It was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here tonight of the children of Israel to search out the land.
"For one to lie in this manner is for one to assume that he knows the outcome of a situation which, in fact, he does not. God has control of every situation and therefore it might well be the will of God that the spies should die. It is the job of the believer to represent the truth and allow the Lord to care for that situation." [Note: Davis and Whitcomb, p. 35. For an explanation of Rahab’s lie as legitimate, see Jim West, "Rahab’s Justifiable Lie," Christianity and Civilization 2 (Winter 1983):66-74.] 