Proverbs 6:16-19 Taking another Look at a Liar Introduction This is the sixth message in a series of sermons entitled, Seven sins the Savior hates.

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1 Proverbs 6:16-19 Taking another Look at a Liar Introduction This is the sixth message in a series of sermons entitled, Seven sins the Savior hates. These sins are abominations to our Lord. He hates them, detest them, and resist all those whose lives are characterized by them. At first glance you probably thought you wouldn t be guilty of very many of these, but after studying them in depth one would have to be lying if they said they didn t have any of these sins in their life. It is a great blessing that God would deal with us. Hebrews 12:7-8 says that, If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. The word chastening means tutorage, training, and disciplinary correction. There is assurance given to the individual who is corrected and instructed by God. God deals with His children. He tutors them, trains them, corrects them, and cares for them by His Spirit and through His Word. Thank God that He deals with you as His child, and hasn t left you to yourself. Tonight we come to the sixth sin that our savior hates found in verse number nineteen, a false witness that speaketh lies. You may notice that verse number seventeen addresses the sin of lying and wonder why this sin would be listed twice. One reason is because these are two distinct ways that you may tell a lie. Verse seventeen refers to lying in general. Where verse nineteen deals with perjury. So tonight I would like to take another look at a liar and look at them from several different angles.

2 The first angle I would like to examine is I. The Meaning of a False Witness Deut 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. 16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; A witness is someone who is giving a testimony of something that they have seen first hand. Today they are referred to as an eyewitness. They are giving their testimony, or telling the story as they saw it as fact. To be a false witness would mean that they were giving a testimony that was not true. Perjury is simply the intentional act of falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding. Perjury can be used to cause miscarriages of justice either in accusing the innocent or becoming an ally to the guilty. Deuteronomy 19 gives us what seems to be a court like setting, and the accuser if alone is to be tried just as the accused because of the simple fact they might be lying. Therefore a false witness is someone who deliberately tells false information about another person.

3 This sin is specifically mentioned in the Ten Commandments. Ex. 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. The Lord took it a step further in the New Testament when He said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matthew 22:39) And if we do not love our neighbor as ourselves we certainly do not love the Lord with all our heart. The second angle I would like to examine is II. The Malice of a False Witness Lets use our imagination here for a moment. What could cause someone to tell a deliberate lie on another person that would be used to get him or her in trouble with the authorities? Maybe a relative had committed murder and would have been facing certain death and so they said they were innocent even though they were guilty? Maybe a friend had committed adultery and needed someone to testify in his or her favor? Maybe someone had done them wrong and so they made up an accusation in order to seek revenge? No matter how you slice the pie it is always the intention of a false witness to bring harm. They are either seeking to bring harm by freeing the guilty, or by accusing the innocent! It is an evil heart that deliberately lies on another individual in order to ruin their life or simply to ruin their reputation. We may never stand before a judge and tell a premeditated lie, but we are quick to spread information as the gospel truth when it is merely hearsay! We become a false witness when we spread harmful information about someone when it is not true. This is disregarding the sin of gossip. This is simply spreading facts about others that we hear without them being facts.

4 Starting the sentence with well I heard or did you hear about so and so is probably a lie being spread by a false witness! There is a Korean proverb that says, Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles. The fact that we would rather run down someone else than talk about our own self shows us the wickedness of our own heart. We would rather lie about how bad someone else is to make ourselves look good than to admit our own failures. The third angle I would like to examine is III. The Metaphor of a False Witness Prov. 25:18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. There are three words given to describe a false witness. A. A Maul A maul was possibly some type of mallet that was used as a war club. One definition of the word is breaker. A maul is used to break things. A maul is used to fight another person. This verse says that the false witness is at war with others. A false testimony is like a war club in the hand of a soldier. The words are a weapon that is being used to attack someone that you consider to be an enemy! This word comes from a word that means to dash in pieces! Your words can be used to literally break someone s spirit!

5 B. A Sword The word sword here probably means what we would call a knife or a dagger. This type of sword would have been a common weapon used in war as well. This sword would have been about eighteen inches long and it would have also been double edged. This sword could cut coming and going. The false witness is a sword to his neighbor. There are phrases we use today to say this very same thing such as they stabbed me in the back or their words cut like a knife. C. A Sharp Arrow An arrow is used to shoot things at a long distance, and it would not be uncommon for the arrow to be dipped in poison. David described this himself in Psalm 64:3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: The stink of an arrow may linger the longest. Where they others may kill you, you might survive the arrow, but its pain will linger for a very long time. I am not sure who said it, but it has to be one of the biggest lies ever told. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. The fact is words hurt worse than sticks and stones, they cut deeper than the sword can, and the pain lingers longer than physical pain. The fourth angle I would like to examine is

6 IV. The Mandate for the False Witness Deut. 19:18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Back in Deuteronomy the law required that the witness be put to the test much like a trial today. If they person was found guilty of being a false witness they would be punished with the punishment that would have been given to the one accused of the crime! Would that cut down on lying? There is also a remedy found in Ephesians 4: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Paul puts it almost as simple as momma did when she said if you don t have something good to say don t say nothing at all. The word edifying carries the meaning of building a structure. If what you are saying isn t going to build someone up, and if what you saying isn t gracious and kind and giving favor to others, it shouldn t be said!

7 Isn t it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up? ~ Sean Covey. It is sad that we have to make ourselves look good by making others look bad. I find it interesting that the command not to grieve the Spirit is given right after our speech is addressed. The Holy Spirit may be grieved in our life/church because of the lies we have told about someone else. The mandate is to repent! Repent of our sin; trust in the Lord for forgiveness and deliverance, and commit yourself to only speak when what you say will build someone up in their faith! Conclusion Now that we have examined these aspects. Maybe the Lord has touched your heart about spreading false information? Maybe you re guilty of maliciously telling a lie on someone? Maybe you need to speak only what will be used to build someone up? Or you might have found yourself on the other end of this message. You were the one lied on. You were the one hurt. The false witness is certainly like a maul, a sword, and a sharp arrow. The words can penetrate into places others cannot see, but there is a balm that can heal those wounds. It is the balm of Gilead! Wherever the message finds you tonight, respond to the Lord.