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SUBJECT: Rahab’s Lie in Joshua 2
QUESTION: 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?
ANSWER:
Lets consider the context of each passage:
Joshua 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 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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Also from my Notebook piece on “Little White Lies”
The “allowable lies” of the Bible Argument – bad theology
Some, in attempting to use the "good intentions" argument
refer to the Bible and the lies of Abraham and Rahab.
Abraham lied to Abimelech in saying that his wife, Sarah,
was his sister. His motive was to keep from getting
killed. Some might think this justified, but as you read
the account in Genesis 20, God had to intervene to keep
Sarah from becoming Abimelech's wife. It is Abimelech who
is incensed with Abraham for his lie. "What hast thou done
unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast
brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?" (Genesis
20:9).
Then we have the case of Rahab of Jericho who hides the
spies of Israel and lies to the authorities as to where they
are. I have witnessed a number of people who reference this
account and say that lying for the good of God and/or His
people is justified. However, nowhere in God's Word will
you see her praised for the lie. Nowhere will you find her
lie justified. She is praised in Hebrews 11 and James 2 for
her faith and sending the spies out the other way. Nothing
about the lie. Most every commentary and Internet site I
consulted on the subject admitted that hers was an
unjustified lie. This can, in no way, be used to justify a
little white lie. Notice some commentaries [emphasis
mine]...
The falsehood to which she had recourse may be excused by
the pressure of circumstances and by her own antecedents,
but cannot be defended.
~from Barnes' Notes
Rahab's expedient lie was a sin of weakness in one whose
conscience was just beginning to be awakened out of heathen
darkness. A man of developed faith learns to answer without
lying. ~from The Wycliffe
Bible Commentary
The falsehood by which Rahab sought not only to avert all
suspicion from herself of any conspiracy with the
Israelitish men who had entered her house, but to prevent
any further search for them in her house, and to frustrate
the attempt to arrest them, is not to be justified as a lie
of necessity told for a good purpose.
~from Keil & Delitzsch
Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition |