June 25, 2022

Joshua 2: 4-6 (NIV)

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. . . . I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

(Read the whole story in Joshua chapter 2.)

God always nourishes what is right.*

Many years ago, I was with my boss for a conference at a fancy resort. We were getting ready to attend an evening event for which the suggested attire was “resort casual.” My boss, an attractive lady in her fifties, came out wearing some white shorts that, in my opinion, were inappropriate for the occasion. Before I could decide if I should speak up, she said, “Connie, you are the most honest person I know; so tell me, are these shorts too short?” I very tactfully replied, “Well, since you asked, I believe you might be more comfortable if you wore something else.”

Speaking the truth can be risky but Rahab and the spies faced more than just the possibility of offending someone or the danger of losing their job. Their lives were on the line. Did Rahab have to lie? Is there any record of God giving his approval for the commission of a sin if it’s for a good cause?

I would like to excuse Rahab because of the danger and because, as one surrounded by a pagan culture, she didn’t know any better. I have tried to imagine scenarios in which she didn’t lie and in which there was still a happy ending for the spies. Pointless. The Bible reports the story the way it happened without offering excuses or justification. It is not the only time in history (or even in the Bible) that God’s will has been accomplished by imperfect people with good intentions and flawed methods. But if he can use us in our sinfulness, how much more glory could we bring to him if our good intentions were accompanied by a divine strategy?

I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to choose truth when my life is being threatened, but God has promised never to forsake us.  Let’s claim that promise. Let us be found faithful whether the risk is great or small.

He sent out his disciples to do the work of ministry despite their imperfect understandings, their spiritual immaturity, and their deeply flawed character.*