Introduction and Word Study

Reading of Deuteronomy 5:20 and explanation of the Hebrew words for 'bear' and 'false,' emphasizing the broad prohibition against any false communication.

Deuteronomy chapter 5, and today we are on verse 20. Deuteronomy 5 and verse 20. We are now on the promises of the law number 19, which is the ninth commandment. The ninth commandment. So, if you would look in Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 20. Deuteronomy 5 and verse 20,

Of course the ninth commandment is very simply and plainly stated, much like all of the other commandments. But in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 16 it just simply says,

Now, you are looking at Deuteronomy 5 in verse 20, let me just cover a couple of words for you just so we can understand the impact of the ninth commandment.

The Hebrew word for "bear" is the word 'anah' and it is translated as answer, hear, testify, speak, sing, bear, cry, witness, and give. In other words, it covers anything, any way that you can communicate. He is saying you are not to be able to carry or bear false witness.

Now the word "false" is from the Hebrew word 'sheqer' and it is translated in our Bibles as lie, lying, false, falsehood, wrongfully, deceitful, deceit, and liar. So literally when you look at that it is very straightforward. God says, "Thou shalt not bear," that is carry in any way whatsoever, anything that is false, untrue, or a lie against your neighbor. Let me give you a quick quote from Adam Clarke.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Ninth Commandment

Quoting Adam Clarke to show that the commandment forbids false oaths, whispering, suppressing truth, and even lying about the devil, and that 'neighbor' includes any human being.

Listen carefully to what he wrote concerning the ninth commandment. He said this, "Not only false oaths to deprive a man of his life or of his right are here prohibited, but all whispering, telling whatever is deposed as a truth which is in fact false, tends to injure another in his goods, person, or character, is against the spirit and the letter of this law." Then he says this, "Suppressing the truth when known, by which a person may be defrauded of his property, or his good name, or lie under injuries or disabilities, which a discovery of the truth would have prevented, is also a crime against this law." Let me go further, one more sentence, "He who bears a false testimony against, or belies even the Devil himself, is under the curse of this law because his testimony is false.

By the term neighbor any human being is intended whether he rank among our enemies or among our friends." Now the interesting thing he also talked there about suppressing the truth. In other words, if you know something is true when someone else is saying something is false and you suppress the truth, it is still then a violation of the ninth commandment. The interesting thing is we are forbidden according to the ninth commandment to either bear a false testimony, to raise a false testimony, or to give a false testimony. The truth of the matter is there have been many godly men that have had their lives destroyed because of false testimonies, false accusations. Let me show you something that you may have missed, but I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and look at verse 19. In 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 19 we are speaking primarily concerning pastors. But note if you would 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 19, the Word of God says, "Against an elder, receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

Protection for Elders Against False Accusations

Using 1 Timothy 5:19 to show that accusations against pastors require two or three witnesses, highlighting the destructiveness of false charges.

Now an elder in the Bible is a pastor. You remember in Acts chapter 20 Paul then at Ephesus called the elders of the church, and he met with them there. So the interesting thing is he says that you are not to receive an accusation against an elder or pastor unless there are two or three witnesses. So that means this, every word, every accusation, every charge has to be substantiated. And if there are two or three witnesses, then, of course, we know what was said. An interesting thing is, I have known of men who have had their entire lives, families, and ministries destroyed because of a lie, because of a false charge or false accusation. Oftentimes when people come to me and want to talk about someone that I know, especially a pastor, and they begin to say libelous or slanderous things, I just simply say, "You know, the best way to settle that is for you and I to call him right now and let's confront him and let's see what his answer is going to be." And that usually stifles the entire situation.

But notice he says we are not even to receive an accusation or charge against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses. By the way the Greek word here is 'kategoria' which literally means a charge or an accusation. The sad thing is Christians are not exempt from this, but the sad thing is it seems like people just love gossip. They love innuendo. They love slander. They love to repeat things whether they are true or not.

The Principle: You Do Not Owe Truth to Those Who Abuse It

Introducing the principle that truth should not be given to those who will misuse it to harm others, with a personal illustration about a robber.

Now let me say that again. You do not owe the truth to anyone who is going to abuse and misuse the truth. Now you can tell the truth sometime and be in more trouble than you know what to do. There are many times it is best just to keep your mouth shut and not say a thing. But let me give you a good illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 21. There was an Edomite by the name of Doeg. Doeg was the chief herdman of Saul. And Doeg is the man who actually tells the truth, or at least mostly the truth, and causes the deaths of many, many individuals. You remember it was Saul who was after David and seeking to slay him. In fact, Saul saw David even when David was in his bed, and of course David's wife put an image in the bed and David escaped out the window. And when David fled, he went to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. So remember now David is fleeing from Saul who is purposely, deliberately, premeditatedly trying to murder him. So watch if you would 1 Samuel 21 and verse 1,

Now you got to remember David was a mighty warrior. And he said to him, "Why art thou alone and no man with thee?" Now there were a few men with David, but David approached the priest evidently alone. Verse two, "And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present." And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women." And David answered the priest and said unto him, "Of a truth, women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel." So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now watch verse 7, "Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul." Now I'm not going to actually preach a message that I preached a long time ago, but I preached a message on why the Lord allowed the slaughter of 85 priests, and why Doeg was detained there. But now watch, Doeg is witnessing everything. So look at verse 8, "And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me." So now David has fled to Ahimelech. The only thing that Ahimelech has done is, number one, he's given him some bread, and number two, he gave him the sword of Goliath, which really belonged to David anyhow, because David had conquered the giant.

But now Doeg is here retained. I want you to look now, if you would, in 1 Samuel chapter 22, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. Now, Saul is feeling sorry for himself. He's bemoaning the fact that Jonathan, his son, had entered into a covenant with David. And of course everything that he's saying here is really untrue in one sense of the word, you'll see. Watch verse 6,

now watch what Saul does.

In other words he's saying, do you think that David is going to do anything for you that I'm not going to do? And remember I am your kin, David.

was not of the tribe of Benjamin. So he says, don't think that David's gonna help you. Now look at verse 8, he says, "That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse." Now he knew that Jonathan was protecting David. In fact, he cursed him for that. He even threw a spear or a javelin at Jonathan trying to smite him because he knew of that. So he says, "There is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day." Well, Jonathan didn't stir David up, Jonathan sent him away in safety. So that's a bald-faced lie, but Saul is making all this up so he can get some sympathy. Now watch verse 9, "Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of

Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of the Lord for him," which is a lie, "and gave him victuals," which is true, "and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine," which is true. "Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here am I, my lord. And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" Now watch what Ahimelech says. "Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me:

I didn't do that. Let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more." And that's the absolute truth. And the king said, "Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house." And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, "Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me." Number one, no one knew it but Ahimelech, and number two, Ahimelech did not even know he was fleeing. Okay now watch. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. And the king said unto Doeg, "Turn thou, and fall upon the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. Now, so he murdered eighty-five priests. Watch, verse 19.

"And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword." Isn't that amazing? He not only slew, murdered 85 priests, he then went in and murdered all the women, all the children, anyone that happened to be visiting there, all were slain. Why? Because Doeg spoke partial truth to someone who did not deserve the truth. What Doeg did was a violation of the ninth commandment. Of course, he added a lie. He said that Ahimelech inquired of God for David when Ahimelech did not do that at all. But Doeg spoke mostly the truth. The truth then was misused and abused and led to the deaths of many. So, let me put it to you very clearly. You do not owe the truth to someone who is going to abuse the truth. When you tell the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth, you become guilty of violating God's law as well. Now, obviously, there are some people that are going to say, "Well, the best advice, the best counsel is always just tell the truth and let God work it out." Really?

Let me show you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 19. 2 Chronicles chapter 19. You see God is not going to fulfill your responsibilities. God is not going to live your life for you. And there was a godly king of Judah by the name of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat entered into a league or a covenant with Ahab, king of Israel. Ahab was a reprobate. And so if you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 19 and verse 1,

He had been up to Samaria with Ahab.

In other words Jehu said, you brought judgment upon yourself because you've helped the ungodly. You've loved those that hate God, you've done for them what you should not have done. So there is no way in the world that you can help the ungodly do that which is wicked and wrong. So let me say this again.

I do not owe the truth to someone who is going to abuse and misuse the truth. So if I'm walking down the street and out of a corner of a building a man jumps out, throws a pistol in my face and says, "Give me all your money." And I reach in my pocket and I pull out two one buck Federal Reserve notes, two bucks, and I hand it to him. I said, "There." And he looks at me and says, "Is that all you've got?" You know what I'm gonna say? "Yes, that's all I have in my pocket." I'm not gonna say, "I cannot tell a lie. I have a thousand dollar bill hidden in my left shoe." Now if I told him the truth, what am I doing? Help me out. I'm aiding him and violating "Thou shalt not steal." I don't owe the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth. You follow that? So here's a good illustration. Gary comes running to me and he's mad, I mean really mad.

And he says, "Have you seen that stinking Marshall? I want to know where he lives. I'm going to blow his head off." And I looked at Gary and I said, "Now, Gary, the Marshall I know lives in such and such place. Is that the one you're talking about?" Now, if Gary goes there and kills Marshall, what have I just done? I've assisted him in violating the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." I'm going to say, "You're too late. Marshall left for Canada last week." You know, I don't know where he is now. I'm not going to give a murderer the truth in order to help him to murder someone. Now, someone says, "Well, you've got to understand that sin is sin." I understand that.

Biblical Illustrations of Withholding Truth

Examining Doeg's partial truth leading to slaughter, the Hebrew midwives' deception, Rahab's hiding of spies, God's use of a lying spirit for Ahab, and Samuel's cover story to anoint David.

Now you can tell the truth sometime and be in more trouble than you know what to do. There are many times it is best just to keep your mouth shut and not say a thing. But let me give you a good illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 21. There was an Edomite by the name of Doeg. Doeg was the chief herdman of Saul. And Doeg is the man who actually tells the truth, or at least mostly the truth, and causes the deaths of many, many individuals. You remember it was Saul who was after David and seeking to slay him. In fact, Saul saw David even when David was in his bed, and of course David's wife put an image in the bed and David escaped out the window. And when David fled, he went to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. So remember now David is fleeing from Saul who is purposely, deliberately, premeditatedly trying to murder him. So watch if you would 1 Samuel 21 and verse 1,

Now you got to remember David was a mighty warrior. And he said to him, "Why art thou alone and no man with thee?" Now there were a few men with David, but David approached the priest evidently alone. Verse two, "And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present." And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women." And David answered the priest and said unto him, "Of a truth, women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel." So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now watch verse 7, "Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul." Now I'm not going to actually preach a message that I preached a long time ago, but I preached a message on why the Lord allowed the slaughter of 85 priests, and why Doeg was detained there. But now watch, Doeg is witnessing everything. So look at verse 8, "And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me." So now David has fled to Ahimelech. The only thing that Ahimelech has done is, number one, he's given him some bread, and number two, he gave him the sword of Goliath, which really belonged to David anyhow, because David had conquered the giant.

But now Doeg is here retained. I want you to look now, if you would, in 1 Samuel chapter 22, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. Now, Saul is feeling sorry for himself. He's bemoaning the fact that Jonathan, his son, had entered into a covenant with David. And of course everything that he's saying here is really untrue in one sense of the word, you'll see. Watch verse 6,

now watch what Saul does.

In other words he's saying, do you think that David is going to do anything for you that I'm not going to do? And remember I am your kin, David.

was not of the tribe of Benjamin. So he says, don't think that David's gonna help you. Now look at verse 8, he says, "That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse." Now he knew that Jonathan was protecting David. In fact, he cursed him for that. He even threw a spear or a javelin at Jonathan trying to smite him because he knew of that. So he says, "There is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day." Well, Jonathan didn't stir David up, Jonathan sent him away in safety. So that's a bald-faced lie, but Saul is making all this up so he can get some sympathy. Now watch verse 9, "Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of

Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of the Lord for him," which is a lie, "and gave him victuals," which is true, "and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine," which is true. "Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here am I, my lord. And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" Now watch what Ahimelech says. "Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me:

I didn't do that. Let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more." And that's the absolute truth. And the king said, "Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house." And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, "Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me." Number one, no one knew it but Ahimelech, and number two, Ahimelech did not even know he was fleeing. Okay now watch. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. And the king said unto Doeg, "Turn thou, and fall upon the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. Now, so he murdered eighty-five priests. Watch, verse 19.

"And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword." Isn't that amazing? He not only slew, murdered 85 priests, he then went in and murdered all the women, all the children, anyone that happened to be visiting there, all were slain. Why? Because Doeg spoke partial truth to someone who did not deserve the truth. What Doeg did was a violation of the ninth commandment. Of course, he added a lie. He said that Ahimelech inquired of God for David when Ahimelech did not do that at all. But Doeg spoke mostly the truth. The truth then was misused and abused and led to the deaths of many. So, let me put it to you very clearly. You do not owe the truth to someone who is going to abuse the truth. When you tell the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth, you become guilty of violating God's law as well. Now, obviously, there are some people that are going to say, "Well, the best advice, the best counsel is always just tell the truth and let God work it out." Really?

Let me show you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 19. 2 Chronicles chapter 19. You see God is not going to fulfill your responsibilities. God is not going to live your life for you. And there was a godly king of Judah by the name of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat entered into a league or a covenant with Ahab, king of Israel. Ahab was a reprobate. And so if you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 19 and verse 1,

He had been up to Samaria with Ahab.

In other words Jehu said, you brought judgment upon yourself because you've helped the ungodly. You've loved those that hate God, you've done for them what you should not have done. So there is no way in the world that you can help the ungodly do that which is wicked and wrong. So let me say this again.

I do not owe the truth to someone who is going to abuse and misuse the truth. So if I'm walking down the street and out of a corner of a building a man jumps out, throws a pistol in my face and says, "Give me all your money." And I reach in my pocket and I pull out two one buck Federal Reserve notes, two bucks, and I hand it to him. I said, "There." And he looks at me and says, "Is that all you've got?" You know what I'm gonna say? "Yes, that's all I have in my pocket." I'm not gonna say, "I cannot tell a lie. I have a thousand dollar bill hidden in my left shoe." Now if I told him the truth, what am I doing? Help me out. I'm aiding him and violating "Thou shalt not steal." I don't owe the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth. You follow that? So here's a good illustration. Gary comes running to me and he's mad, I mean really mad.

And he says, "Have you seen that stinking Marshall? I want to know where he lives. I'm going to blow his head off." And I looked at Gary and I said, "Now, Gary, the Marshall I know lives in such and such place. Is that the one you're talking about?" Now, if Gary goes there and kills Marshall, what have I just done? I've assisted him in violating the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." I'm going to say, "You're too late. Marshall left for Canada last week." You know, I don't know where he is now. I'm not going to give a murderer the truth in order to help him to murder someone. Now, someone says, "Well, you've got to understand that sin is sin." I understand that.

But do you also realize that there are varying degrees of sin with varying punishments according to the depth and the wickedness of the sin? For instance, if I went and stole from James, I don't have to die. He's guarding those M&Ms right now. If I went and stole from James, what I can do, I can make restitution and give him back not only what I stole but also the percentage that God requires, a two-fold or four-fold restitution. And so God doesn't require me to die just because I stole, but then if I go and murder Francis then what does God say? "My life is to be taken. Whosoever shedeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." So, although stealing is a sin, and murder is a sin, there are varying degrees and different punishments according to that sin. And so, if you actually tried to weigh the matter out, if you have to commit sin, I'd much rather commit a lighter sin than a heavier sin. And I'm not going to help someone violate the law of God.

Now, let me show you something else. Let me show you how God thinks on this. Look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 1. Exodus chapter 1. And you're going to see exactly what I'm talking about. You do not owe the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth. So in Exodus chapter 1 beginning there with verse 15 we are going to read about the two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah.

Now those are two names that we would not necessarily name our daughters, but these were very women and had some very good character. So notice if you would in Exodus chapter 1 verse 15,

Watch verse 17,

or literally he made them homes. So, Pharaoh tells these two women, "You murder every male child that is born."

And they did not obey. They allowed the male children to live. So when Pharaoh saw that, he called and said, "What in the world is wrong with you? Why haven't you obeyed my commandment?" Well, they said, "You don't understand. The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They're alive, lively, and the child is born before we ever get there." You mean to tell me out of all the women in Israel, not one ever needed help delivering a child? You know what these two women did?

They just lied to the king. They lied to the king. You're not going to give the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth. Let me give you another one. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Joshua. Joshua chapter 2. Joshua chapter 2. And notice if you would beginning there with verse 2. Joshua chapter 2 and notice if you would please verse 2, "And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not:

pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men," and of course you know the rest of the story, how she let them down over the wall with a scarlet rope. And notice if you would please, she told them to hide themselves three days in the wilderness until the pursuers came back.

Now, the king said, "Give me the two men that came unto you." "I don't know who they were. They came and they left. They went that way. If you will hurry, you will probably catch them." And all the time, she's hiding them on the roof. And of course, you know how they entered into a covenant with Rahab to spare her, her family, her household. Now, if Rahab had told the truth to the king it would have resulted not only in the deaths of those two Hebrew spies, but it would also have resulted in her death and the death of her family. So here the principle is once again, you do not owe the truth to someone who's going to abuse the truth. Now that does not necessarily mean that you have to outright lie, but it does mean that you don't give them the truth. Let me show you.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 22. 1 Kings 22. Have you ever wondered how God got Ahab up to Ramoth Gilead in order to have him killed? You remember it was Jehoshaphat, the one that we read about earlier that was rebuked, went to Ahab and Ahab is trying to convince him to go to war so that Israel, the northern kingdom, could recover Ramoth Gilead. And Jehoshaphat, horrible mistake, he said to Ahab, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses." And Jehoshaphat was a godly man. He was not anywhere near like Ahab, nor were the people in the southern kingdom anywhere like the people in the northern kingdom. But anyhow they went. And all of Ahab's false prophets came out and began to prophesy saying, "Go up,

O king, and prosper: go up, O king, and prosper." Finally Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we might inquire of him?" Well, Ahab said, "There is one, but he hates me. He never says anything good about me." Jehoshaphat says, "Let not the king say so." So they sent and got Micaiah out of prison, and that's where Ahab had him. And when he comes out, he tells Ahab exactly what is happening. I want you to look in 1 Kings chapter 22, beginning there with verse 20. He tells him this. Now watch it. 1 Kings 22 verse 20. In fact, let's read verse 19.

And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

So, I want you to see how deceived Ahab was. Look in verse 23. Here's what Micaiah tells him. "Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee." What did God use to get Ahab to Ramoth Gilead? A lying spirit. And when Micaiah said, "Your prophets are lying," he didn't believe Micaiah. And you remember when he got to Ramoth Gilead, he disguised himself and went into battle. And the Bible says a certain man drew a bow at a venture, just let the arrow go, and it hit him between the joints of the harness: and he died. But how did God get him there? He used a lying spirit.

Now, I want to show you another one that is to me the clearest principle. You don't owe the truth to someone who is going to abuse the truth. If you will turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15. 1 Samuel chapter 15 and look if you would please beginning there with verse 28.

Now, you know the fact that King Saul is rejected by God. You remember Saul was sent to slay the Amalekites, and he spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen. He disobeyed God and so God rejects him. So if you look in 1 Samuel chapter 15 and verse 28,

In other words, Saul is told by Samuel, "It's over for you. That's all there is to it. God's not gonna change his mind. You have been rejected. You've disobeyed God, you rebelled against God, God's rejecting you." Now look if you would in chapter 16 beginning there with verse 1, "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will

send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons." Now, let me just stop right there for a moment. So Samuel is still mourning over Saul and God asked him, "How long you gonna mourn? I've rejected him. That's it. It's over with. You fill your horn with oil. I want to send you to Bethlehem. I've chosen Saul's replacement. You anoint him to be the new king." I want you to look at verse 2. Samuel asked, "How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me." Here's a tyrant. He's not going to take a replacement. And note what God said, "And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee." Now, what did God ask Samuel to do? Go and anoint David. And Samuel asked, "How can I do that? If Saul hears, he'll kill me."

"Oh," said God, "You go and offer a sacrifice. That's your cover. And you say, 'I've come to do sacrifice.'" Did he do a sacrifice? Was that the purpose of his mission? No. The purpose of his mission was to anoint David to be king in Saul's place. And so you say, "Could not God have controlled Saul?" He could have. But God used deception to keep Saul from knowing what Samuel was going to be doing.

So the principle is still plain. You do not owe the truth to someone who's going to abuse and misuse the truth.

Clarification: When Truth Is Owed

Clarifying that the principle does not excuse lying to those to whom truth is owed, such as parents, pastors, and employers, unless there is tyranny or danger.

Now, let me make something exceedingly clear. These illustrations and this principle does not mean that you can evade the truth to those to whom you owe the truth. You cannot use something like this to say, "Well, I'm just not going to tell you the truth." Listen, children owe the truth to their parents. If you owe the truth, you're to tell the truth. I mean, a member of a church owes the truth to the pastor. An employee owes the truth to his employer. In other words, unless there is some tyranny or some danger, you can't say, "Well, I'm just not going to tell you the truth." No, you are to be a truth teller. You are to always tell the truth. But what God is not demanding is that truth be revealed to someone's detriment and someone's

destruction which would lead to a further violation of God's law. Now let me show you how intent God is. Look in your Bibles if you would to Deuteronomy chapter 19. Deuteronomy chapter 19, because in this chapter God is dealing with perjury. And let me tell you something, if this happened to be applied today, we would have very little perjury in our court system. We would have very little perjury in Congress. Watch if you would Deuteronomy chapter 19 and begin there with verse 16. Listen to it.

Penalty for Perjury and Talebearing

Deuteronomy 19:16-20 prescribes that a false witness should suffer the intended harm, and Leviticus 19:16 forbids talebearing, emphasizing protection of reputation.

God says, "If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 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; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 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. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you." So if I falsely testify against Steve, God says when I'm discovered, when I've perjured myself, whatever I wanted done to him is to be done to me. Whether it's loss of property, loss of life, whatever it is. Because once again it would be a violation of the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness." So the ninth commandment then forbids not only all unjust censure and slander and backbiting and scorning and false accusations and the like, but it requires also that we have a candid and just judgment of our neighbor.

That we are to speak well of him and we are not to bear false witness against him. Let me just quote Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 16, God says,

I said earlier that a lot of people just love to gossip. They love to slander, they love to repeat, they love to hear innuendos. And there are things that do not need to be repeated, even if they are true. If it's no one's business, why tell? If it's not going to help, why tell? God says,

Calvin on this verse, Leviticus 19 verse 16, says this, "God here makes a provision for every man's character and good name, lest any should be undeservedly weighed down by calumnies and false accusations." And like I said earlier, I know of many men who've had their ministries, their lives, and their families ruined by false accusations.

The Positive Side: Being Truth-Tellers Like Christ

Ephesians 4:25 and Colossians 3:9 command speaking truth and not lying, with the promise that truth-tellers become like Christ, the faithful and true witness.

By the way, our Lord quotes the ninth commandment in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke chapter 18. Now, what is the positive side of the ninth commandment? If we are not to bear false witness, that means that we are to be tellers of the truth. I believe the implied promise involved in this, and implied in this, if we become a teller of the truth, we're going to ultimately be more likened to our Lord. And I'm going to show you the scripture just momentarily. But if you will turn in your Bibles to two passages, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, I'm going to show you the positive side of the ninth commandment. Ephesians chapter 4 we're going to look at verse 25. Ephesians 4 verse 25 and then we're going to look in Colossians 3 and verse 9. Ephesians 4 verse 25 then just over a few pages to Colossians chapter 3. So look in Ephesians 4 verse 25, God says this,

Now if you look in Colossians 3 in verse 9, he says it like this, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds." Now, let me just stop. When you look at Ephesians 4 in verse 25, he says,

In other words, we're in the same body. We're in the same family. Do I owe my father and mother truth? Yes. Do I owe my brother and sister truth? Yes. And this is what God is saying. We are to tell the truth to each other. But when you look in Colossians 3 in verse 9, he says, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds." And the old man is the old corrupt way of living and doing things. If you would turn back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6, look at what the Bible says concerning the old man. Romans chapter 6 beginning there with verse 1. Romans 6 in verse 1, Paul asked this question, "What shall we say then?

Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." So he says our old man has been crucified. So we cannot lie to each other because we have put off that old man.

And then he lists three things here that is covered. Number one, speaking falsely in any manner, in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbor. Number two, speaking unjustly against our neighbor to the prejudice of his reputation. And number three, bearing false witness against him, laying to his charge things that he knows not." You know, I get tickled when I read something like that because occasionally I get a phone call from someone in a different state and

Warnings and Applications

Caution against assuming others tell truth, the danger of repeating unverified or unnecessary things, and the need to speak truth in love, with quotes from Spurgeon and Charnock.

Now, let me give you a little warning. Here's something that I have found. And you and I both need to be very careful. If you become a teller of the truth, and I know that most of you are, I understand that. But I've tried to make it a principle in my life, not to lie, but to be a teller of the truth. The problem is, once you understand that you don't lie, and you have no need to lie, and you do not want to lie, there's a tendency to receive what everyone else says at face value. You think that they're telling the truth as well. When the truth of the matter is most people are not telling the truth. And so you have to be very careful about what you hear and what you receive as truth, because a lot of people—I have known people that would lie when telling the truth was so much easier. There are some people seemingly they cannot even live unless they are lying about something, about someone. So obviously, you know, you have to be cautious when you become a truth teller and you are used to telling truth and you just assume that everyone else does the same, which in reality is not true.

Now, let me try to make some applications. There are many wrong impressions that are made and personal feelings that are created which hinder confidence in people by statements that are not true. Oftentimes we repeat things that we have not verified. We repeat things that are untrue. And we repeat things that are unnecessary. I've already said this, something could be true. But why in the world would you repeat it if there's no necessity to repeat it? That's what it meant, "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people." Whether it's true or not it's immaterial. I've always used the illustration that if you hit a skunk in the road with your car, that's bad. But you wait until it's a hundred degrees and about seven or eight other cars have hit him, then it's really bad. And you know, that's the way it is with repeating things.

It just gets worse and worse and worse. And so if you can't be part of the solution, don't be part of the problem. A lot of times it's wise just to keep our mouths shut. I never will forget one time Alice and I were coming back from a trip and we were coming through Norman Park, Georgia. And on the right hand side of the road was this fine, beautiful old brick home. And right out in front of the house was this little toy poodle. She had bows in her ears. She had a little diamond necklace and her toenails were painted red. And I know she was some woman's little darling. And I told Alice, "Look, look." And there she was beside the road, wallowing in a dead skunk. I said to Alice, "I can't wait until Mama lets her back in the house." Well, you know, that's what it's like when we start repeating things that we should not even be repeating.

We're just carrying scent that should not be carried is what it amounts to. Now, there's another application. The Bible says in Ephesians 4 verse 15,

You know, a lot of times we speak truth, but we speak it very angrily. Or we speak it with an attitude that is hateful. Or we speak it with an attitude that is cutting and sarcastic. God says,

I mean, just be as nice as you can, but tell the truth if you owe that individual the truth. Let me give you a quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I love this quote. Listen carefully. He said, "An unbridled tongue is the vehiculum Diaboli, the chariot of the devil, wherein he rides in triumph." And then he quotes another author. He says, "Greenhorn describes a tongue prettily by contraries or diversities." And then he gives this quote concerning the tongue: "It is a little piece of flesh, small in quantity, but mighty in quality.

It is soft, but slippery. It goeth lightly, but falleth heavily. It striketh soft, but woundeth sore. It goeth out quickly, but burneth vehemently. It pierceth deeply, and therefore not healed speedily. It hath liberty granted easily to go forth, but it will find no means easily to return home. And being once inflamed with Satan's bellows, it is like the fire of hell." Well, if you read James chapter 3, that's exactly what James says about it.

So, we must learn to speak the truth in love and try to build people up. And yet, we need to learn to pray like David did in Psalm 141 and verse 3 when he said, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." And certainly we should do that. I've been preaching on the promises of the Law, and let me just repeat this, the Law and the Gospel go hand in hand. They are not antithetical, that is they are not against each other, they are complementary. Even the great Apostle Paul, when he is speaking on justification by faith alone, Romans chapter 3 in verse 31 he said,

And so any gospel, quote-unquote, that destroys the law of God is not the gospel of grace. It's not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because justification by faith alone establishes the law. I'm going to leave you with one final quote from—this quote comes from Stephen Charnock in his book, The Existence and the Attributes of God.

Conclusion: Law and Gospel in Harmony

Affirming that the law and gospel are complementary, and that obedience to the ninth commandment leads to holiness and likeness to Christ.

They are not antithetical, that is they are not against each other, they are complementary. Even the great Apostle Paul, when he is speaking on justification by faith alone, Romans chapter 3 in verse 31 he said,

And so any gospel, quote-unquote, that destroys the law of God is not the gospel of grace. It's not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because justification by faith alone establishes the law. I'm going to leave you with one final quote from—this quote comes from Stephen Charnock in his book, The Existence and the Attributes of God. And he labeled this an incentive for obedience. Listen to what he said. "The commands of the gospel require the obedience of the creature. There is not one precept in the gospel which interferes with any rule in the law, but strengthens it and represents it in its true exactness. The heat to scorch us is allayed, but the light to direct us is not extinguished. Not the least allowance to any sin is granted, nor the least affection to any sin indulged. The law is tempered by the gospel, but not nullified and cast out of doors by it, in an act that none but those that are sanctified shall be glorified.

that there must be grace here if we expect glory hereafter, that we must not presume to expect an admittance to the vision of God's face unless our souls be clothed with the robe of holiness. It requires an obedience to the whole law in our intention and purpose and an endeavor to observe it in our actions. It promotes the honor of God and ordains a universal charity among men. It reveals the whole counsel of God and furnishes men with the holiest of laws." And so there is no conflict between the law and the gospel. And when God says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness," the positive is, "Thou shalt be a teller of the truth." And as we become tellers of the truth, we become more like our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the faithful and true witness. And he speaks the truth in love. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee this day. We thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy. We thank you for your law. We thank you for the gospel.

We thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray, Lord, that you would enlighten our eyes, that you would make us holy, that you'd make us godly, that you would, Father, make us tellers of the truth and help us to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, a faithful and true witness. In thy name we ask and pray. Amen.