Rahab shows absolute fidelity in how she deals with the spies, so perhaps it is not entirely appropriate to judge her on the basis of the Bible’s wider morality of truth-telling. She operates in a way that she believes enables her to show good faith to the spies and, because that means moving herself towards Yahweh and his purposes, this is acceptable. Her behaviour is therefore not presented as exemplary, but the direction in which her life was moving, as demonstrated by her actions towards the spies, can be commended. By way of analogy, we can note that we would not normally expect a new convert to Christianity, especially someone coming from another faith tradition, to behave perfectly and make complex moral decisions on the basis of an informed understanding of the faith. We look to encourage such people to have their lives shaped by the gospel and as they grow we expect more of them. But we certainly must encourage them as they seek to move away from former patterns of life and to have their conduct shaped by the gospel message.