Why is Rahab counted among the faithful?
By Peter Salemi
Many people ask the question, why Rahab who was a “harlot,” and she lied to the king of Jericho saying, “And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:” (Joshua 2:4); she hid the spies and helped them escape (Joshua 2:5-9, 15-16). Why is she counted among the faithful in the book of Hebrews people ask? Paul wrote, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” (Heb 11:31).
Yet, doesn’t God condemn lying under ANY condition (Psalm 29 vv. 29 &163; Proverbs 12:22 and Ephesians 4:25)? Rahab was also a harlot which God says is a sin (Jer 3:1). How can she be counted among the faithful?
God did NOT COUNT Rahab among the faithful because of a lie! But, Rahab is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as being among the faithful because, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” God counted her among the faithful because “she had received the spies WITH PEACE.” She knew God was working through the children of Israel, as she said, “I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
“And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:9-11). Without seeing she believed-this is the definition of Faith! Jesus said, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). This is why she is counted among the faithful!
According to the limited knowledge she had about God, she acted! James said, “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?” (James 2:25). She had FAITH that the Eternal God was the true God and that she would receive mercy if she showed kindness to His people! “Rahab’s act of protecting the spies was a demonstration of great faith in the God of Israel. She firmly believed that God would destroy Jericho, and she exhibited that belief by siding with Israel against the people of Jericho when she protected the spies from being discovered.” (When Critics Ask, p.116, emphasis added). Her works of receiving and protecting them justified her, not the lie. Almighty God could have protected His spies without her lie!
This illustrates God’s great mercy on His creation. Even though we are not yet perfect, God will have abundant mercy on us IF OUR HEARTS ARE RIGHT and we act on the knowledge we have. Because God has mercy on us and knows our weaknesses, that does not mean God condones sin. We still must confess our sins and repent of them.
God did NOT approve the lie Rahab told. In fact, Geisler rightly observes, “However, nowhere does the Bible explicitly say that God blessed Rahab for lying. God could have blessed her in spite of her lie, NOT because of it.” (When Critics Ask, p.116, emphasis added); because she received them with peace and looked to the God of Israel, she is accounted among the faithful.
Civil Disobedience?
What of here going against her government wanting to seize the spies and went against her government and protected them. Is this not against the will of God?
The Bible commands obedience to the government (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13), but there are many examples of justified civil disobedience when the government attempts to compel unrighteousness and conflicts with the will of God. (Ex. 5; Dan. 3, 6; Rev.13). The case of the Hebrew midwives disobeying Pharaoh to save the lives of the male children is perhaps the clearest example (see comments on Ex. 1:15–21). When the government conflicts with the commandments of God well then it is “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29).
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