Is Sin Ever Justifiable? (In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 11:31)

(Hebrews 11:31, ESV) By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

Last time we looked at the battle of Jericho and in what way Israel's faith in that situation is a model for us to follow. This time we're looking at Rahab, a prostitute managing a tavern in Jericho, who helped the scouts from Israel when they came to do recon. The story of Rahab is found in Joshua 2:1-21 and Joshua 6:22-25.

The author of Hebrews calls Rahab's help an act of "faith". This is interesting for a few reasons.

1. Rahab was not an Israelite and may or may not have heard of Yahweh before meeting the Israelite spies.

2. She was a prostitute by trade, and therefore neck deep in a lifestyle completely incompatible with worshipping Yahweh.

3. She lied to the investigating soldiers, telling them the spies had left, when in fact she was still hiding them. (Joshua 2:4-6) Lying is not only a sinful act, but in this case could also represent a lack of faith in Yahweh's ability to intervene and protect her and the spies.

Regarding the first point, Yahweh openly invited non-Jews to enter into relationship with him. (Numbers 15:15) Regarding the second, we have numerous examples in scripture of sinful people exhibiting immense faith. The contrast is unexpected at times, but until we are remade to be like Christ (1 John 3:2) we as believers are at best a mixed bag of sin and sanctification. So we'll specifically look at point 3. Why is this act of Rahab's a model of faith when it involved lying?

A similar instance is recorded in Exodus 1:15-21, when the midwives lied to Pharaoh, saying that the Israelite babies were born before they could carry out the command to kill them. After describing the lie, the text says "So God dealt well with the midwives..."(Exodus 1:19-20)

Does this mean that service to God makes sin justifiable? I've read at least one well-respected theologian who would likely say yes, given their commentary on these events in the Bible. And while I'm not completely settled on the issue, I don't see how sin is EVER justifiable. Jesus did not command us to "do the best you can". He said, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Can we really describe the actions of Rahab and the midwives as "perfect"? I don't see how. Why, then, are their sinful actions highlighted as examples of faith in scripture? I don't think that's actually what's happening here.

In the case of the midwives, the word "So"(which refers back to the reason for God blessing the midwives) could refer to their lie in verse 19. But it could also be a summary of their rebellion against Pharaoh which begins in verse 17 with the words "but the midwives feared God". This seems more likely, since the same point is emphasized in connection to God blessing them in verse 21. Sin was in the mix, but it was not the reason God blessed them.

In the case of Rahab, her act of faith was that she gave "a friendly welcome to the spies", not that she lied to protect them. She took them in, at risk to her own life. The common law of the time period ("The Code Of Hammurabi") instructed  that if conspirators met in the home of a tavern keeper and were not later captured, the tavern keeper would be put to death. So although she later lied to try and protect herself, it was her welcoming of the spies, knowing the potential cost, that was the true act of faith. Whether Rahab had heard of Yahweh before meeting the spies or not, her decision to welcome them was a decision to side with Israel and their God, despite the potential cost of her own life.


SO WHAT'S IN THIS FOR GEEKS?

Nearly every episode of The Walking Dead wrestles with sin and whether or not it can be justified given the circumstances. Usually the choice is some form of "compromise your values or die". And given the circumstances presented, I'd have to think much more highly of myself than I should to say I'd be among those who refuse to compromise and then die horribly for their choice.

For years, while pondering this question and dreaming up creatively horrific hypotheticals, I would think to myself "Surely God wouldn't ask me to die when a little white lie could spare my life or the life of someone I love." But the more I reflect on the brevity of this life compared to immeasurable eternity, and the more I think about Jesus' command to be perfect on the same level that God is perfect, the more I see that old thinking of mine as self-preservation instead of being in line with God.

Most fiction that wrestles with the question of justifiable sin treats this life as the main event, and maybe even all that there is. And if that's true then preservation of our lives should be the virtue that trumps all others. But if it's not true, and our decades here are just a microscopic dot on a line stretching the length of eternity, then being on board with God's way of living, in even minute details, is absolutely worth giving up our lives.

Saying that doesn't mean I'd make the perfect choice when facing life or death, or even when facing breaking the speed limit by a mile or two. But perfect is perfect. And the commands of God show us that we are not. We're far from it. So if we're going to spend eternity with a perfect God in a perfect society made up only of perfect people, we're going to need someone to rescue us from the state we're in.

That's what Jesus has done and is doing. That's why when Christmas comes around, despite the stress it can sometimes bring to our schedules, we can breathe an extra sigh of relief as we remember why Jesus came. He came to rescue us and begin transforming us for an eternal existence with him.
A well-known Christmas carol refers to this idea, although I missed seeing it for most of my life.

"Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there."