Proverbs Nineteen
Lies
Lie: n. an intentionally false statement
“Bearing false witness cannot be excused; lying invites its own consequences.”
Proverbs 19:5 (Shapiro)
“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.”
Proverbs 19:5 (KJV)
“A false witness stands self-condemned; liars are trapped by their own lies.”
Proverbs 19:9 (Shapiro)
“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.”
Proverbs 19:9 (KJV)
There is no excuse for lying. There is no escape for liars.
These passages are hard. There is no soft peddling. This is in your face. You lie you die. You will not, cannot escape punishment.
Why do you think God takes such a strong, punitive position on liars and lying?
Adam and Eve lost their perfect home. Satan lied to them. They believed the lie. That lie quickly began to manifest in their lives. They hid themselves from the very God who was their source. One lie separated them from God. After one lie they went from running to God to running from God.
One lie fixed them so they couldn’t see God as their friend any more. Sin entered humanity through one lie. Now billions of people suffer the wicked consequences of sin. The root of all our suffering goes back to Adam and Eve believing a lie. Just one lie.
All the Bible is concerned with God seeking man…seeking to undo the damage done by the first lie.
Some points to ponder.
- Lying separates you from God. If wisdom is about being with God then why do things that leave you without God.
- Liars are punished. God often doesn’t have to hand down or render punishment. When lies are uncovered they unleash their own punishment. Punishment is not always external. The consequences can be just as violent when they are internal. No one has to see you punished for the punishment to be real. Living with a lie destroys the spirit it gives depression a clean anchor point on which to take hold.
- Liars don’t escape. You don’t get away with lies. God knowing is worse than anyone else knowing. We don’t respect God’s soverign power. Don’t let people we know find out. But God, he won’t do anything. Wrong! Just like God told Adam and Eve he is saying to us we will surely die. What is death? Death is separation from God. That is what the devil wants more than anything else. Satan wants us disconnected.
Who you should never lie to
- Don’t lie to God. That’s stupid. You can’t lie to God because He is all-knowing. When you attempt to lie to God you simply insult God. You suggest with your lies that He’s not as powerful as His word says he is and that you’re smart enough to take on the Master of the Universe. David was a man after God’s own heart because he “kept it real” with God.
- Don’t lie to yourself. Self-deception leads to devastation. When you don’t speak truth to yourself, when you don’t receive truth you can’t grow.
- Don’t lie to others. Truth builds integrity. You don’t have to speak your whole mind, your “truth” on everything but you should tell the truth. There is no need to deceive others
The Antidote
“The key to life is attention to truth; the godly die in peace and their mistakes are forgotten.”
Proverbs 19:23 (Shapiro)
“The fear of the Lord tendeth to life; and he who hath it shall abide satisfied.”
Proverbs 19:23 (KJV)
Truth brings life. Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, and the life. God’s word is true. If you yield to the truth, truth will purge and refine you, truth will set you free so you can live.
When you seek truth when you speak truth when you honor truth it gives you life. Truth breeds integrity. As your integrity grows your power and peace grow.
Think about this
Are there areas of your life where you lie? Why do you do that?
Is truth important to you? How do you feel when you discover that you’ve been lied to?
Laziness
“Laziness leads to neglect; idle minds receive no nourishment.”
Proverbs 19:15 (Shapiro)
“Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.”
Proverbs 19:15 (NIV)
“Doing what needs to be done is a boon to the soul; ignoring responsibility is the way of death.”
Proverbs 19:16 (Shapiro)
“He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.”
Proverbs 19:16 (NIV)
“You may be holding food in your hand, but you will starve unless you put it in your mouth.”
Proverbs 19:24 (Shapiro)
“Some people are so lazy they wont even lift a finger to feed themselves.”
Proverbs 19:24 (NIV)
Laziness is a curse. Life isn’t going to come to you. You must engage life. You must own it. You must take 100% responsibility for you life and how you respond to life.
When you get active it make you feel good. Taking positive, proactive action pushed depression back.
Where is the laziness in your life?
What action could you take today that would get the ball rolling in an important area of your life around an important issue?
Bonus Verse
“Patience is a sign of intelligence; honor comes to those who do not take offense.”
Proverbs 19:11 (Shapiro)