The study for this afternoon has very far-reaching implications, for it presents a sort of paradox, in which a person may actually have done something wrong, but are not considered guilty in the sight of God. These situations occur more often than many realize, and if the law and will of God are not very clear in our minds, we will be driven to extremes, in either the letter or the spirit of the law. The law of God defines what sin is, and it will do us well to study very carefully when sin actually occurs, so that we may avoid it at all costs. There are instances where God has commanded individuals to do that which in and of itself is not lawful, but because they carried out His mandate they are not held as guilty.
And then there are other instances when the human agent has taken the initiative in doing or saying that which is wrong, but they are not regarded by God as being guilty. And it’s because this issue of being wrong and not guiltless is so sensitive and far reaching in nature, that we must approach this study with a humble and teachable spirit, willing to learn of Christ, and being willing to follow where He leads the way. Furthermore, it is critically important that we know the difference of the sin that is unto death, and that which is not, especially at a time when a knowledge of God’s law and His will is of supreme importance, both on a personal level, and also globally.
In the days of Christ, there was an incident in which His disciples were found plucking the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day, and the Pharisees became very upset at what they deemed a blatant violation of the fourth commandment, being condoned also by Christ. And thus after bringing it to His attention, Jesus was moved to address the issue, since it had to do with a fine balance between the letter and the spirit of the law, something which was seriously lacking in the understanding and interpretation of the scriptures by many of the Jewish leaders. The reason why it is therefore necessary for us to study this issue closely, is so that the letter is not made to cancel the spirit, and vice-versa. Let’s read:
Luke 6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
In this instance, David was being hunted as the nation’s most wanted man by king Saul, and being hungry and starving, he went into the house of God and asked for any bread that was available, but there was only the shewbread, which was strictly forbidden for anyone, other than the priests to partake of. But because David could not even go to the grocery to buy food for fear of being killed by Saul, he took the last resort and ate of the shewbread, which under different or normal circumstances, would be considered sin. Thus, in his explanation of this incident, Jesus declared that David did that which was wrong, but was not held guilty, because human life is of greater value than the shewbread which could easily be replaced. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Now, if there had been common bread available, and David still went ahead, and insisted on having the shewbread, then he would have been guilty of the sin of presumption, but because of the current circumstance, in which he had no other choice, he did that which was unlawful, but was guiltless. The question then is whether in similar dire situations, we too may do that which is unlawful, and yet be guiltless. This is a very sensitive topic, and must be approached reverently, lest we be destabilized in our concepts and practice, as is commonly the case with many Christians who may not understand the difference.
Yet again, on the same occasion, the explanation or precedents cited by Christ deserve our undivided attention, for He again makes reference of the priests, who baked bread over the Sabbath hours, in harmony with the direct instructions of God, for them to put in fresh-baked bread every day, for the services and purposes of the sanctuary. It’s of great importance for us to note, that in both instances, Jesus does not say that what was done is right, for He uses the words “Not lawful” and “Profane”, words which imply that the deeds were wrong. The same words “Not lawful” are also used to describe Herod’s illicit sexual relationship with his brother’s wife, a sin that John the Baptist was moved upon to rebuke, albeit at the cost of his life. Let’s read:
Mark 6:17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for
thee to have thy brother's wife.
19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man”…
Thus, in His explanations, Christ makes use of the same word, and declares that the priests profaned the Sabbath by baking bread over the sacred hours, but were guiltless in the sight of God. This raises the question of what constitutes sin in the sight of God, for in one instance, a man was stoned for gathering sticks upon the Sabbath day, whereas in another instance, the disciples are plucking corn and eating freely in the presence of Christ, and He declares them to be guiltless. Question: Where is the line of demarcation between doing wrong and being guiltless, and doing wrong and being guilty? This is a very serious question indeed, and must therefore be thoroughly investigated and understood by all who desire a knowledge of God’s law and His will. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
The case study for this afternoon will center around Rahab, who was a known prostitute in her town, yet she had a faint knowledge of the true God, through the historical experiences of the Hebrew people. On one occasion, two spies were sent to search out the city where she lived, and in order to conceal their real intent, they gave the impression that they were going to have a rendezvous with her, in order to conceal their real motives. So before we move on to Rahab, let’s begin first with the spies, who obviously deliberately gave the wrong impression to the men of that town, by going to the house of a harlot, and so the question is, were they wrong in deliberately planning this move? Was it deception? And if so, were they held guilty?
But Rahab also joined in with them, for news had come to the king that two spies were in town, and therefore he sent to her house to make inquiry as to their whereabouts, upon which Rahab proceeded to give a long story, complete with specific details on how they had come and left her premises, with the additional advice that the kings soldiers should pursue after them quickly, lest they should escape. All this time, the spies were hiding on her roof top, amongst the stalks of flax, and so both the spies and Rahab had studiously cooperated in giving a false impression, to those sought them. Again, the same question is asked: Is Rahab’s story defined as being a deception, and if so, was she guilty of wrong-doing? Before we address this question, let us read a detailed exposition on what actually constitutes deception, so that our conclusions may be in line with what is written. Let’s read:
(Patriarchs and Prophets. Pp 309) “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
False speaking in any matter, every attempt or purpose to deceive our neighbor, is here included. An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. This precept forbids every effort to injure our neighbor’s reputation by misrepresentation or evil surmising, by slander or tale bearing. Even the intentional suppression of truth, by which injury may result to others, is a violation of the ninth commandment.
Joshua 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Similar scenarios have actually been repeated so many times in the scripture, that it is now time to investigate what is God's view’ of the matter. In the days before the Exodus, pharaoh had commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all the male children, and to save the girls alive. This mandate was then utterly disregarded by the midwives, for the law of God says “Thou shalt not kill”, and so the male children were being birthed, in violation of theking’s word. When he got wind of what was taking place, he sent to find out why the Hebrew midwives were violating the law of the land, and the reason they gave fall into the same category as Rahab’s experience. Let’s read:
Exodus 1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
Question: Was the response of the midwives wrong and was it considered a falsehood, and if so were they held guilty by God? Again, a similar situation unfolds as a large company of soldiers surround the house of the prophet Elisha, for he had warned the king of Israel on several different occasions, of the plots of the Syrian king to invade their territory. As the servant of the prophet sees the size of the army, and realizes that they are both outnumbered and cornered, he exclaims in dismay, “What shall we do”. Elisha then turns to the army and speaks to them, telling them that he is not the person they are looking for, and that they are in the wrong place, and he proceeds to lead them directly to the king of Israel. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and
compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
Again the question is asked: Was it a falsehood that was uttered? Was Elisha wrong in saying what he said, and if so, was he guilty in God’s sight? To be guilty means to be held accountable for something wrong. So was he held accountable by God? And the much larger question to be answered is, what would Jesus have done, if He were placed in similar situations? Would He use short “Stories”, and what is His ideal for His children? Let’s read:
John 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Let us just make two observations here: (1) That God is leading us to a stage of spiritual maturity, in which we will speak only the perfect truth at all times and in all places, in spite of the consequences. Rahab, Elisha, and the midwives could have chosen to speak the perfect truth, but the only issue with that option is that deliverance is not guaranteed in every instance, and thus, a deliberate decision to be truthful under all circumstances, must be made by every Christian, and God will give us the enabling power to stand firm as a rock, but we must decide. In other words, if we are squeezed on every side, or if we are shaken upside down, only the truth, and nothing but the truth will come out. God is a God of truth, and He desires nothing more than His people deal only in the currency of heaven.
(2) It requires a very radical kind of faith to speak the perfect truth, when faced with dire, or life-threatening circumstances, when if we were to go with plan “B”, we may save ourselves and others from certain death. The condition of “No guile” as is described in the book of Revelation, in reference to the 144000, is not easily attained, and it brings to light our dire need of God’s grace and mercy, for as we review our lives with introspect lenses, we see where like Rahab, we too have made up “Stories”, from time to time, and probably with the best of intentions, and like her we have been placed in situations where plan “B” seemed as the only viable alternative on the table.
But God is guiding us into all truth, and as such He may permit certain circumstances to come our way, in which we may have opportunity to practice being truthful, and speaking nothing but the perfect truth. This is the preparation that is now needed by all, so that no guile may be found in our mouths. Let’s read:
Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
(Excerpts from The Great Controversy pp 622 & 623). The “time of trouble such as never was,” is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess”… Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. He had kept his Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.
Let us therefore earnestly seek to cultivate an atmosphere of truthfulness and frankness, putting away all petty lies and various types of fraud, so that our faces and our hearts may be radiant and resplendent with the spirit of truth. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be truthful, and even though we may have been wrong, but not guilty in the past, let us endeavor by the grace of God, to be like Jesus in thought, word, and deed, for this is God’s ideal for all Christians. Let’s read:
Psalm 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me”….
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!