A very important topic. Discretion. The Right to Privacy and the social expectation to reveal what one is not obligated to reveal. Simply put, "remaining silent" is not socially acceptable. Then what? Two posts inspired this thread. I'd like to know your thoughts?
Withholding information from those who may have evil intent is not evil in itself, or else God would have made an issue of it.....he did not with Abraham or even when Isaac was in the same situation.
Abraham did not lie...she was his sister....it just wasn’t the whole truth. We are not under obligation to give information to those outside of our brotherhood, who are not entitled to it....especially if it would mean a threat to our lives.
Was it wrong, would God have been angry with not telling the Nazi's where Ann Frank's family was? What about State and industrial secrets? I am convinced a fair reading of Scripture shows lying was repeatedly rewarded.Half truth is still a lie.
- 1st was the midwives at the time of Pharaoh.
- A Spirit was commanded by God to carry out his plan to deceive Ahab's 400 prophets.
- Another time was when God himself "hardened" Pharaoh's heart.
- An Angel of the Lord confused the minds of Israel's enemies, causing them to fight one another.
- An act of civil disobedience was Daniel continuing to pray to YHWH but not telling the king. This proves Biblically that one ought not always obey those in authority. For God had saved Daniel multiple times after that.
- A 3rd time was the prostitute Rahab honored for lying to protect the Hebrew spies.
- David lied about his sanity. Yet, him being anointed to be king was not withdrawn as it was with Saul.
- An act of civil disobedience was Joseph and Mary escaping to Egypt to escape the purge of males < 2 years old, proving Biblically that one ought not always obey those in authority.
- The marriage of Jacob to Leah was fraudulent, a lie. Yet, it was honored by Jacob, who agreed to labor for many more years to marry the woman he originally agreed to marry.
- Jesus, himself, said if you destroy this temple, I will rebuild it in 3 days knowing FULL well that his audience took his words to be referring to Solomon's temple. He was later given all authority in heaven and earth.
- Jesus, himself, said a girl was only sleeping who had actually died. He was later given all authority in heaven and earth.
- Although denying the Son of God 3 times, he was forgiven by Christ in the flesh 3 times AND rewarded with doing the Lord's work of feeding His Sheep.