Mar. 29, 2023

“THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”

“STOP LYING”

EXODUS 20:16

Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Bearing false witness against your neighbor is lying.

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

James 3:1-12- Say the tongue is like a fire, a bit in a horses mouth, and a rudder of a ship.

The tongue can bring life or it can utterly destroy and bring death.

We are not to be destructive in a witness against someone else.

Three types of Lies:

1. The Humorous Lie
2. The Harmful Lie
3. The Helpful Lie

Deuteronomy 22:19 “And they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.” 

Don’t damage a woman’s name or her reputation.

This command is for the benefit of the person, but also for society and for the nation to properly run and to have order not chaos. This also ties into the courts:

Deuteronomy 19:15-21

So if you falsely testify in a murder trial lying, then what was going to happen to him will happen to you.

Jeremiah 23:25-26

It takes many people to build a structure but it only takes one wrecking ball to tear it down.

Psalm 58:3 “The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.”

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

What Are The Ways In Which We Break This Commandment?

*Deception:

The “devil”-means a slanderer, and to slander someone means to lie against them.

Exaggeration in order to get a false impression is bearing false witness, lying.

Exodus 23:2 “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”

*Gossip- is reporting information designed to hurt. Whether it is true or not.

When you speak to damage another is bearing false witness.

James 4:11 “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”

When you bring truth into the discussion it will reveal the lies, and false witness.

John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In the Jewish court system you could not condemn a man on one witness.

Deuteronomy 17:6 “Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.”

Isaiah 59:14 “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.”

Psalm 101:7 “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.”

Romans 1:18 “…suppress the truth in unrighteousness…” a tongue that destroys the lives of others.

The helpful lie:

Ephesians 4:25-27,29 “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil.29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Is it helpful or hurtful.

False witnesses burn lives down as they run into hiding, just like an arsonist sets fire to houses and runs into hiding.

Starting speaking truth to help and minister grace unto the hearers.