Rah":b and, the spies. The history of the escape of the Israelitish spies through the 0,ss1Btance of Rahab the harlot, and the reward given her for her services, in the sparing of her life when all her townsfolk perished, is one which presents many moral difficulties. To help the enemies of one's country is an act severely and justly reprobated by all nations. That which is in itself evil cannot be transformed into good because it is done for a good cause; otherwise we ought to give plenary in- dulgence to the Society of Jesus. We must beware, then, of extolling the wrong thing which Rahab did. But at the same time we must recognise that she was prompted to it by a nobler motive than that of securing her own safety. Faith in the tnie God had taken rough possession of this ignorant soul. She had heard of the miracles by which Israel bad been brought out of Egypt and led safely through the perils of the wilderness. She says, " We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when ye came out of Egypt, and what ye dicl unto the two kings of the Amorites," &c. It is clear, then, that the Cann.anites knew enough to acknowledge with Rahab, that '' the Lord the God of Israel was God in heaven above and in the earth beneath ; " and therefore that they were sinning by still cleaving to their false gods, whose worship was an abomination to the only living and trne Goel. It cannot be denied, therefore, that Rahab ga, e a proof of faith in the choice which she made between her own people and the people of Goel. It is this aspect of her conduct alone which is commended in the Epistle to the Hebrews (eh. x.i. 81). We must be careful, moreover, not to exaggerate what she did. She did not betray the secret of her people, she simply preser.ed the lives of the representatives of the nation which she knows to be enrolled under the banner of the true Goel. This act of faith saved her, and even won for her the honour of a place in the genealogy of Messiah (Matt. i. 5). We occupy a very different position from that of Rahab. No such conflict can arise in our case between duty to the earthly and to the heavenly fatherland, because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual. Let it be ours to have the faith of Rahab in the victory of Olll' Divine Head; and let us hold fast this confidence, especially in view of the great conflicts that are before us, between the Captain of our salvation and an unbelie,ing world. Have we not as much to rest our faith upon-nay, far more than Rahab bad-in the great victories of the past? We are the soldiers of a General who saicl, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world " (J obn xvi. 38). To be confident of victor:v is to have akeady conquered.-E. DE P.·
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER II. 12-25. kindred would be sa.ved. The be.re word of the spies would not suffice, for how could THE: OATH OF THE SPIEB.-Ver. 12.- she and her kindred be identified in the Xindneee. The original is perhaps a little confusion attending the sack of the city? stronger, and involves usually the idea of But if the spies would agree upon some sign mercy and pity. Thie, however, is not always by which she could be recognised, it would the case (see Gen. xxi. 23 ; 2 Sam. x. 2). " It at once be a pledge that they intended to had been an ill nature in Ra.hab if shee had keep their word, and a means of pro- been content to be saved a.lone: that her love tection in the approaching downfall of the might be a match to her faith, she covenants city. for all her family, and so returns life to those of whorn shee received it" (Bp. Ha.II). A Ver. 14.-0ur life for yours. Literally, true token. Literally, a token of trnth. The 011r souls (~P.J, answering to 'the Greek -./,vxi1 construction is that in which the latter -the principie of life in men and animals) noun often stands in Hebrew for an adjec- in the place of you ta die; i.e., may we die tive. Here, however, it would seem tb be a if you are not 11reserw,I safe and sound. A little more, a token of truth--a pledge, that similar expression is used by Ignatius, ad Is, of sincerity. Rahab wanted some Eph. i., a,l Polyc. 2, 6, &c. If ye utter not, l(llarantee that her life and the lives of her i.e., Rahab and her kindrecl (Roscnmiiller) •. 40 THE BOOK OF Jl.)SHUA. [CH. II, 12-26,