Joshua 2:9-11 "Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."
Reading through the story of how Rahab hid the spies from Jericho so that they would not fall into the hands of the king has always been a little disconcerting to me. The reason being is that she lied to keep the spies safe. We all know what the Bible says about lying and this particular verse at first glance seems to contradict God's Word.
But, when you dig a little deeper and understand the context of the story you see that God is honoring Rahab for being obedient to her faith in spite of her character flaw. She was a young Believer who at this time in her life feared the Lord. It is very important that we don't concentrate on one single verse without reading into the context of the situation it is coming from.
Rahab was part of the Canaanite people who were pagans living in the Palestine region at the time that Israel was entering into the "promised land". They were notoriously wicked people who's lives reeked of idolatry and immorality and were known to sacrifice their children as offerings to their gods. By profession, Rahab was a prostitute yet God obviously was pursuing her and in spite of her background He forgave her and saved her from her grossly shameful past. She had come to believe in the one true God and knew that He would protect her if she would come to the Israelite's aid. Her neighbors more than likely were all heathens and corrupt though she, through faith in God, peacefully received the spies, hid them and made plans to protect them. Her faith saved her and her works were a definite fruitful sign that she was a child of God. We see in Matthew 1:5 that she is included in the genealogy of Jesus.
Yes, she did lie in the process of hiding the spies which was very wrong; however, it was her faith and obedience to the living God that allowed her to receive forgiveness from her desperately troubled past. Obviously God doesn't condone lying but in this instance He chose to give recognition to her obedience and forgive her indiscretion.
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Personalize this prayer.
Dear Lord,
I am always amazed at Your extravagant mercy and the great love You have for Your own. I long to be able to love like You and extend mercy and grace wholeheartedly when You prompt me. Forgive me if there is even an inkling of a judgmental spirit within my heart, I know it is wrong. Our society nurtures those antics and it's easy to get caught up in it's narcissistic ways. Help me to be able to show kindness to everyone You send my way and give them a listening ear. Please give me eyes of compassion and a gentle loving spirit to foster trust and a hand of friendship to those who are hurting.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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