This is my first post on the new site, and I hope there will be many more.  I intend to make political comments, write book reviews, and insert a healthy dose of Bible study and spiritual insight.

Let my start here with a question:  If God hates lies, (and He does–Prov. 6:16-19), then why would Jeremiah lie for the king?  He was already under house arrest and under threat of death, so why disobey God in order to accommodate man?

 Jer 38:24-27  Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.  (25)  But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee,     and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:  (26)  Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.  (27)  Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

You can almost understand Rahab lying to protect the spies (Josh. 2:1-7); but Jeremiah’s fib helped no one but himself and worthless King Zedekiah.  Is this a case of situation ethics, or prophetorial hypocrisy?  Does the example of his dishonesty give you permission for the occasional “little white lie,” or do you assume that Jeremiah paid for his prevarication at a later time?

This is more than a hypothetical question–it goes to the heart of our own personal and social integrity.  Measure yourself:  who or what would you lie for?  My guess is that most Christians would lie if they thought it was important–the question is just how important the matter has to be.  It reminds me of the old story of the man who asked a young woman if she would have an affair with him for $10,000,000.  After considering the vast array of zeroes in the number, she agreed; and then he asked her if she would do the same thing for $10.  Indignantly, she asked, “What kind of a woman do you think I am?!”  The man responded, “That question has already been answered; now we’re just negotiating the price.”

Where do you draw the line when it comes to telling the truth?