Of course, much learning was done in regards to holidays and food. Really, the learning I was interested in was about lying. Part of that was because I didn't do a sit-down study-up like I did with the other topics. But a larger part was that the rules of truthfulness and lying are not so clear cut as the other topics.
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As a good Christian child, of course I was taught not to lie. It's one of the earlier lessons taught to Christian children, "lying is a sin". I went with this assumption in the beginning of my Israelite time. I was a bit worried about it, actually. It turned out that many things I had, as a Christian, applied loosely or not applied (*cough cough* food) were actually meant to be strict rules. I was concerned--what, then, counted as a lie? Well, a lie is an untruth. Going from there, was it a sin to write fiction? To read fiction? To share a story that might be an untruth? Were folktales, almost certainly untrue, a sin?
Thinking along that path brought me to parables--Yeshua told parables, probably-untrue stories meant to illustrate a point, and Yeshua did not sin, but there's a distinct lack of parables elsewhere in the Bible. So perhaps every parable was in fact true? As the son of God, Yeshua would be in a position to know, I reasoned.
This train of thought brought me to study with greater depth the question of lying; this led me to my first realization about the law and lying.
First Realization--Not Illegal
The first realization I came to is that there is no law forbidding lying. None. As we are told in 1 John 3:4, "...sin is transgression of the law.", and as there is no law regarding lying, it is impossible for lying to be a sin which crumbled the foundation I had been given as a Christian kid. It was a really weird realization to come to. Lying is not a sin.
Second Realization--Some Illegality
Lying is not a sin, however, certain types of lying are a sin. Complicated, I know. The closest we get to a solid Law about lying is in the 10 Commandments. Exodus 20:16 holds the following, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
As its position in the 10 Commandments would indicate, false witness is a big deal. Most of the verses in the Bible about lying deal with false witness or "defrauding" one's neighbor, including verses that appear, at first glance, to deal with the run-of-the-muck type of lying, like Leviticus 19:11, "...neither lie one to another"; it seems clear-cut, but in the Strong's Concordance, the word translated into English as "lie" is actually closer to "cheat", a distinctly different action. These two focuses make sense; criminal proceeding at the time relied heavily on the testimony of witnesses. Criminals could only be punished if two eye-witnesses testified against them. As a person's life could hang in the balance, false testimony is something that could not be tolerated. Defrauding, or embezzling/swindling/illegally obtaining money through trickery, is bad because it tears down a community. If a people were to form an identity as a culture, trickery and sneaky thieving could also not be tolerated; people need to be able to trust their neighbors for a society to run.
Third Realization--Cultural/Religious Hatred of Lying
Though there is no law against lying other than the false witness/defrauding type, there is a strong cultural distaste of lying seen all throughout the Bible. Many of the wisdoms shared by Solomon have to do with lying and its downfalls, especially for rulers. We are also told by Solomon, "the LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy" (Proverbs 12:22), and things in this vein. In general, falsehood is seen negatively, but it is almost always tied to witnessing, defrauding, or a betrayal of trust. The vitriol towards lying connects to these three. This shed some light onto stories of Biblical folks that hadn't made sense before.
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As a kid, indoctrinated with the "lying is sin" rule, I was often confused by the stories of the Biblical forefathers (and some foremothers) who lied and were never punished for their lies. If lying is always bad, why did these important people lie? The typical Christian answer is something like, "because nobody is perfect" or "because their good deeds outweighed their bad ones". Revisiting these stories as a newly-learned Israelite, another option presented itself. These people were not punished because they told good lies as opposed to harmful lies. What makes a good lie? I'll break it down.
- A 'good' lie helps people other than the liar
- A 'good' lie is told to people who do not have an explicit trust-relationship with the liar
Rahab, the Lying Prostitute
The best example of a "good" lie comes from the story of Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho. In Joshua Chapter 2, her story is told. Joshua sent two men to scout out Jericho. They went to Rahab's house. The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab that she must deliver the two men who were seen to go into her home. In reply, she told the king, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." Opposite of what she told the king, the men were not gone; Rahab had hidden them in the thatch of her roof. She told not one, but four lies. She did know where they had come from; they had not left. She did know where they were, and there was no chance of "catching up to" the men. These were not small omissions of truth but flat-out lies. She goes to the men and tells them that the land is in fear of the Israelites, and she wants their oath that her family will not be harmed when the Israelites take the city. The men agree with the stipulation that Rahab continue to keep them a secret, and that she have her family with her in her house, marked with a red cord, on the day the city is taken. Rahab agrees, and the story plays out as we know. In the end, "But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day" (Joshua 6:25).
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We don't hear more of her story until Matthew 1:5, "Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse." Rahab was the great grandmother of Jesse, who was the father of David. Not only was Rahab not punished for her mistruths, she was rewarded. She was a foremother of David, and therefore, Yeshua. Ultimately, Rahab's lies fit the two requirements. She lies to protect the spies (who then in turn will ensure protection for her family), and the lie is told to a messenger of the king, who has no relationship to Rahab. Rahab was not motivated by selfish gain, nor was she motivated by a desire to hurt others. She lied to protect, and for that lie, she was incorporated into Israel along with her whole family, and she became one of the ancestors of Yeshua.
Jacob, the Lying Son
To contrast the story of Rahab, we'll take a look at one of our beloved forefathers, Jacob. Jacob, also called Israel, is the man. His name was changed by God to be the name of a nation. His sons became the 12 tribes. What I'm getting at is this--he is important. He was also a liar. Unlike Rahab, he lied for his own gain, he lied to someone he owed a trusting relationship to, and he was immediately punished. I'm sure most of you are familiar with his story, but, to refresh: when Jacob was young and not yet Israel, he bought his brother's birthright. Back in the day, birthright was a big deal. It was not just lands and things to inherit, but also blessings that couldn't be taken back. The deal was forthright, but Jacob hid it from his father (from whom this birthright would come). [The following story is found in Genesis 27] Towards the end of Isaac's life, he decided it was time to bless his son, Esau. Rebecca, Isaac's wife and the boys' mother, overheard and went to Jacob to help him secure his brother's birthright. They worked together to give Jacob a disguise--his brother's clothes, fur to simulate his brother's hairy skin, and food Isaac loved. Isaac was suspicious, but he went forward with the blessing anyway. Shortly after Jacob took the blessing, Esau came in to receive it. When Isaac realized what had happened, he was aghast. He apologized to Esau, saying his brother had stolen his blessing and that there was nothing Isaac could do. He gave Esau the best blessing he could (ie: what was left), but it did not mend the rift in the family, "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob" (Gen 27:41). Luckily, Rebecca overheard Esau's plans and acted to save Jacob.
I chose this story of Jacob deliberately because it is messy. It was fated for Jacob, even before his birth, to supplant his brother (Gen 25:23). His name means "supplanter". As it was his fate, he could hardly avoid taking his brother's place. However, the manner of this coup is where Jacob did not live up to his best self.
Jacob vs. Rahab
Now looking at the stories of Rahab and Jacob together; they both lied. Their family were involved. However, Rahab lied out of love for her family, and Jacob lied for himself. Rahab, for her lies, saved the lives of herself and her family. She and her family were incorporated in the nation of Israel. She found freedom, a husband, and her way into history and the line of Yeshua. Jacob was fated to become Israel and rule over his brother--lies not required. For his lies, he caused stress to himself and brother, marital stress between his parents, shock and regret to his father, and a family split that lasted decades.
The point being; Rahab received only bonuses for her lies while Jacob received inconvenience, strife, and violence.
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| Pictured: Worst game of charades ever (source) |
- Jacob did purchase the birthright legitimately. Esau agreed to sell it, and though he was hungry, and Jacob had soup, Esau was not forced. Esau's flippancy shows he did not value his birthright highly, where Jacob did. This shows Jacob to be the more deserving brother.
- However, Jacob proceeded to keep this legitimate sale of birthright a secret from his father.
- He had no reason to do so. He knew it was true, and Esau knew it was true. Perhaps it would have caused a fight when he shared this information, but remember, it was his fate to supplant his brother. His dad could hardly have argued with this information had Jacob brought it to light.
- Jacob's lie served himself and hurt both Esau and Isaac. Esau was also lying in a self-serving fashion, keeping the secret in order to receive the blessing, but that does not excuse Jacob.
- There was no chance Isaac would not discover the truth.
- Jacob snuck in to receive the blessing while Esau was preparing to receive the very same blessing. Obviously, Esau would show up afterward, and the truth would be out.
- Jacob didn't care about the fallout of his trickery; he only cared about securing the blessing for himself.
- When Isaac died, there is no indication he was ever told the truth of the birthright sale.
- Granted, he could have been told, and it may have been left out of the Biblical record, but that theory does not make much sense given the details given the other aspects of the tale. So, assuming he was never told:
- He died thinking Jacob was a lying, thieving manipulator.
- He died thinking Esau was wronged.
- He died thinking his wife was a thieving liar as well. (There's also no indication Rebecca knew the truth; it seems she became a conspirator out of love for Jacob and spite for Esau. Nice family, right?)
- Why did Jacob never tell his father? It would have taken all of one sentence, "Hey, dad, Esau sold his birthright to me a long time ago; I'm sorry for tricking you, but the birthright really was mine."
- Jacob's trickery split the family for decades. Esau, as stated, wanted to kill Jacob. Rebecca had sided with Jacob against Esau, even to the point of helping lie to Isaac, so I doubt the marriage was very happy, either.
- Looking into Jacob's future, he was met with swindling relatives for basically the rest of his life. He was lied to cheated in his marriages; his less-favored sons stole his favorite son from him and lied about it (karma, anyone?).
Jacob vs. Rahab
Now looking at the stories of Rahab and Jacob together; they both lied. Their family were involved. However, Rahab lied out of love for her family, and Jacob lied for himself. Rahab, for her lies, saved the lives of herself and her family. She and her family were incorporated in the nation of Israel. She found freedom, a husband, and her way into history and the line of Yeshua. Jacob was fated to become Israel and rule over his brother--lies not required. For his lies, he caused stress to himself and brother, marital stress between his parents, shock and regret to his father, and a family split that lasted decades.
The point being; Rahab received only bonuses for her lies while Jacob received inconvenience, strife, and violence.
Conclusion
Lying is not as clear-cut as most believe. There are some definite rules--no lying on the witness stand, no lying to trick someone out of something. But there are also acceptable and even commendable lies; it all depends on who the lie is for.
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On the other hand, fictionalized stories, lies to protect others, and lies not motivated by gain or a desire to hurt others are acceptable. A person with integrity tells the truth regarding his/herself. A person with integrity may also be called upon to lie, as Rahab did, to protect the lives of others. A great rule of thumb is to remember to love our neighbors as ourselves. If a lie protects our neighbors, we have done well. If a lie tricks or hurts our neighbors, we have done badly.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
