Exodus The Ninth Commandment 20:16 THE SHEPHERD-BOY AND THE WOLF A Shepherd-Boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, Wolf! Wolf! and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-Boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep ; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock. There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth. 1 We live is a society where the lie no longer exists. This is especially true in the advertising industry. Advertisers are supposedly not allowed to lie when they hock their products. So they have developed outstanding skills at creative truth telling. Phrases such as no fat are meant to imply a food product is healthy for you. The word natural is used the same way. And then there s organi c. But just check out the calories on some of these so called health foods. In the past, abortionists didn t take the life of a baby. They simply removed an unviable tissue mass. Sin isn t sin. It is an alternate life style, or an enlightened view of human rights. And certainly we all know there s absolutely no such thing as absolute truth. We can all have our own truths, and where yours contradicts mine that s fine. If there is no absolute truth, then there can be no lies. Of course the plethora of lawyers, especially contract specialists, tells us somebody must have a real problem with telling truth. Frequently those who are in office seem to have no concern with truth, only with protecting their own interests. And if there is no evidence Quick, shred the records. then there are no facts. Which brings us to revisionism in the study of history. If we rewrite history, then we rewrite truth. What are lies? They are the contradictions of truth. And bottom line, lies then are any teachings, words, or even actions that would deny the truths found in scriptures. If we are not to lie, then we must tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but then again XII A Nation of Priests, A Holy People ~ Continued I. You Shall Not Give False Testimony vs. 16 1. The call to Honesty 1 Books For The Ages, Aesop, Aesop s Fables, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version 2.0 1996, 1997.
2. What are the Dangers of Lying? 3. How do we Really Practice True Honesty? Introduction: This morning we have reached the Ninth Commandment. It is a command against lying and I think we ll see, as some of you previously pointed out, there is overlap with what we reviewed last time when we discussed don t steal. The more general principal we have been focusing on is the importance of taking sin seriously. We must recognize our commitment to obedience is grounded in the desire not to grieve God, but rather to please Him. We have seen that as we love Him, and others, the natural result is we avoid breaking the negative commandments and simultaneously keeping them in a positive way. As we examine this command, I think we will find it is one that most often falls victim to situational ethics. 1. The call to Honesty: First let s take a moment to go to the dictionary. Here we find two definitions: 1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood. 2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression. 2 The second definition is certainly the more subtle one. It is this kind of lying that goes on all around us. So, let s move on to the command itself. The command, as it is worded in the New International Version is: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. The intent is really self-evident. The call is not to lie. Although the command deals specifically with lying about someone in a legal setting, it is also appropriate to apply it to lying in general. Here we may need to go to the narrative of the Good Samaritan to recognize that while the command is against false witness against neighbors, we can take the intent as being broader. The injunction is against lying about anyone, and applicable about lying in general. The principle of the parable was to show we are to care for anyone God puts in our path, that our neighbor isn t just the person next door, who is just like us. Deuteronomy 19:15-19 expands on the commandment. Here the thrust specifically relates to lying in the sense of giving false testimony in court. A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 2 The American Heritage Electronic Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. ) 230 (
In spite of the intent of the letter of the commandment, I don't feel it is going far afield to understand this as a prohibition against lying in general. Certainly much of Scripture speaks to the necessity of speaking the truth in situations not limited to just the judicial. Some examples include: Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight (Proverbs 12:22 ESV). Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25 ESV). Notice, as we might expect, the call is not only against lying but also a requirement to speak the truth. Although some even abuse this, but we'll talk of this in a moment. Let s take a look at the Psalm of David pointing out this same principal. O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved (Psalms 15:0 5 ESV). Note the focus here is a heart of truth. As with all things, it is the inward condition that must change first. Only this will change the outward actions. As with all the commandments, the bottom line is the call to holiness. If our walk is righteous and in tune with the will of the Father, then our actions will demonstrate this. How can we claim to follow the God of Truth, and Christ, who is the Truth, and at the same time live a life typified by lies? The bottom line is we can t. Those whose walk is represented by a life of lies can not be of the saved. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6 ESV). It is important to note the operative word is walk. This doesn't mean if we ever lie we are lost. It means the one whose life is typified by lies had better check their relationship with God. If on one hand Christ is the Truth, and therefore we must follow Him in truth, we must also remember it is Satan who is called the father of lies. When we lie, we are following after him, and those whose life is one of lies are of their father the Devil. It is because we serve the God of truth that of all sins lying seems especially heinous and also one we therefore fall into the most easily. The fallen nature of man seems to lead directly to a lying tongue. What are some of the ways that we find ourselves lying? How many times do we have someone make a statement like, you know that place up north? which we never even heard of ) 231 (
and we say of course. Why do we do things like that? Can t it also be considered lying to use gossip, slander, libel or really even flattery whether in words or in deeds? 2. What are the Dangers of Lying?: You would think the question of what are the dangers here would be self-evident. But how often do we, even as believers, find ourselves justifying so-called little white lies. We can all come up with examples where we feel the truth wouldn t be helpful. How often do we get around blatant lying by simply avoiding the truth, or saying things in such a way that while we are telling the truth? We do this in such a way as to lead to a conclusion that is completely false. (This sounds a lot like advertising, doesn't it?) As I ve mentioned before, I ve caught myself in the past doing something like this. Someone called my office whom I didn t want to talk to, and so that my assistant wouldn t have to lie, I stepped out into the hall. Then she could say I was out of the office. The words were true, but the intent was a lie. Are there any similar examples you can think of? One of the most obvious dangers of any lying is it is addictive. If we lie in the small things it becomes to easier to lie in important things. Often problems arise in relationships because of lack of communication. Sometimes we chose not to communicate at all. This is a way to avoid telling the truth, another way of lying. If children are not encouraged to tell the truth, they may not be able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Who do you think we can be guilty of lying to the most often? I think we lie to ourselves more often then anyone else. The most phenomenal thing about this is that we can reach the point of believing our own lies. What do you think are some of the other dangers of lying? Stop and think about this before giving me a snap answer. Are there situations where telling the truth would be a greater wrong than lying? Often we are told when someone is gravely ill, maybe even dying, that it maybe better to not tell them, the truth being the wrong thing for them. But the major fallacy with this is the last days may be the only time when they may have an opportunity to set things right with the Lord. Again, the main point is worth repeating. If we serve the God of Truth, then how can we justify lying? Christ dealt with people in all sorts of difficult circumstances but we will not find any time where He lied to them for their own good. There once was a day when a hand shake was all that was needed in business relationships. A man s word was his bond. Today there seems to be no concern as to whether the truth is told or not. It seems a major part of our culture is founded on lying and there is no question society suffers for it. (The IRS isn t targeting conservatives.) It doesn t matter whether we are talking about advertising, politics or the press, much of what we hear is not truth, only someone s idea of what they want truth to be. Aren t major industries founded on the fact many people don t want to accept their age? Don t you feel that this problem carries right on into the church, especially in the area of gossip, flattery, and white lies for someone's own good? We must carefully watch our own words. We need to depend on the Lord to give us the Spirit of Truth, because it seems so natural to lie under pressure. When we are pulled over for speeding it is amazing how many of us are on the way to an emergency. ) 232 (
3. How do we Really Practice True Honesty?: As with the other commands, it isn t enough not to lie. We must be willing to tell the truth. Now this is a dangerous statement, because some have taken it as an excuse to unnecessarily hurt someone. Your wife s new haircut looks ridiculous to you, but she happens to love it. Don t tell her how bad it looks, which is an opinion. Tell her it s really unique. This is the truth, and your taste is subjective so the fact it looks bad to you doesn t make it so. The call to tell the truth is not license to nail someone you don t like. There is sometimes the need though to confront a brother when he is in sin for his own sake. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted (Galatians 6:1 ESV). If we really love someone then we may have to do the hardest thing, which is telling the truth, (in love). Being honest is really an important part of our witness, in that, if those around us know we are honest, they are more likely to come to us when in time of need. If we are trying to teach the unbeliever that they can trust Christ, then don't they have to be able to trust us? What are some ways that you can think of to speak the truth, or the necessity of truth? It is only when we deal with truth that we come close to perceiving reality. The Biblical Illustrator says it this way: If our thought does not exactly correspond with reality we are in error, and error is a mischief to us. the more we follow truth the nearer we are to God. 3 Have you ever thought of it in this context? While we recognize sin breaks off our fellowship with the Father, lying is unique in that it is the antithesis of everything God is. We are called to being known as truth tellers, as truly honest individuals. As we love God, and as we love others, we will tell the truth. And, we will tell it in a constructive and encouraging way. Let our lives be typified by the truth that is modeled by Christ. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. or do anything that could be considered lying for Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Remember we claim to be of Christ and he said of Himself: I am the way, and the truth, and the life And so with David we should pray: Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long (Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25; John 14:6; Psalms 25:5). 3 Exell, Joseph S., The Biblical Illustrator, Exodus, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1975, p. 396. ) 233 (
Exodus The Ninth Commandment 20:16 XII A Nation of Priests, A Holy People ~ Continued I. You Shall Not Give False Testimony vs. 16 1. The call to Honesty 2. What are the Dangers of Lying? 3. How do we Really Practice True Honesty? Introduction: 1. The call to Honesty: (Deuteronomy 19:15-19; Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25; Psalms 15:0 5; 1 John 1:6) 2. What are the Dangers of Lying?:
3. How do we Really Practice True Honesty?: (Galatians 6:1; Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25; John 14:6; Psalms 25:5) Personal Application: Meditate on what it means to be a truth teller and how we can be a testimony to the truth of the Gospel. Prayer for the Week: Lord, help me be a truth teller in love. In Christ s name, amen.