"Is it ever right to do wrong?"

Greek word for "yet" is oupo.

 

Brian, you make the most sense here, to me anyway. Remaining silent IS the answer they need to know they are there. Saying where they are is to be a traitor to your family.

Why in war can soldiers wield a gun and shoot another man (murder?) and yet it is war. It is different. War and protecting the innocent is a different condition, that can warrant doing something that LOOKS wrong, but is actually right.

When Abraham lifted the knife to slay his son Isaac on the alter as God commanded him to do, someone could pop out of the bushes and see Abraham and say "Abraham! What are you doing??! Don't!!" and be all wrong about it. CONTEXT matters, and in this case, Abraham was right, the angel stopped him anyway, and a ram was provided in the thicket for a sacrifice. God was testing Abraham's obedience, and he passed that test. Abraham was righteous. But taken out of context, he looked like a monster murderer.

We all need to remember the context of situations, and do what is necessary to accomplish the greater good. Keep a laws, but be close enough to the Spirit to know when there are exceptions.

How about that time when God commanded the Children of the House of Israel through the prophet Samuel to tell King Saul to kill all of the Amalekites, men women and children and animals? It was done, excepting the animals, which Saul etal thought would make "good sacrifices" and so they save them. They got chastized by the Lord through the prophet Samuel, and the Lord told them that it was better to OBEY than to sacrifice. To HEARKEN than the fat of rams (see 1 Sam.15).

So I think we can learn from the Bible what is important. It is being obedient to the voice of the Lord, but we had better make sure that we are listening to the voice of the Lord, for we will all be judged at one day how we acted on these things. If we follow our own ideas to break either the laws of the land or the laws of God, then God will hold us accountable. Ultimately, these choices are between individuals and their God.

 

Good post RM. Thanks for the insight!!!!

-Brian