Bang! Bang! Bang! There was a loud pounding on the door. The voices of men could be heard demanding that the door be opened immediately. Inside the home three sisters and their brother were uncertain of what to do. Quickly their father came into the room and headed to the door. The children were worried about what may soon take place. Upon reaching the door, the father unlatched the lock, twisted the doorknob, and opened the door. As the door swung open, the kid’s fears were realized…it was the Nazi Gestapo here to interrogate and possibly worse.

The year was 1944. February 28th to be exact. WWII had been underway for a few years. The German Reich was no longer an underground or grassroots party. By this point, the Nazi regime was hunting down and seeking to eliminate any and all Jews and conspirators. That is why the men were at the door of this family. It had been reported that this family was hiding Jews. So what would the father, girls, and son do? The very lives of others hidden just a few feet away were in their hands. Would they reveal the hiding place or lie and hopefully avoid a search party? This was the dilemma Corrie Ten Boom and her family faced.

The Ten Boom family story is well documented in Holocaust history. What they did was nothing short of heroic and inspiring. But they are not the only ones who have even been faced with such an ethical dilemma. There is an Old Testament story with a similar predicament. It’s the story of Rahab and the spies from Israel when they arrive in Jericho. If you aren’t familiar with the story read it in Joshua 2:1-7. There is a quandary that the Ten Boom and Rahab story surfaces, however. It’s one that I have often wrestled with and even used as a debate starter in classes I teach. David Reimer phrases and answers the question quite well in his article, “Does Rahab Show Us That It’s Sometimes OK to Lie?“.

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What Rahab did is later praised in the book of Hebrews. She is listed in what is commonly referred to as the Hall of Faith. And it seems as though the lie Rahab told is evidence of the faith she has. But does that mean lying is okay? Just sometimes? What are your thoughts? While I have my own way of working through this conundrum, I appreciate Reimer’s article and would love to hear your perspective on this ethical dilemma.

Regardless of where we agree or disagree on how we might resolve the tension of this hypothetical situation were we to be in it, I hope we can all agree those who have gone before us and shown great resolve to protect other lives remind us of the One who gave His life so that we might share in His. As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day.

Until Next Time…