When is it Okay to Deceive?

When is it Okay to Deceive?

It was an elaborate scheme but somehow Rebekah seemed comfortable with it. She was out to deceive her husband and scuttle his plans to give the family blessing to Esau, their oldest boy. As Esau left for the field to get some wild meat for his old dad, Rebekah did some fast thinking.

She thought: Esau can’t get the family blessing. God said it would be given to our youngest – so Jacob has to get ahead of his brother Esau. I’ll get him to kill a goat in the backyard immediately and get it to his dad and pretend that he is Esau.

“But mom, I’m smooth. Esau is hairy. Dad may be old but he’s not stupid. He’ll be able to tell the difference,” reasons Jacob.

Less-than-honest mom says: “Son, don’t worry. I’ll sneak some of Esau’s clothes out of his closet and I’ll stick some of that young hairy goat’s skin over your hands and when your dad touches you and smells you, he’ll think it’s Esau for sure.” 

Later Jacob brings the platter into his dad who was surprised Esau’s hunting trip yielded the venison so quickly. “It was quick dad. God was with me!”

Old dad said: “It smells like and feels like Esau but it sounds like Jacob.”

I wonder if Jacob sputtered and coughed as he tried to sound like Esau: “No, it’s me for sure. I’m Esau.”

You can read that story in Genesis 27. It is a twisted web of deceit, trickery, and blatant lies within a family circle.

God has zero tolerance for deceit, dishonesty, half truths, trickery and verbal or silent lies in business, at home, in the assembly or in the community.

“A lying tongue…..and a false witness that speaketh lies…”

are listed as abominations in the Lord’s sight. Proverbs 6:17-19

“He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house.

He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.”

Psalm 101:7

“Wherefore putting away lying

Speak every man truth with his neighbor…”

Ephesians 4:25

So if your neighbor is thinking about buying your car how much should you tell him? A young man was desperately trying to sell his car. A prospective buyer drops by and the father of the young man tells him: “Boy, you’d be a lot better off with the car you’re driving than this car.” The young man wasn’t impressed with his father but for sure, the Lord was! Telling only the good points about your car and with holding the truth about its need for a head gasket is raw deceit – an abomination with the Lord. Strong words indeed!

• If your car wasn’t rust checked, would it be wrong to put a RustCheck sticker on your car?
• If you’re a self taught piano tuner would it be okay to create an authentic-looking Training Certificate with a Gold Seal and then print it off for display?
• If someone bought a computer but couldn’t claim it as a Business Expense, would it be right for you to use their receipt and claim it as your Business Expense?
• If you really paid $10,000 for your truck but for tax purposes the seller offered to make out the receipt for $8,000 would you agree to such a proposition that would favor you?
• As long as you’re honest in your personal life within your family and among the Christians, isn’t some deceit, trickery or questionable honesty (oxymoron) permissible in business?

If it would be considered deceit within your family, it’s deceit in every other place as well. God does not draw a line between our personal life, assembly life and our business life. He requires us to be honest, above-board, people of integrity and people who are known for telling the truth.

Anything less than truth is deceit and negatively affects Christian testimony. Just because people don’t confront you with your deceit does not mean they are not whispering behind your back about questionable practises.

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ

Peter Ramsay

[email protected]

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