Biblical Support For Soliciting Prostitutes

[Lambano]

I think we agree that God doesn't condone having sex with prostitutes

I was wondering why it was that when Joshua ben Nun's spies snuck into Jericho, the first place they went to was a whorehouse. But Rahab the Hooker is listed in the rolls of the righteous in both Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.

 

[Lambano]

He's started some weird threads lately. I don't understand the thinking behind this one

He just enjoys stirring the pot. See posts #70 and #71.

 

[Wrangler]

I was wondering why it was that when Joshua ben Nun's spies snuck into Jericho, the first place they went to was a whorehouse. But Rahab the Hooker is listed in the rolls of the righteous in both Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.

This goes to support my other "stirring the pot" threads about the Biblical support and moral justification to lie.

In addition to Rahab, the midwives in Moses' day were also specifically held by God to be righteous because they lied (about how Israeli women gave birth too quickly for them to carry out Pharaoh's command to kill new borns).

In Rahab's case, the fact that she was a prostitute was held as irrelevant in honoring her. So, it could not be a "clear sin" as others (@JustMe) allege here. She is honored because she lied. Some gloss over the moral means by focusing on the ends, which was to save Joshua's spies.

Regarding your question of why the spies first went to the whorehouse; I assumed it was part of the spy network. Joshua 2:1 says they spent the night there. Innocent enough. Prolly just praying throughout the night? Maybe I'll just add this to the OP of a 4th example where the Bible tacitly approves of soliciting a prostitute?

 

[marks]

I was wondering why it was that when Joshua ben Nun's spies snuck into Jericho, the first place they went to was a whorehouse. But Rahab the Hooker is listed in the rolls of the righteous in both Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.

Joshua 2:1-11 KJV
1) And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2) And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3) And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
4) And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
5) And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6) But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7) And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8) And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9) And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10) For 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 did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11) And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

The men may have gone to a prostitute's house because people were used to seeing strangers there. Its location on the wall made it easier to stay hidden.

Consider, she describes how they all knew about what God did in Egypt, and now they are all terrified. And consider, she had laid out flax stalks on the rooftop. This would mean she had started working flax, drying it, maybe to make thread for others, maybe weaving and sewing it herself. This could be showing us that she had left off the prostitution, and was doing honest work, hard work, poor people's work.

Maybe this is why the spies ended up at Rahab's house.

Much love!

 

[Lambano]

In addition to Rahab, the midwives in Moses' day were also specifically held by God to be righteous because they lied (about how Israeli women gave birth too quickly for them to carry out Pharaoh's command to kill new borns)

Ah, yes, this was the second session of our Disciple Bible Study - Read the Bible in One Year program. Mirmah. Deceit. When is lying the right thing to do? Liberal situational ethicists love cases like this because it demonstrates that morality isn't black-and-white, but fifty shades of grey. (Typically, Evangelicals hate it. C.S. Lewis became a Christian because if there is no God and no absolute standard of right and wrong, concepts such as "justice" have no meaning.)

When is boinking a hooker the right thing to do? In the case of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38), Tamar was considered more "in the right" than Judah in this case because she was entitled by custom to be married to his son Shelah, but Judah forbade it. So, Tamar getting down with Judah was the right thing to do - not because the sex-worker/client relationship is acceptable, but because of the family obligations that were not being met.

 

[Lambano]

When is boinking a hooker the right thing to do?

Were I foolish enough to pose that question to The Sweet Lady, she might say something on the order of, "Not until it has been reliably ascertained that Hell has frozen over."

 

[TitusTwoWife]

I don't believe @Wrangler is trying to be a bad person. I think it's more of an intellectual challenge that he's after.

 

[marks]

It amazes me how quickly so many people in this thread turn to Ad Homenim rather than address the uncomfortable ambiguity of Scripture.

What amazes me is that you see this to be ambiguous. I just don't see any wiggle room. You can cite instances where people paid for sex, but that doesn't change Jesus' words of God's intent for man.

 

[Wrangler]

Leaving AND cleaving, not just leaving. The "cleaving" is to "his wife" singular.

Right! Not cleave to a prostitute. (Singular)

 

[Wrangler]

You can cite instances where people paid for sex, but that doesn't change Jesus' words of God's intent for man.

Strawman. Intent is moving the goal post. That’s why you don’t see wiggle room. Divorce is also condoned even though not God’s intent.

What amazes me is that you see this to be ambiguous. I just don't see any wiggle room.

There have now been 4 examples presented in this thread where having sex with a prostitute is condoned in the Bible.