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Why did God bless Rahab when she told a lie? (Joshua 2:4–5)
Why did God bless Rahab when she told a lie? (Joshua 2:4–5) -- 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
Joshua 2:4 - 5
ESV - 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.
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Asked June 28 2018
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
Aurel Gheorghe
Supporter
We are intrigued by the fact that Rahab told a lie and God blessed her, but we overlook the fact that she was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1). Rahab lived in Jericho, and by allying herself with God’s people, she was placing her life on the line. If the soldiers would have discovered the spies on the roof of her house, without a doubt she and her household would have been killed. Yes, Rahab was dishonest. She might not have known any better at that point in her life, yet her action came from faith in God (Heb 11:31) and the Lord looked on her sincere heart and blessed her (Acts 17:30).
Mary L Rucker
Supporter
If responding to a situation where innocent lives are in immediate danger, I think wisdom calls for us to save lives to avoid having blood on our hands. During the holocaust, many people saved lives they were hiding, by not revealing the hiding places, risking their lives and that of their own families, when the Nazi’s were bent on murdering innocent people. Even the Apostle Paul did not tell Agrippa the truth (Acts 26:28) about his conversion in Christ but spoke with wisdom, where Agrippa told Paul he almost persuaded him to accept salvation. Every person must follow his/her conscience whenever a dangerous situation arises that involves the loss of life. I think it would be easier to repent of an untruth that does not involve the loss of life than to repent of a truth with lack of wisdom with innocent blood on our hands.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Without a doubt a person shouldn’t be held responsible for not keeping a lesser law in order to keep a higher obligation. The Bible commands obedience to the government (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13 -- Paul exhorts Titus, “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1). This same teaching can be found in Rom. 13:1-7, as well as at 1 Pet. 2:12-17), but there are many examples of justified civil disobedience when the government attempts to compel unrighteousness or sin (Ex. 5; Dan. 3, 6; Rev. 13). The case of the Hebrew midwives lying to save the lives of the male children is perhaps the clearest example (Exodus 1:15-21).
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