The Faith of Rahab

Painting number three for Macedonian Ministries, to be auctioned off at their 2013 Heartcry for the Harvest missions event.  This one gave me pause on several occasions, and if you were to strip the layers of paint you would find two other compositions underneath.  Each of the paintings for MM have been a beautiful struggle where I invariably come to the end of my self and relinquish control of the brush to the Master.  They are a part of me, a part of Him.

The story of Rahab is outlined in the book of Joshua chapter six in the Bible.  She is again mentioned in Matthew 1:5, Hebrews 11:31, and James 2:25.  She was and will forever be known not simply as "Rahab", but as "Rahab the Harlot", her sins following her name down through history, inescapable except for the Grace of God.

The painting "The Faith of Rahab" illustrated not just the cord she let out the window of the city wall to mark her and her family's location so that Joshua's army would not kill them in return for her help in getting his spies safely out of town.  It is a mark of her faith in a God she had never seen but had seen her, to rescur her from death.

In addition to her occupation as a prostitute, Rahab also spun flax into fabric.  In the painting, she sits on the outside wall of Jericho just above the roof of her home where flax is spread out to dry.  The red cord, symbolizing the blood of Christ that was shed to cover sin, is draped across her lap and down the ladders that lead to her door where she entertained travelers.  The top rung of the main ladder is broken, representing her own brokenness and the deliverance from her sin because of her belief.  She grips the cord in her fists, hanging on tightly to the promise that she will be set free.

Post addition 4/14/13:  This painting was purchased by a man who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2010.  He knew he had to face his fears and get back on the horse he fell off of, and so bought a new bike - a red one - and named it Rahab.  Coincidence?  I think not...