WHITE LIES

Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. It is I who have turned against every person in your father’s household.”

1 Samuel 22:22

David’s “white lie” in 1 Samuel 21:1-9 contributed to the murders of 85 priests in the town of Nob (1 Samuel 22:18). Why did David lie? The translators of the King James Version added “for fear of Saul” to 1 Samuel 21:10. They did this because they believed the context warranted this comment about David’s motive for fleeing. They are probably right, but they should have clarified that this is not what the Hebrew text reads. It should have been a footnote. It does provide for us an insight into David’s spiritual condition at that point. It was low. Psalm 34 is David’s testimony to God’s mercy and deliverance at that point in his life. His despair and fear were part of the slaughter at Nob.

Two high school girls who had gotten into trouble at a high school in Canton, Ohio were taken to the office. An administrator of the school took one of the girls into his office to talk to her. After he closed the door, she stood up and ripped her blouse open and then screamed. The secretary and others came running in. The principal told this man to go home and they would deal with the allegation, and that there was nothing to worry about. The administrator went home, and wrote a note explaining that even if he was vindicated, his reputation had been soiled permanently. Then, he hung himself.

Sin has far reaching effects, even so-called “white lies.” Do you tell lies, even “white lies?” God hates lying (Proverbs 6:17). A person who is a chronic liar faces eternal judgment in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). Do you have a problem with lying? Seek God’s face. Ask Him for forgiveness. Find a Christian brother or sister (if you’re a woman) to whom you can be accountable. Become a person after God’s own heart by telling the truth (Eph. 4:25).

Ike Graham