Is it Okay to Practice Subtle Deception?

After God rejected Saul as King of Israel, He sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from the family of Jesse. Yet, Saul was still very much in control as the ruling king. Talk about awkward! Samuel had every right to be concerned about Saul finding out and trying to kill him. The solution – God instructs Samuel to use subtle deception by announcing that he was in Bethlehem to offer a sacrifice to the Lord (1 Sam. 16:1-3). Sometimes, in our leadership, we need to mask or downplay some of our intentions. As we do so, we must be careful that we don’t blatantly deceive. Samuel revealed part of his plan, but not everything. Now, I wouldn't want to develop a theology of subtle deception on this one act. Yet, perhaps, there is a place for holy shrewdness in our ministries. What do you think?