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?
This weeks kids sermon was on 1 Kings 13. The old prophet lies to the man of God, who then disobeys God’s command (based on the prophet’s lie). The man of God gets killed by a lion and the lying prophet gets off the hook. Hmmm…your thoughts?
Hi, Jenny! Thanks for checking out the blog.
The situation in I Kings 13 is, I think, fairly straightforward upon analysis. Here are the basic principles:
1. The old prophet told a “little white lie” out of a motive of hospitality, but did not go unpunished. He realized his guilt for the judgment on the man of God; took responsibility for his body, and desired to be identified with his death. His punishment was personal and inward.
2. The man of God sinned in a much more significant way. He had given the king a message, and confirmed it by 2 miracles–apparently God wanted the king to get the message! He included in God’s words the commands he had received not to eat, and declared his loyalty to God by pledging obedience. When he disobeyed, he undermined the entire message of God to the king, and made his day’s ministry meaningless. Two miracles became, in the king’s eyes, two parlor tricks–and the man of God had to die publicly for his disobedience.
I see two very different sins, and two different but definite punishments.
Pro 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.