not be found. I Rahad not only hid them but convincingly redirected her countrymen away from their target. Is there a lesson here? What protection is the Lord orchestrating for us in the midst of our enemies? Are we willing to face the obstacles that stand in our way?

Secondly, Rahab displayed unbelievable faith about the Lord Almighty and his ability to conquer the very land of Jericho on which she lived. She started out with heart-melting fear and ended with professing faith. Listen to her words: ” I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you…When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. This fear turned faith drove Rahad into action. What are we afraid of? Are we slaves to fear and need to profess faith in the Lord Almighty? Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I fear?

Thirdly, Rahad became a life negotiator and an overcomer. She refused to be put off by the difficulties and challenges that were staring at her. She negotiated for her life and the lives of her father, mother, sisters, brothers and all family who belonged to her: “Our lives for your lives”. So the house of the prostitute in the redlight districit that was marked for death became the house of life and salvation. Notice that this family was the only family that was spared from burning Jericho. What a story! Who do we need to negotiate for? Which families are waiting on us to broker their redemption and snatch them like firebrands from the burning flames? Let’s go, lives are depending on us.

Finally, Rahad became a destiny changer. She not only brought redemption to her family but became an integral part of Jesus-Joseph’s family lineage. Rahad the foreigner, the outsider, married Salmon and became the mother of Boaz. Yes you heard me right Boaz…that same gentleman the kinsman redeemer who saw Ruth the outsider, the foreigner and protected Ruth’s interest and ultimately married Ruth, saved Naomi and had Obed the grandfather of King David. Can you believe this story? Only God could weave the tapestry of this story together from prostitute to the ancestor of King David and Jesus!!! What about our stories my friend? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Right now God is busy weaving our stories together into a great masterpiece. The problem is that we cannot see the masterpiece in its entirety we are only see the backside with threads all over the place. Rahad too did not know how her story would turn out. She only knew that the Lord Almighty of heaven and earth was worth following out of Jericho. We won’t know how all this will turn out but we like Rahad have to take the first steps to change our destiny: to move from the land of the death (redlight district) to the land of life and salvation. What are you waiting for, the wall is about to come down?

Father, search me O God and know my heart I pray. I am walking around in the house of death and my heart is melting with fear. Today as I stand in this valley of decision I choose life. I exchange my life of death for your abundant life of salvation. I want to change my life and the life of my family and become a destiny changer. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I surrender my destiny to you my Creator and Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.