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No.
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Yes she was--
The Bible writer James records: A man is to be declared righteous by works, and not by faith alone. In the same manner was not also Rahab the harlot declared righteous by works, after she had received the messengers hospitably and sent them out by another way? Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.? (James 2:24-26) Rahab was declared righteous by God.
God's use of a harlot demonstrates his great mercy. Outward appearances can deceive us, but God sees what the heart is. (1?Samuel 16:7) Hence, righthearted prostitutes who repent of their harlotry can receive God's forgiveness. (Compare Matthew 21:23, 31,?32.) Rahab herself turned from sin to a righteous course having divine approval.
How was Rahab rewarded for exercising faith? Her preservation during Jericho?s destruction surely was a blessing from God. Later, she married Salmon (Salma), the son of the wilderness chieftain Nahshon of the tribe of Judah. As parents of the godly Boaz, Salmon and Rahab formed a link in the line of descent that led to King David of Israel. (1?Chronicles 2:3-15; Ruth 4:20-22)
More significantly, the former prostitute Rahab is one of only four women named in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:5,6)
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In accordance with the answer above, the choosing of Rahab to be an ancestress of Jesus Christ proves beyond a doubt that God extends his mercy to all those who trust and demonstrate strong faith in him. What a great honor to be chosen to be an ancestress to Jesus because of the faith that she showed in a God that was not her own. She heard of his wonderful works by bringing the populous nation of Israel out of Egypt and supporting them in the wilderness. She had great faith that is a model for everyone today.
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What female ancestors are named in his genealogy?
Matthew: Thamar, Rachab, Ruth and Bathsheba.
Regarding these women the Rev. Dr. Alexander Walker says: "It is remarkable that in the genealogy of Christ, only four women have been named: Thamar who seduced the father of her late husband; Rachab, a common prostitute; Ruth, who, instead of marrying one of her cousins, went to bed with another of them; and Bathsheba, an adulteress, who espoused David, the murderer of her first husband" (Woman, p. 330).
Matthew Henry, a noted Christian commentator, says: "There are four women, and but four, named in this genealogy,...Rachab, a Canaanitess, and a harlot besides, and Ruth, the Moabitess.... The other two were adulteresses, Tamar and Bathsheba" (Commentary, Vol. V).
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Yes...she was. I promise you. Jesus had quite an interesting blood-line. Remember, God worked Israel hard in order to purify them enough to be the ancestral tribe of the Messiah.
He had to pick the finest and the holiest to bring His Son into the world. But God has this interesting way of defining righteousness - He equates it with faith. In His eyes, repentance from sin is the absence of sin. A humble heart is a heart after His own. The fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom.
She didn't know it when the spies from Israel stayed in her house, but God had selected her to be a direct ascendant of Immanuel - God With Us.
According to those who knew her, she was a cult prostitute. According to God's merciful eye, she was more like a chaste virgin about to bring forth the holiest priests the world has ever known - all those who follow the teachings of Christ.
First answer by Queenybee. Last edit by Grevillea. Contributor trust: 728 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 73 [recommend question]
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