In a Time of War

We have seen that Rahab, like all people in every time and place, was bound by the divine requirement to tell the truth. Yet she violated that requirement and was blessed for it. Were there other factors at play in Joshua 2 that would explain God’s reaction to her lies? Yes.

The most important consideration here is that Rahab’s encounter with the spies took place in the context of holy war. Moses had instructed the people as to how to wage their campaign for Canaan. During their journey to the land they were to receive from God, they were to make an offer of peace to any city they approached. If the people of the city decided to surrender, they would become Israel’s servants. If they refused to surrender, Israel was to attack the city, destroy it, and kill all the men. However, the women, children, livestock, and other goods might be kept (Deut. 20:10–15). But God’s instructions were much harsher for some cities that were within the Promised Land. There was to be no parley; the Israelites were to attack and leave no people or animals alive. The Hebrew word for this strategy is herem, which literally means “to put under a ban.” As for material objects, virtually everything was to be destroyed, though certain items were to be kept for the treasury.

Why this divine mandate for warfare and genocide? There are two reasons. First, Israel was to carry out God’s judgment on the Canaanites. Genesis 15:16 speaks of Israel returning to Canaan from Egypt, but God noted that it would occur generations later, “ ‘for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.’ ” The implication here, scholars say, is that Israel would return when the sin of the Amorites was complete and ripe for judgment. Because “Amorites” is a reference to all the inhabitants of Canaan, we see that God had plans to judge these peoples—and Israel would be His instrument. Second, God wanted the Canaanites to be eliminated lest they lead the Israelites astray to their idolatrous practices and sinful behavior (Deut. 20:18). God chose Israel according to His good pleasure, not because it was greater than any other nation (Deut. 7:6–8) and not because it was more righteous. Indeed, the Israelites were as deserving of judgment as the Canaanites. But God planned to send them into a holy war that they might practice holy living in a land cleansed of pagans.