Deliverance Through Deceit – Rahab and Elisha; Or, Holy Deception (with God's Help!)

Deliverance Through Deception – Rahab, Elisha And The Midwives!

Lying Part 4

There are some who slander the good name of Rahab and the Midwives by calling them liars, and suggesting that they did not have enough faith to tell the truth, as they were concerned for their own lives. But the Bible shows that their falsehoods were told not to save themselves, but to save the lives of others - and they were entirely justified in what they did.

Some also suggest that Elisha did not "lie" at all, when he led astray an invading Syrian army come to capture him, but instead told them truth. The Bible shows that Elisha did clearly deceive the enemy, by telling them what in most contexts would be a lie. He did not lie, because lying is like murder - the very word denotes that it is always wrong. But he deceived them just as blatantly as Rahab did to God's enemies, and was every bit as justified.

And God himself deceived the enemy soldiers by smiting them with blindness - which also empowered Elisha's falsehood.

We need to recognize that deception is allowable in some circumstances, just like killing is. The alternative view, that Elisha was only justified because he was supposedly as careful as a lawyer with his exact words, is a wresting of the scriptures that leads to lying in one's own life, and ultimately to self-destruction.