Joshua 2:1And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly".. "And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee"... 4 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: 5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax"...
This passage of scripture demonstrates in real time, that there are certain situations when speaking the truth can be tricky of even difficult. As Christians, the truth and the laws of God are to be embedded in every fiber of our being, so that when pressure is exerted against our souls, and we are squeezed on every side, that only truthfulness will come out. However, this does not prevent certain difficult circumstances from coming our way, for as shown in the experience of Rahab, our backs can be placed against a wall, and a deliberate decision to be truthful must be made.
In her case, the spies who were sent into the land had disclosed their real purposes to her, and had made a solemn pledge to save her and her entire family, if she in turn promised not to snitch on them, and their covert activities. Thus when the authorities showed up at her front door, she was in a quandary as to what she should do. Question: Should be entirely truthful, and hand over the spies who were in hiding, thus putting the interests of God's kingdom at potential risk? Or was she now justified in giving a "Story", with many specific details as to their whereabouts, which as the scripture shows, had many falsehoods therein.
And the greater question to be answered is, how does God view such matters, and what is His will for Christians, when faced with similar or dire circumstances, where speaking the truth is on the line? The fact of the matter is that God leads us from one stage of spiritual development to another, and even though Rahab was a believer in the true God, yet she was not at this time rooted and grounded in the truth, and so her better instincts to protect the spies, led her to utilize a method, that is not sanctioned in the word of God, and even though the statements she made were not true, yet God accepted her sincere desire to help out His people, and it is for this honest desire that she was rewarded with the sparing of her entire family. Let's read:
Hebrews 11:31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
However, as we grow up in Christ, He expects us to mature in the truth, to the point where even in difficult circumstances, we would not surrender the truth, for what may seem as a good and valid reason. If in a similar situation, a Christian chooses to speak the truth only, and nothing but the truth, the power of God can override any clandestine purposes of man, for it is often the case that man's extremity becomes God's opportunity. Let us then seek to mature in Christ, so that when we are placed in trying circumstances, only the truth will flow out of our souls naturally.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be entirely truthful in all things, and God has promised His omnipotent power to overrule according to His good will, wherever and whenever it becomes necessary. Let's read:
Psalm 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!