TCN's Biblical Journey Jan 15th

Take from  today's readings in Exodus 1-5

Exodus 1

Does God bless liars?

The obvious answer is no, in Revelations 21:8 we see all liars have their part in the lake of fire. Yet here in Exodus chapter one we see a story about women who lied to Pharaoh, their government, God prospered them. This isn’t the only place in scripture where God blesses someone who lies, so what is the deal? Is deceit always wrong? Or are there higher principles involved?

First, I want to look at the ten commandments. The commandments as someone once said are just that commandments, not suggestions. All of them are reaffirmed in the New Testament except the law of Sabbath even that isn’t abolished completely (more about that later). So, what is the command? Do not lie? No, do not bear false witness against your neighbor. The idea here seems to be that what is being said will bring harm to the neighbor. This specifically looks at the idea of testimony about someone which is false and will hurt them. I am also assuming will help you in some way.

Does this mean that if I tell a “white lie” that it is okay? No, Proverbs (I will not list them all now) tells us that God hates lying lips. So, what is the key?  

I believe the deception we see God blessing first, protects, second, endangers, and ultimately fulfills. The first is protects. Protection is that the deception saves the (physical) live of another person. Second, the deception endangers the one telling it. The midwives in danger (except from God later) was in letting the children live. Their lie actually put them in very great danger. Pharaoh a man of his day (and many others) had no idea about woman and childbirth, so he believed them. If he hadn’t then there is no doubt he would have had them placed in prison or killed. The truth is that the danger they placed themselves in didn’t end it followed them, yet they did endanger their very lives to save the children they were called to protect. Side note: Lying to your spouse about their hair, clothes, or your children about the bird and the bees so to “protect them” (or yourself) isn’t even close to what these women did. Finally, their action fulfilled the ultimate purpose of God, in this case, to see the children of Israel grow and be blessed.

The danger, of course, is when we try to use the few exceptions to justify our own untruthfulness. The greatest danger in lying is actually to protect ourselves. This is where 99.9% of all lies take place. The danger is when we start making excuses to lie, it becomes more natural and instead of a tongue that tries to bring life, it becomes a tongue that lies. People lie to save the feelings of others, yet what they usually have is a problem with telling the truth in love. They lie for the greater good but in truth, it is for self-preservation.

At the end of this, what do we see a small exception on deception? It is like some medicines, at the right time and in the correct doses they can save a life, however, the rest of the time they bring only destruction and eventually death. The lesson: don’t use it unless there are no other choices and the only under the command of the Great Physician.