and would not have justified her. But by this it appeared to be both alive and lively, that she exposed herself to the utmost peril, even of life, in obedience to her faith. Note, Those only are true believers, that can find in their hearts to venture for God; and those that by faith take the Lord for their God, take his people for their people, and cast in their lot among them. They that have God for their refuge and hiding-place, must testify their gratitude by their readiness to shelter his people when there is occasion: let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Isa. 16. 3, 4. And we must be glad of an opportunity of testifying the sincerity and zeal of our love to God, by hazardous services to his church and kingdom among men.
But, (2.) There is that in it which it is not easy to justify, and yet it must be justified, or else it could not be so good a work as to justify her. [1.] It is plain that she betrayed her country by harbouring the enemies of it, and aiding those that were designing its destruction, which could not consist with her allegiance to her prince, and her affection and duty to the community she was a member of. But that which justifies her in this, is, that she knew that the Lord had given them this land, v. 9. knew it by the incontestable miracles God had wrought for them, which confirmed that grant; and her obligations to God were higher than her obligations to any other. If she knew God had given them this land, it would have been a sin to join with those that hindered them from possessing it. But since no such grant of any land to any people can now be proved, this will by no means justify any such treacherous practices against the public welfare. [2.] It is plain that she deceived the officers that examined her, with an untruth, That she knew not whence the men were, that they were gone out, that she knew not whither they were gone. What shall we say to this? If she had either told the truth, or been silent, she had betrayed the spies, and that had certainly been a great sin: and it does not appear that she had another way of concealing them, than by this ironical direction to the officers to pursue them another way, which if they would suffer themselves to be deceived by, let them be deceived. None are bound to accuse themselves, or their friends, of that which, though inquired after as a crime, they know to be a virtue. This case was altogether extraordinary, and therefore cannot be drawn into a precedent: and that may be justified here, which would be by no means lawful in a common case. Rahab knew by what was already done on the other side Jordan, that no mercy was to be showed to the Canaanites, and from thence inferred, if mercy were not owing them, truth was not; they that might be destroyed, might be deceived. Yet divines generally conceive that it was a sin, which however admitted of this extenuation, that being a Canaanite she was not better taught the evil of lying; but God accepted her faith and pardoned her infirmity: however it was in this case, we are sure it is our duty to speak every man the truth to his neighbour, to dread and detest lying, and never to do evil, that evil, that good may come of it, Rom. 3. 8. But God accepts what is sincerely and honestly intended, though there be a mixture of frailty and folly in it, and is not extreme to mark what we do amiss. Some suggest that what she said might possibly be true of some other men.* [1]
8. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9. And she said unto the men, 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. 10. 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. 11. 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. 12. Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 13. And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. 14. And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. 15. Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16. And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 17. And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by; and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. 19. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. 20. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 21. And she said, According unto your words so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
The matter is here settled between Rahab and the spies, respecting the service she was now to do
- ↑ * However the guilt of Rahab's falsehood may be extenuated, it seems best to admit nothing which tends to explain it away. We are sure that God discriminated between what was good in her conduct, and what was bad, rewarding the former, and pardoning the latter. Her views of the divine law must have been exceedingly dim and contracted; a similar falsehood, told by those who enjoy the light of revelation, however laudable the motive, would of course deserve much heavier censure.
