One of the ugly realities of living in the city is seeing things you’d rather not see. A few weeks ago, while I was out walking late at night, I noticed a car suspiciously driving up our street. I watched as, about 100 yards past our house, it quickly veered over to the side of the road and picked up a female passenger. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this scene play out numerous times before, the modern day practice of the “world’s oldest profession,” prostitution.
Certainly no one dreams of becoming a prostitute, but rather is driven to the vocation as the result of dire economic need. In ancient times women who were widowed or divorced had few means of supporting their families. In desperation, some would resort to prostitution. This is why the Scriptures instructed the Israelites and the church to show special care for widows and orphans. Such support allowed these women and their families to survive and stay faithful to God’s commands.
In Joshua 2 we’re introduced to Rahab of Jericho. While certain Bible scholars desire to soften up the Bible and claim that she was merely an innkeeper, it is clear that Rahab’s profession was prostitution. When the Israelite spies exploring Jericho visited Rahab, word spread to the king of the city that they were at her house. She chose to hide the spies on her roof and protect them, later citing her respect for the Lord as the reason why she cared for them. Even though Rahab had only heard stories about the deeds of God, she placed her faith in his power to transform her life. Her commitment to God was a risk: following him meant her career would end and her family might starve. But the Lord honored her loyalty and provided for Rahab and her family.
If this is the kind of commitment a pagan woman made to a God she barely knew, what’s holding us back from trusting him to provide for us? Even though following the Lord can be a risk to our well-being, the risk is worth the reward. |L
Steve Carr is the teaching minister at Echo Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife Kelly have one daughter, Kaelyn.
