Morning Bible Study: Rahab in Scripture, Joshua 6:22-25

after the fall of the wall of Jericho

6:22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s [Rahab's] house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 

23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 

25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Commentary
(the following is from Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary, 1706 -- www.christianity.com)

"The preservation of Rahab the harlot, or inn-keeper, who perished not with those that believed not, Hebrews 11:31. The public faith was engaged for her safety by the two spies, who acted therein as public persons; and therefore, though the hurry they were in at the taking of the town was no doubt very great, yet Joshua took effectual care for her preservation. The same persons that she had secured were employed to secure her, v. 22, 23. They were best able to do it who knew her and her house, and they were fittest to do it, that it might appear it was for the sake of her kindness to them that she was thus distinguished and had her life given her for a prey. All her kindred were saved with her; like Noah she believed to the saving of her house; and thus faith in Christ brings salvation to the house, Acts 16:31. 

Some ask how her house, which is said to have been upon the wall (ch. 2:15), escaped falling with the wall; we are sure it did escape, for she and her relations were safe in it, either though it joined so near to the wall as to be said to be upon it, yet it was so far off as not to fall either with the wall or under it; or, rather, that part of the wall on which her house stood fell not. Now being preserved alive, 

• 1. She was left for some time without the camp [of Israel. v.23] to be purified from the Gentile superstition, which she was to renounce, and to be prepared for her admission as a proselyte. 
• 2. She was in due time incorporated with the church of Israel, and she and her posterity dwelt in Israel, and her family was remarkable long after. We find her the wife of Salmon, prince of Judah, mother of Boaz, and named among the ancestors of our Saviour, Mt. 1:5. Having received Israelites in the name of Israelites, she had an Israelite's reward. Bishop Pierson [17th century writer] observes that Joshua's saving Rahab the harlot, and admitting her into Israel, were a figure of Christ's receiving into his kingdom, and entertaining there, the publicans and the harlots, Mt. 21:31. Or it may be applied to the conversion of the Gentiles."

Hebrews 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[Or unbelieving]

Acts 16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Matthew 21:31 [Jesus questions the chief priests and elders in the temple] “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."