I think it is great fun to dig deep into the lives of the supporting characters of the Bible to see what wisdom God has for us. These are the characters whose sole purpose seems to be to carry the story of some major player. However, I’ve found if we slow down and look, we uncover jewels of truth in the lives of these lesser-known characters that are important for us today.
Rahab, the Harlot
Such is the case for Rahab, the harlot, whose story is told in Joshua 2 and 6. A casual reading of these two chapters centers on our hero, Joshua, who orders men to sneak into the city of Jericho to determine how best to capture it.
As they enter the city, Joshua’s two spies enter the house of Rahab, the harlot, and stay with her. The king of Jericho discovers the spies in the city and sends a message to Rahab commanding her to turn over the Israelite spies.
Instead of turning over the spies, Rahab tells the king the men have left her, and she didn’t know where they’d gone. In truth, Rahab had hidden the two Israelites on her roof. After the king’s men left to search for the spies the city gates were closed.
Rahab went up to the roof and struck a deal with the Israelites. She said she knew God was giving the city to the Israelites. In return for her kindness to them, she merely asked for them to spare her life and the lives of her father, mother, brothers, and sisters. The Israelites agreed, and Rahab helped them escape by lowering them outside the city wall on a rope.
Lessons from Rahab
There are three important lessons to take away from the actions of Rahab, the harlot. First, there is her obvious courage, then there is the question of her lying to protect the Israelite spies, and finally, there is her display of faith.
Courage
It took a great deal of courage for Rahab to hide the Israelite spies on her roof. She even lied to the king’s men, telling them the Israelites had left. If her deception had been discovered, she likely would have been killed.
Is Lying Acceptable?
Let’s take a moment to address the issue of Rahab lying to the king’s men. Christians are supposed to be among the most law-abiding citizens. Writing to the Romans, Paul said we are to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1
).
Peter also admonished believers saying, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him” (1 Peter 2:13-14).
So, how can we reconcile the Biblical principle not to lie with the lie Rahab told the king’s men? Rahab lied to protect the lives of the Israelites and the lives of her family.
Was it wrong for the Israelite midwives to lie to the Egyptians to protect the lives of Israelite boys (Exodus 1)? No, as God rewarded them for their action.
Was it wrong for people to hide Jews to protect them from Nazis during WWII? No, I don’t think so.
I submit Christians are called to obey God first and man second. When the laws of the state conflict with the revealed laws of God, then Christians must obey God.
Peter and John were told to by Jewish rulers to stop testifying about God and they replied, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
Although Peter and John did not lie, they refused to obey the laws of man to obey God.
In my view, God did not condone Rahab’s lie. God could have saved the Israelite spies without her lie. However, her lie came from her desire to protect life, which is precious in the sight of God.
Faith
Rahab displayed great faith. The people of Jericho had known for years that the Israelites were on their way. They had plenty of time to repent, but they chose not to. Only Rahab recognized the power of God and His will concerning the people of Israel.
She trusted the men of Israel and had faith they would keep their promise to be kind to her because of the kindness she showed them. She had faith that God would deliver the people of Israel just as he had promised.
Ultimately, Rahab’s faith saved her. Her faith is even called out in the great hall of faith of Hebrews 11, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. What can you take away from the lessons of Rahab’s life as it applies to us today?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because people like you share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Personal Development | Obedience to God
