Introduction: How many times have other Christians told you that something was a “gray” area or that the matter was “complicated?” I’m often suspicious that comments like that are an attempt to avoid admitting that some activity is sinful. My go-to text, Deuteronomy 4:2, essentially says that something is either wrong in God’s sight or is some unauthorized rule that humans have created. That narrows the “gray” areas. However, when Jesus equated lust with adultery and anger with murder (Matt 5:21-22, 27-28), He complicated our understanding of Deuteronomy 4:2. Our study this week is about two “gray” stories. Let’s dive in and see if Scripture sharpens our understanding of the “gray!

I. The Spies

A. Read Joshua 2:1. What action did Joshua take before launching the invasion of Canaan?

1. Had spies been sent out before? (Read Numbers 13:1-3, Numbers 13:17-20, and Numbers 13:31. Yes, Moses sent out twelve spies, and their report led to disaster.)
2. What do you think was the motive to send out spies? (Read Numbers 13:32-33. The first spy mission assessed the land and its defenses. Part of the motivation was to gauge whether they could take the land.)
3. What is Joshua doing differently this time? (This time, he sends only two spies, and he does it secretly. This suggests that the spies were to report only to him, which would limit the problem that arose the first time.)
4. Is Joshua showing a lack of faith in God? (If you look at Numbers 13:1-2, it was God who directed Moses to send out spies.)

a. Normally, wanting to keep your activity a secret is a strong sign that the activity is wrong. Is this a gray area?

B. Read Joshua 5:13-15 and Joshua 6:2-5. What is God doing for Joshua in advance of the battle for Jericho? (God gave him the kind of information you would get from spies – and much more. I lean toward viewing the two-spy mission as a lapse in trust, although that is not clear because God authorized the first set of spies.)

II. The Prostitute

A. Look again at the last part of Joshua 2:1. Where did the spies stay? (At the house of a prostitute named Rahab.)

1. Does that sound like part of God’s plan?
2. If you say it was a smart move because this would keep the spies anonymous and secure, read Joshua 2:2-3. Did it work? (No. Their presence was reported immediately.)

B. Read Joshua 2:4-7. Is this only a lie? Isn’t it also treason against Rahab’s city? Isn’t it also a misdirection to send the men of Jericho off on a false lead? (It appears to be all of these.)

C. Read John 8:44, Revelation 12:9, and Exodus 20:16. These texts state that lying is what Satan does. Let’s review this sequence. Joshua sends spies (perhaps a failure of faith), the spies choose a prostitute’s house (a failed anonymity plan), and then the prostitute lies to protect them. Is this a “gray area” or a “complicated” issue?

D. Read Joshua 2:8-13. What is Rahab’s motive for her treasonous lying? (She wants to save herself and her family.)

1. Isn’t saving yourself the usual motive for lying?
2. Does that make this a “gray area” justification?

E. Read James 2:25. What does James call Rahab’s actions? (Good works that “justified” Rahab. Evidence of genuine faith.)

F. Read Hebrews 11:31. How does this text view Rahab? (She is obedient! She does not perish with the disobedient.)

G. Read Matthew 1:5. What woman do we find in the genealogy of Jesus? Know that the listing of women in this genealogy is rare. (Rahab is mentioned!)

H. Do we have a new rule? We are authorized to lie if it might help us or help our family? (Let’s read Exodus 20:16 again. What, exactly, is prohibited? (“False witness against your neighbor.”)

1. Does this mean that the only prohibited lies are those that harm someone else? Say, for example, all the other people of Jericho? (Read Proverbs 12:22. Scripture broadly condemns lying; harm to others is a central concern, but truthfulness itself matters to God.)

I. Let’s go back and read Joshua 2:11. Is Rahab merely afraid that the Hebrews will defeat the inhabitants of Jericho, or is there a deeper conviction? (God judges our hearts. Rahab recognizes that God is the true God, and she gives her allegiance to Him. The negative spin I previously gave to her motives is not how God saw her.)

1. Let’s revisit our discussion that sending out spies might have reflected a lack of faith. What valuable intelligence is gathered here? (Read Joshua 2:23-24. What Joshua learned was that his opponents were afraid. Joshua had already won the psychological war.)

III. Lying Gibeonites

A. Read Joshua 9:1-2.  We skipped over the chapters recording that the Israelites defeated all of the Canaanites that they met. What is the reaction of this group of Canaanites? (They form a coalition to fight Israel.)

B. Read Joshua 9:3-6. How do the Gibeonites react? (They resort to deception.)

C. Read Joshua 9:12-14. The Gibeonites provide evidence to support the lie that they are from a distant country. What do the Israelites do and what do they fail to do to determine the truth? (They examine the evidence and decide to believe the Gibeonites. What they fail to do is to consult with God.)

D. Read Joshua 9:7-8. Is Joshua suspicious of the Gibeonites? (Apparently.)

1. What does the Bible reveal about the Gibeonites in these verses? (They were Hivites.)

E. Read Joshua 9:15. Does the lie work? (Yes. Israel makes a covenant of peace.)

F. Read Deuteronomy 7:1-5. What had God told the Hebrews to do to the Hivites? (Make no covenant with them. Destroy them completely.)

G. Read Joshua 9:16-19. God told them to destroy these cities, and the promise of safety was based on deceit. Modern American law says a contract based on “fraud in the inducement” can be set aside. Do you agree with this unpopular decision?

H. Read 2 Samuel 21:1-2. A problem with Joshua was that he did not consult with God about the Gibeonites. What does this tell us about God’s attitude towards the Gibeonites? (Saul has done what God told them to do – destroy the Gibeonites. They avoided immediate destruction through deceit, so I would obey God and not feel bound by a promise induced by fraud. But this tells us that God is very unhappy with Saul’s decision.)

I. Let’s see if we can better understand this. Read Joshua 9:19-20. What honesty issue is raised here? (Honesty before God. The Israelite leaders swore an oath in the name of God to the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites might be false, but the great God of heaven is not.)

J. You don’t have to read it now, but in Joshua 10:5-14, Israel rescues Gibeon from the Amorites, and God clearly acts to protect Gibeon. What lesson does this teach? (It was foolish and hasty to covenant in the LORD’s name without seeking Him. But once sworn, both Israel and God honored the oath.)

K. Friend, the best answer to dealing with “gray” areas is to consult God’s word first. If God’s word does not address the issue, then ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. That is what Joshua failed to do with the Gibeonites. And do not act hastily, another problem in dealing with the Gibeonites. But in every situation, put God’s honor first. Rahab put God’s people first, and God expected His people to honor their promise to the deceitful Gibeonites.

IV. Next week: Memorials of Grace.

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

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