Reflection Paper 2
Eduardo E. Mendez
HLTH 551
Liberty University

Part I
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, NIV)
Summary
From the very first time man sinned in Eden, the question of deception, truth, and lies has been a difficult one. Our enemy, satan, is the father of lies. Jesus Himself said to the Jews, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44, NIV) Jesus is the truth; satan is the deceiver. The question remains, who is our real father? We want our answer to be Jesus, and once we receive Him as Lord and Savior our salvation is sealed, and our names are written in the Book of Life, yet who’s character do we reflect? It seems a lie can often be excused if it is said with good intentions. However, lying is never excused or encouraged in the Bible, on the contrary, many are the warnings against it including the ninth commandment which exhorts us to never “give false testimony”. (Exodus 20:16, NIV). Although not an easy task in this fallen world, it should be a Christian’s desire to be more like Jesus, and “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”. (Ephesians 4:15, NIV).
Part II
Abraham’s Lies As the Bible relates in Genesis chapter 12, Abram and his wife Sarai (who’s names God would later change to Abraham and Sarah) were forced to travel to Egypt due to a great famine in the land of Canaan. Sarai was extremely beautiful, so Abram, afraid of being murdered by someone who would like to take Sarai as a wife, instructed her to lie and tell the Egyptian people that they were sister and brother. And indeed, Pharaoh himself thought Sarai was beautiful, and after giving Abram gifts of sheep, cattle, camels, and servants, took her into his household as a wife. God was gracious, though, and saved both Abram and Sarai from disgrace despite their lies. God brought about serious plagues on Pharaoh and his household and through them, the truth was revealed. It was undeniably wrong for Abram to ask his wife Sarai to lie for him. It not only showed a deceptive heart in Abram, but also a lack of trust that God would take care of him no matter the circumstances. It was the intention of his heart to deceive Pharaoh in order to save himself. This encounter served to teach Abram that God was in control and would bring to pass His promises, and that lies would have consequences, whether to oneself, or others. Once the truth was revealed, and Pharaoh gave Sarai back to Abram, the plagues disappeared. According to Yair Zakovitch, Abram’s selfish concern for his own safety over that of his wife was a foreshadowing of what would afflict his people at a later time in Egypt when once again, God would send plagues down on Pharaoh.1 Zakovitch concludes that “God, who determines the course of events, has changed Abraham’s white lies into unintended prophecies, thereby removing the need for any punishment”.1
Part III
Rahab’s Deceptions The role that Rahab played in the story of the Israelite’s conquest of Jericho is an important one. After 40 years spent roaming in the desert, the Israelites finally have a leader who is listening to God and taking them into the Promised Land. Joshua sends two spies into the city of Jericho and Rahab, a prostitute, hides them on the roof under stocks of flax. She is then questioned by the King’s messengers at which point she lies when she states, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” (Joshua 2:4-5, NIV). The story goes on to explain how Jericho was then taken, and Rahab and her family were saved. Without a doubt, Rahab lies to save the spies. Not once, but twice. Whether or not the spies realized she lied is not known, since they were hiding on the roof. Of course, God knew that she sinned, and He knew she was also a prostitute. And yet, despite her sinful nature He showed grace and saved her despite her lies. As 1 Samuel 16:7 explains, “the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (ESV) God knew Rahab was a sinner, and part of a pagan society, and yet she is best known for her love for God when she said, “Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39, ESV). God showed mercy and rewarded her heart, not her sin. Not only does God honor Rahab, and save her and her family, but she grows to know Him, and become part of the Israelite people. Not only that, she also becomes part of the lineage of Jesus when she marries Salmon, an Israelite, and has a son Boaz, King David’s great-grandfather. In Hebrews 11:31 she is honored in the “hall of faith” not for lying but for receiving the men with peace. James 2:25 goes on to ask, “was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?” (NIV). “The approval, therefore, of the biblical writers is not based on admiration for “tricky” behavior or quick thinking. It is grounded on an appreciation of the fact that Rahab made a moral decision to leave lo-ammi (not-God’s-people) and join the ammi (God’s people)”.2 The Bible celebrates Rahab’s heart, not her sin.
Part IV
Absolutes, Commandments, and Guidelines The Word of God does not condone falsehoods. In fact, liars are grouped with those who will be sent to Hell if they do not repent. Revelation 21:8 exhorts that, “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." It is our duty and honor to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5, NIV) as well as being renewed “in the attitude of your minds.” (Ephesians 4:23). This is easier said than done, of course, but thankfully we have a gracious and merciful God, who as He did with Rahab, looks at our intentions and our heart. The Bible is full of examples and exhortations to honor the truth. Verses such as “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18, NIV) Or Proverbs 19:9 which warns us that “a false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.” (NIV) Despite our shortcomings and sin, God promises “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NIV).

Part V
Health Professional Lessons Within the healthcare world, there are many lessons that can be learned from Abram and Rahab’s story. Abram story portrays the very real consequences that come from wrong choices made. God may use, and even have the grace to save us, from bad decisions. Many times though, these wrong choices bring consequences to us or those we love. Healthcare professionals especially need to be vigilant. Lying to a patient may seem tempting, and perhaps even the nicest thing to do, but because it is a deception, it could have long term and unforeseen consequences. There are plenty of occasions when a nurse or assistant has unwittingly informed a patient of the truth, and brought a sense of confusion and loss.3 Loss of trust between doctors and patients, the complex web of lies to cover other lies, and miscommunication problems due to partial truths can all lead to disaster. Even though Rahab’s story can be misinterpreted to mean that telling a lie can be beneficial, it’s true message of faithfulness and redemption despite lies and sin can be of great encouragement to those working in the medical and healthcare fields. No matter the mistakes made in dealing with patients, or disclosing right or wrong information, as children of God we can rest assured that He will use our mistakes for good. God will be just and right to forgive us, so that we can try once again to meet His standards. As He did with Rahab, God can also look into our heart and know our intentions towards Him despite our sin and brokenness. Jesus is the truth and is full of truth. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NIV).

Bibliography

1. Zakovitch, Y. Disgrace: The Lies of the Patriarch. Social Research. 2008; 75(4): 1035-1058. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Journals&dviSelectedPage=&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=&displayGroups=&sortBy=&zid=&search_within_results=&p=BIC1&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA195426438&source=Bookmark&u=vic_liberty&jsid=6449505d38464f7208ce3c042c02576b 2. Campbell, K. M. Rahab's Covenant: A Short Note on Joshua II 9-21. Vetus Testamentum. 1972; 22(2): 243–244. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.2307/1517249 3. Foreman, M. (Speaker). Deception. [Online lecture]. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University. 2016. Retrieved from https://download.liberty.edu/courses/9vxii.mp4

Reflection Paper #2 Rubric

Criteria | PointsPossible | Points Earned & Comments from Instructor | PART I - The paper “opens” with a concise paragraph summarizing the student’s reflection paper. | 5 | | PART II - The student answers the question “Were Abraham’s lies wrong and why?” | 20 | | PART III - The student answers the question “Was Rahab’s deception praised and why? | 20 | | PART IV- The student identifies what we can learn [infer] from these stories, if anything. The student identifies Biblical absolutes, commandments and guidelines, if any, relevant to both stories of deception. | 20 | | PART V- Lessons a health professional can glean from these 2 examples | 10 | | Spelling, Grammar, Flow & Clarity | 10 | | Formatting (AMA or APA), length, assignment requirements | 10 | | This rubric is attached to the bottom of your submitted paper. | 5 | | TOTAL SCORE | 100 | |