Is Rahab's lie justified? Can we glorify God by... 1/13/2008 10:49 PM Is Rahab's lie justified? Can we glorify God by...
Is Rahab's lie justified? Can we glorify
God by lying?
by Mike Scott of www.scripturessay.com
Q. Is Rahab's lie justified? Can we glorify God by lying? Does James give
Rahab credit for following her faith with works, (i.e.,lying) about the
spies? (Black Canyon City, Az.)
Lets consider the context of each passage:
Josh 2:1-7
1 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from
Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went
and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged
there. 2 It was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men from the
sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." 3 And the
king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who
have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to
search out all the land." 4 But the woman had taken the two men and
hidden them, and she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not
know where they were from. 5 "It came about when it was time to shut
the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men
went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." 6 But she had
brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which
she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued them on the
road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing
them had gone out, they shut the gate.
James 2:24-26
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In
the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when
she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For
just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is
dead.
Answer to your questions:
1) "Is Rahab's lie justified?" Most definitely no. 2) "Can we glorify God
by lying?" Again, most definitely no. 3) "Does James give Rahab credit
for following her faith with works, (i.e., lying) about the spies?" Again,
the answer is NO.
There are a number of things to keep in mind here.
First, it is doubtful that Rahab would have understand the nature and
consequences of lying having been reared in heathenism. It is not likely
that she even considered her falsehood to be wrong.
Second, I believe she was influenced by a desire to preserve her own
life. Had she told the local officials what she had done, she would have
immediately been executed.
Third, she was attempting to place the army she knew was going to be
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Is Rahab's lie justified? Can we glorify God by... 1/13/2008 10:49 PM Is Rahab's lie justified? Can we glorify God by...
victorious in obligation to her and her family by saving the lives of their
spies.
Fourth, and most importantly, I believe, James says that "a man is
justified by works." The "work" identified in Rahab's case was not the lie,
but the harboring of the spies. The commentator Keil observes: "The
course she adopted was a sin of weakness which was forgiven her in
mercy because of her faith." I believe this to be an excellent comment.
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