Joshua 2:3-6 “So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: ‘Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.’ 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. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.’ (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof).”

Rahab, a believer, a hero of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 and an ancestor of Jesus Christ, lied to the government. She protected the Israeli spies. She saved her own life and the lives of her family. The scarlet cord she hung in the window of her house saved her life and also covered the sin of lying.

Principle: Lying is not justified but a just God forgives the sin of lying because it is under the blood of Jesus.

Could God have protected the spies and Rahab without Rahab’s deception? Absolutely. Would the plans of God for Israel and the world be changed (Israel conquers Jericho, occupies the land, Rahab joins the Jews, marries an Israelite, has a child) if she had told the truth? Maybe. God is sovereign. Is lying a sin? Always. Does God forgive sins? Yes, in the person of Jesus.

Discussion:

1. Which is worse in your thinking – prostitution or telling a “white” lie?

2. What is your value system based on?

3. Is there a nagging sin area in your life that tends to repeat?

4. Is that sin under the blood of Jesus Christ and if so, how do you put it there?