Joshua 2

Evasion, dissemblance, equivocation, obfuscation, prevarication--all are basically fancy euphemisms for lying. Lying, as we've been taught, is a big no-no, and indeed, in many situations, lying indeed results in hurt feelings, unfair advantage, or even ruptured relationships. And yet, is lying ever good? Lying to someone with clearly malicious intent seems more acceptable. I know I'm "invoking" Godwin's Law here, but I personally would not look down at all on a German who lied to the Nazis about hiding Jews in his home--quite the opposite, in fact.

Likewise, when two Israelite spies run a reconnaissance mission to Jericho, they meet a prostitute named Rahab who lies to the Jericho king in order to keep the spies safe. Yes, she lied to him, but author emphasizes not her lie but her generosity, assistance, and respect for God. She knows about what God has achieved for the Israelites (verses 9-10) and thus knows that Jericho is as doomed as a spider with all eight of its legs amputated. Sure, she's shrewd, but that practicality stems from her reverence for God.

The author of Joshua doesn't condemn Rahab for taking on the world's oldest profession. We don't know the circumstances surrounding Rahab's career choice, and I in particular am not knowledgeable about prostitution in ancient Near Eastern society. (I'm not knowledgeable about prostitution period, as a matter of fact, but that's neither here nor there.) But even though Rahab had a job that fulfilled the carnal desires of the weak-willed, she still rose above it to see who these Israelites, and their God, really were. Her faith and assistance would bear fruit that she couldn't have foreseen, for from her line would come Jesus Himself.

I don't know any prostitutes, personally or otherwise, but I do have to remember that those who are disadvantaged, overlooked, or uncharismatic are all God's children and thus have the potential to be--and often are--as kindhearted as a close friend. Opportunities for love and a happy life shouldn't depend on one's physical looks or the circumstances of one's birth--a platitude easy to parrot, but all too difficult for me to put into practice. To quote the character Anton Ego from Ratatouille, "Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."

Finally, I want to note another case of repetition: some form of the phrase "melting in fear" appears twice in this chapter (verses 11 and 24). The people of Jericho must be pretty petrified (though that makes me wonder--if they're so terrified, why don't they do what Rahab did and acknowledge God?) When I think of people "melting," I always think of the fate of poor Toht, one of the villains of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I'd normally include the image or a GIF here, put it's pretty gruesome and gory (especially for a PG movie), so you can look it up yourself if you so desire.