Rahab 2

Well, i am glad you all took the time (JOEL) to post what you thought...or what others thought and you agreed with;)

First, i will tell you what we talked about in class. then, i will tell you what I think.
Rahab's actions:
1. Welcomed spies
2. Hid them on her roof.
3. Lied to protect them.
4. Helped them escape from the city with advice on where to go.
5. Asked for protection.

In class, Dr. Saxon did not say whether it was right or wrong, but he DID say that "although repentence and faith may not be evident in the text, repentence and faith were the driving force behind her actions" and that she shouldnt have lied - even in war. (please note, that quote may not be word for word because i couldnt write as fast as he was talking...) So basically, she knew that their God was the true God (the timing of her conversion is unknown) and eventually put her trust in him.

Rahab, because of her culture and her profession, may have instinctively lied. She may not have known better. Whatever her reason, she obviously lied to protect the spies. The question lies in her MOTIVE. Did she lie so that they would do her the favor in return? No. She expressed faith in God (Joshua 2:11). She knew that her city was going to be overtaken and that the LORD (YAHWEH) was the true God.

My opinion:
God did not NEED Rahab...just like he doesnt need us. rather, he chooses to use us (sinful creatures that we are) for his glory. i believe that the Bible teaches that lying is sin. although lying is sin, i cannot honestly fault Rahab for lying. I wouldve been so scared that i probably would have lied too. knowing that my country is going to be demolished and that it was God that was going to do it...i would want to be on God's side.
jimmy, i dont agree with the quote that said: "We always tell the truth to those to whom the truth is due. But we do not always owe the truth to a corrupt and unjust state..." I dont care what anyone or anything has done to you - there is never a reason to sin.
If (and that is a big IF) rahab had told the truth, i believe God wouldve made a way of escape for the spies - therefore i dont think that rahab's lying was neccessary.
God blessed her - regardless of her sin. much like he blessed david - even after his sin with bathsheba, and like you and me even after we sin. i believe she mustve repented after the lie - hence the reason for her being in Jesus' lineage and her name mentioned in Hebrews 11. (that last sentence should be in saxon's paragraph as well). Gaeblin said that Rahab is a dramatic example of the grace of God...and i agree.