And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 2 Chronicles 18:14-15
When I was a kid, we didn’t believe in Santa Claus, but my family had its own fictional narrative that varied from year to year. For instance, one Christmas, when a huge present with my name on it appeared in early December, the lies began. My mother let slip that it was a baby elephant. I was dubious, but she put out a bowl of peanuts every night, right next to a hole that had been mysteriously torn in the corner of the box, and every morning, there would be a bowl of empty shells. It seemed unlikely, but my own mother wouldn’t lie to me, Right? Little did I know it at the time, but, as I now know, my mother believes that it’s OK to lie at Christmas. When that huge box turned out to simply be a bean bag, I was more than a little disappointed, but I learned an important lesson in our house – Lying about presents at Christmas is OK.
If she had to defend herself, I think my mother could point to a passage such as today’s, which isn’t about Christmas, but it is about God’s people using lies, satire, and sarcasm. In the story, King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab sought God’s will about an upcoming military campaign. The 400 prophets of Ahab promised a quick, easy victory, but Jehoshaphat was unconvinced and wanted a second opinion. The prophet Micaiah was sent for and given instructions to agree with the 400 prophets. Micaiah said he would bow to no such pressure, but when asked about the upcoming military campaign, Micaiah employed satire – Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand. Maybe he rolled his eyes, or maybe it was his tone, but Ahab recognized the obvious lie and demanded the truth from Micaiah, who went on to predict defeat for the Israelites and the death of Ahab.
In the story, the prophet employed an obvious lie, pretending to agree with the false prophets, to shine a spotlight on their absurdity. Was this lie a sin? There may be no great moral lesson here, but it’s an interesting exercise to ask the question. I’d suggest that there are times when a Christian can appropriately use deception and sarcasm to deliver a message. For instance, when asked by a nervous patient if I’ve ever sutured a laceration before, I’ll say, No, but I watched a YouTube video last night. It’s an absurd lie and I immediately correct it, letting the patient know that I’ve done thousands of sutures. But it’s a strategic lie, designed to make the patient laugh, putting him or her at ease.
Again, there’s no profound spiritual lesson here. It’s just an interesting passage in which one of God’s prophets employs dishonesty to make a point. And I think my mother would agree that sometimes, particularly at Christmas, it’s OK to stretch the truth a little.