I love the story about the next woman named in the Bible.  It tells us that God looks on the heart and forgives our sins.  All of them.  It is the story of a harlot.

Moses was dead.  And his successor, Joshua, had the tribes ready to cross the river.  He sent two spies in to check out the situation in the city of Jericho.  They came to an inn that was managed by a woman named Rahab--who was also a prostitute.  After they checked in, word got out that there were a couple of Israelis in town, and there was suspicion that they might be spies since a horde of Israelis were camped out across the river.  The king sent some men to the inn to check it out and find them.
But Rahab had hidden them on the roof under bales of flax, and told the king's men that they had been there earlier, but had left.  She urged them to hurry and that they might catch them.  So the king's men headed to the Jordan looking for the suspected spies.

Meanwhile, Rahab went up on the roof, uncovered the men and said, "I know that your God is going to give my country to you.  The people of Jericho have heard all about how He led you out of Egypt and parted the Red sea.  Everyone here is afraid of you.  Your God is the supreme God.  I beg you, when you take our city, spare me and my family."

They gave Rahab their word that if she would hang a red rope from the window of her house, that their army would know to spare everyone in that house.  Rahab then gave the men a plan of where to go to escape their pursuers--and let them down from the roof by the rope, over the wall.

When the Israelites took Jericho, the promise was honored, and everyone in Rahab's home was spared.  She was saved by her faith.  She and her family then moved into the Israeli camp as new citizens.  She married and had a son named Boaz--who you will remember married Ruth.  And Ruth was the mother of Obed--whose son Jesse, who was the father of David.  King David.  Amazing!!  Jesus was a direct descendant of Rahab.   Rahab is named in linage of Jesus in the book of Matthew.  And in the Book of Hebrews--in the New Testament--Rahab is listed as a person of great faith.  James, the brother of Jesus also praises her in a letter he wrote. When God forgives, He forgives completely.  That is a message of hope.