The Fine Print: Part 3 - Fire Insurance, The Protection Plan You Can’t Afford to Ignore
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Part Three: From Prostitute to Promise, Rahab’s Redemption Plan
Welcome back, friend. We have already seen how Joshua’s courage and Rahab’s faith activated God’s protection plan. But here is the good part, Rahab’s story did not stop at Jericho’s fall.
God’s covering over her house was not just about surviving a fiery judgment, it was about repositioning her life completely.
The same woman once labeled by her past became part of God’s promise for the future. From outsider to insider, from prostitute to the great-great-grandmother of King David, Rahab’s name ends up in the very lineage of Jesus Himself (Matthew 1:5). That is not just coverage, that is redemption. Somebody shout with me! Isn’t it amazing that our Father does not just forgive, He restores.
Let’s look into the fine print.
Grace That Rewrites Your Story
Rahab’s name is written into Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus,
“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.”
(Matthew 1:5–6)
Now pause right there. Did you catch that? Rahab was the mother of Boaz. Ladies, you know Boaz. The same Boaz we have all heard preached about, the man who redeemed Ruth, the man so many of us grew up saying, “I am waiting on my Boaz.”
Well, his mother was Rahab, the redeemed prostitute. Whew chile, let that sink in.
Here is why that matters, knowing someone’s history is important.
Proverbs 24:32 says, “I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.”
The Bible does not hide family history because God wants us to learn from it. Yes, Rahab was redeemed, but if I am praying for a Boaz, I also need to pray over that bloodline. Why, because patterns can pass down, and we need discernment to cover our children and generations in prayer. That is not strange, that is simply being spiritually aware.
And here is the good news, Rahab’s story proves that God does not erase what He redeems. She is permanently recorded in Scripture, her past included, because it points us to the power of His grace.
Real-Life Connection: Maybe people have tried to write you off because of your past or your mistakes. But when God covers you, He does not erase your name, He redeems it. That scarlet cord in Rahab’s window became her receipt of grace.
Takeaway: God does not cross your name out of the story, He highlights it in redemption ink.
From Scarlet Cord to Collapsing Walls
Now let’s zoom back out to the bigger story. While Rahab was waiting inside her house with her family gathered close, Joshua and the Israelites were moving in obedience outside the walls. God’s instructions were unusual, not swords and spears at first, but marching feet and silent mouths.
For six days they circled Jericho once a day, and on the seventh day they marched seven times. Then came the blast of the trumpets and the shout of faith, and the walls fell flat (Joshua 6:20).
Everything came crashing down, but not Rahab’s house. The scarlet cord marked her family for covering. Joshua sent the same spies back to bring her out, keeping their word, keeping covenant. Rahab and her family were rescued, placed safely outside the camp, and later brought into Israel’s community.
Devoted to Destruction
And what about the rest of Jericho? Joshua 6:21 tells us that the city itself was put under the ban, devoted to destruction. Every living thing, men, women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, was destroyed by the sword.
This sounds harsh to our ears, but it was God’s judgment on a nation steeped in idolatry and wickedness for generations. For centuries God had given the Canaanites time to repent, but now His justice was carried out.
The city itself was burned, but the silver, gold, and items of bronze and iron were placed in the treasury of the Lord’s house (Joshua 6:24).
God was not only cleansing the land, He was consecrating it.
A Promise Kept
Rahab’s story shines all the brighter against this backdrop. In the midst of destruction, God showed mercy. The Israelites kept their word. The spies who once hid on her roof now became her deliverers. She and her household lived, not only spared but later grafted into the covenant people of God. And as we saw, her name and her faith lived on in the lineage of Jesus.
Real-Life Connection: The fall of Jericho reminds us that God is both just and merciful. His judgment is real, but so is His protection for those who are under His covering. Rahab’s scarlet cord and Israel’s obedience both show us that fire insurance is not selective, it is available, but it must be chosen.
Takeaway: When the fire falls, the only safe place is under God’s covering. His promises are sure, and He always keeps His word.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for being a God who rewrites stories. Thank You for redeeming Rahab and reminding me that my past cannot cancel Your promise. Help me to trust that the covering of Jesus’ blood is not only for me but for the generations after me. Reposition me where You want me to be, and let my life be a testimony of Your redemption.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
