A Goody From Woody

During the last presidential campaign I read widely and discovered that there is a lot of media bias. At first it annoyed me and later on it helped me to ask questions that clarified my understanding of mistakes, lies, lies by omission and how the speaker, journalist, was writing.

From childhood you’ve heard about “white lies”. You’ve read, no doubt, about compulsive lying. (By the way, a big battle is going on to see if compulsive lying will be added to the Bible of Psychology called the DSM III – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The term they want to use is Mythomania or Compulsive Lying Syndrome.”

Some of my favorite quotes have to do with language and lying. Here are a few of them:

1. “No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar.”

—Abraham Lincoln.

2. “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”

—Mark Twain.

3. “The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a

thousandfold.”—Aristotle

4. “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most pick

themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.”

—Winston Churchill

So what does the Bible say? Are there any examples of people lying and it turned out to be a good thing?

The first encounter of lying took place in the OT, Genesis 3:4-7, 22. Satan was tempting Eve to disbelieve and disobey God’s command to not eat from the tree in the center of the Garden of Eden. Satan was tempting Eve to disbelieve and disobey God’s command to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan told Eve, “Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” He went on to tell a half-truth, “You will not surely die…your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”

Satan was half right. Their eyes were “opened,” and they did not immediately die. But the half-truth was still a lie. Jesus said, “Satan has no truth in him, “He is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

One example of a good outcome, even through a lie was stated, is the story of Rahab in Joshua 2:4-6. She hid the Israeli spies in Jericho from the King and soldiers of Jericho. She lied to save the lives of the Jewish soldiers. Rahab and her family were spared when Israel did conquer this city. In Hebrews 11 Rahab is mentioned in the hall of fame. By faith her life and family were saved.

The next example from the OT is very interesting. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife in Gen 12:11-20; 20:1-12. Isaac did the same. He lied about Rebecca being his wife (Gen 26:7). In both cases God had to intervene to save Abraham and Isaac.

Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20 are not commands that forbid lying. The Scripture says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This statement is made in the context of justice and a legal system. Any false testimony would do great harm in a court of law. The justice of God requires everyone to tell the truth in a court of law. If a lie is told, the person can be found guilty of perjury and sentenced to jail and fined.

Proverbs 21:6 enjoins, “The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.” Truth is the only way to advance in God’s kingdom.

I almost forgot lying by the Hebrew midwives who kept the Jewish boys alive after they were delivered, but lied to Pharaoh and his servants about this.

Several comments come from this question. Nowhere in the Bible are we to assume that lying is a good thing. In fact, Revelation 21:8 says that liars and the ungodly will be in the lake of fire forever.

Is lying ever justified? I believe so. In cases of war, danger of murder and criminal acts make me believe one can and should lie to save and preserve life. A person who is trying to deceive a would-be murderer or an enemy on a field of battle or even a home invader trying to steal, rape or murder, is justified in not telling the whole truth.

My favorite story of Corrie Ten Boom has to do with her lying to her German guards in prison camp during WWII. She told the guards there were lice in the barracks to keep the guards out, to allow them to study Scripture, and for personal security. It was only a half-lie—there were some lice in that barracks.

Lying is acceptable only to stop evil. In all other cases we must tell the truth.

We know that God is truth, and His Word is truth. He cannot lie. God does not favor lying and does not tolerate sin. God does not endorse “white lies”.

If I am to grow in Christlikeness, then I am commanded at all times to tell the truth!

Few people will ever be put in Rahab’s, or the Hebrew midwives’, or even Corrie Ten Boom’s position.

As a powerful encouragement, I would ask you to consider Dante’s epic poem, “Inferno” (Italian for Hell). He wrote about an imaginary trip where he went thru hell on his way to Paradise (Heaven). In hell, he found nine different layers or circles that went downward. He wrote about everything from lust to gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud, and treason. Treason was the bottom of hell. Next to last was lying. For Dante, writing in the 14^th century, lying was totally unacceptable for a believer in Christ.

If we “change” because of God’s Word in our hearts, how do you see lying in our culture?

God Bless,

Woody