“WE LIVE IN AN AGE OF MANY TERRIBLE WEAPONS OF DESTRUCTION. hOWEVER, THERE IS ONE WEAPON OF DESTRUCTION MAN HAS NOT MADE. IT IS THE TONGUE, FOR FALSE WORDS CAN DEEPLY WOUND AND COMPLETELY DESTROY PEOPLE AND EVEN NATIONS!”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about an Old Testament account of what great damage a lying tongue can do…

… Well friends, on today’s program, I’m going to talk about the sin of “lying” and false testimony and the commonality of it among the people of our nation today. I want to do this by looking back at an ancient but true story, taken from the pages of the Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel, and examine the lies of one of God’s choice saints – King David of Israel . But first, let’s listen to this moment of music then I’ll return with my message entitled: THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES…

…Say, do you know what the very first sin in the Garden of Eden was? It was not committed by any human being, as most suspect, rather by an unholy fallen angel named Satan. Indeed, he was the first to tell a falsehood and blatant lie, accusing God of wicked sin and deceiving the first created woman named, Eve. Let’s read this text and discover the very first lie recorded in the Bible,

Gen 2:16-17 ( NIV )  And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

In response to God’s clear command that death would follow such disobedience, Satan comes to Eve and tempts her to disobey God’s command by telling her a terrible series of lies. We read,

Gen 3:4-5 ( NIV )  "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Satan, came to the very first man and woman, created by God, who were at this point of their existence, in a sinless but untried state. In order to ruin them, the Devil came with the very first lie, by saying to Eve, “You will not die…” In effect, he said, “God has lied to you to keep you back from becoming gods like Him, by eating the fruit you will not die but actually come alive!” This lie, led Eve and Adam to their immediate spiritual death (separation from God), and eventual physical death too. So, Satan is identified in the Bible as a “liar” and “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44 ). This was the very first lie, that even more lead to the death and destruction of the entire human race that would come forth from Adam and Eve’s procreation. Since that time, man with his sin nature, continue to “lie” and tell falsehoods to the detriment and destruction of our fellow man. Let’s pause right now for another moment of music and hen we’ll continue our look into THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES…

… Our story unfolds over a number of chapters in the OT book of 1 Samuel 18-22 , which tells us about David’s rise to Kingship in Israel . It was a difficult time, for although God had him anointed as King by the priest Samuel at a young age, temporarily ruling at that time was a man named King Saul. Saul was chosen by the people, but He was not God’s choice. He proved to be a poor choice too, as he didn’t follow God’s ways and attempted to carry out his own sinful agenda for Israel . When he learned that God had planned to replace him with young David the shepherd, he flew into a rage and plotted to assassinate him. He began this wicked deed with the attempt first of all, to destroy David’s character in the eyes of the nation.

These chapters in 1 Samuel 18-22 , form the transition between David’s early service in King Saul’s court and his eventual exile as a fugitive. They explain how David was moved from being Saul’s favorite to being Saul’s foe. The main issue is David’s faith, and we can see in these chapters how this man of God all but lost his confidence in God, because of the severe trials that came to his life. King Saul hated David for who he was, a young obedient man of God who was chosen to replace him. He set out to ruin David’s pristine character before the people by telling the lie that he was a rebel dedicated to destroying the kingdom of Israel and wanting to take the kingship for himself. This lie, spoken many times before the people and left unchallenged, soon was believed as truth. David had to flee and hide from Saul, his armies and even many people.

Lies can do great damage, literally destroying the character of other people. David became a wanted man and had to flee to the mountains and hide from the sword of King Saul.

In 1 Samuel chapters 20-22, we find that the long time in which David hid in those caves and often went without food, trying to avoid capture, caused him to sadly doubt the promised protection of God. These chapters do not record a very lovely picture, for in them we see this man of faith faltering and failing. Instead of prayerfully waiting to discover the Lord’s will, David flees in fear and tries to “scheme” his way out of his problems, by telling what God had forbidden him to do, that is telling lies. Note the series of lies he begins to tell.

1. David first lies to King Saul (chap. 20)

Although God commanded mankind never to tell lies or falsehood, as the ninth commandment states (Exo. 20:16 ), David resorted to this evil in an attempt to save his own life. He further encouraged his friend Jonathan, to support this lie too, thus dragging him down with him.

1 Sam 20:6 ( NIV )  If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem , his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.'

1 Sam 20:28 ( NIV )  Jonathan answered (his father King Saul) , "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem .

David’s talks with Jonathan in the early verses of 1 Sam. 20 , suggests his rising self-centeredness and sinful impatience with God’s permitted persecutions. How much better it would have been had these two friends just prayed together for God’s will and wisdom, instead of hatching their own scheme to lie to the King to protect David. Saul of course, discovered David’s lie and it almost got Jonathan killed.

1 Sam 20:33 ( NIV )  But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

Lies are evil, no matter for what reason you tell them. Now in these chapters, we learn that once David resorted to telling lies, even though he thought they were for a good reason, he began to tell more lies from then on. The Bible warns us of the danger of practicing evil,

James 1:15 ( NLT )  “…evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.

So now we see how easy it is to lie again. We see David’s second lie,

2. DAVID LIES TO AHIMELECH (21:1–9).

Here David, on the run, fled again this time to Nob, where the tabernacle was established. David now easily resorts to telling lies for his favor. He lied to the high priest Ahimelech, by claiming to be on business for Saul (v. 2). This was to get food for himself and his starving men.

1 Sam 21:2 ( NIV )  David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.

The priest gave David and his men the holy bread to eat and also the sword of Goliath for David’s protection. The whole plan seemed to be successful, except that one of Saul’s spies, a man named “Doeg,” was there to witness these events; and this ultimately led to later treachery and bloodshed.   

1 Sam 22:9-10 ( NIV )  But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

It is disappointing to see David depending on lies for his protection. He lied to the priest and to the king, but he could not lie to Doeg, a man of the world. Jesus tells us,

Luke 16:8 ( NLT )  "… it is true that the citizens of this world are more shrewd than the godly are.”

Doeg, the spy among David’s warriors, went and told King Saul of David’s lies. You see whenever you think you have “pulled the wool” over someone’s eyes by lying or by deceit, you will find the world’s “Doeg’s” are there to reveal your sin. In fact, the Bible warns everybody,

Num 32:23 ( NIV )  "… you may be sure that your sin will find you out.

Prov. 12:22 ( KJV )  “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight”.

So we see that not some but all lying is sin, and when we resort to the Devil’s tactics to use it for our advantage, it always in time brings disaster. Next, we discover that in keeping away from the sword of King Saul to preserve his own life, David resorts to lying again a third time,

3. DAVID LIES TO ACHISH, KING OF GATH ( 21:10 –15)

Things now were going from bad to worse for David, just as they always do when we trust ourselves instead of the wisdom of God. Here in these five verses, David now flees into the hands of Israel ’s enemy, Achish, the King of Gath! To save himself, David resorts to lying and pretending to be insane in the hopes of escaping. But, the old adage is true -- “O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” This might have been the end of David’s life, but the Lord intervened and turned the heart of the Israel ’s enemy king toward just chasing David away. Escaping from the King of Gath’s hands, David fled to the cave of Adullam , and there organized his “outcast but loyal followers.”

It is amazing how men and women of faith can gradually become men and women of fear and unbelief. If we get in a hurry, begin looking at our circumstances and trusting people, and our own plans, well before long everything falls to pieces and we find ourselves out of the place of God’s blessing and protection. However, in later chapters as you read on, you will find that David learned the error of his ways and also learned to patiently wait on the Lord and to seek His will.

Now I tell this story, to show that even God’s people can easily turn away from God’s will by taking circumstances into our own hands by the convenience of telling lies. Our society today seems to be built on lies. It is a rare day when we can believe others words as truth. Business executives today scheme and lie, cheating their employees and financial supporters frequently. Why people everywhere lie daily to cover their sinful or foolish acts, or just in some way to gain advantage in a situation. However, before God, there is no lie that is not sin and nor will it go unpunished. The ninth commandment says,

Exo 20:16 ( NIV )  "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Bearing false testimony is another term for lying. God desires truth in the inward parts, which will be reflected in our outward speech (Ps 51:6; Jer 17:9 ; Mt 15:19 ). So this commandment still stands unshakeable and sure. All lying, all falsehoods told or implied even for supposed good reasons, are forbidden by God and are a serious breaking of His law for life.

Furthermore, giving false testimony about another, can wound and even destroy, even undermine the foundations of a community. Wars have been wrongly fought when lies and false testimony lead others away from truth. Everywhere in Scripture, the right handling of truth is held of highest importance. Even Jesus Christ reiterates this when he said,

Mat 5:37 ( NIV )  "… let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians and Colossians,

Eph 4:25 ( NIV )  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Col 3:9 ( NIV )  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

Today, lying has become second nature to us all, hasn’t it? Advertisers routinely lie and exaggerate about their products. When was the last time you received a gorgeous meal as shown in a publication? Why it’s a common accepted fact that advertisers are expected to exaggerate and misrepresent products. Some people, who would not think of telling a lie otherwise, are able to keep silent when trading a lemon automobile in on a better deal, thus deceiving others! In truth, we have become a nation of people who think nothing of lying to better ourselves or gain advantage.

But in examining the issue of lying, some questions always come to mind. “Is it always wrong to tell a lie?” “What if telling the truth may get someone injured or killed?” Well the answer is it is still wrong to lie. If our telling the truth endangers others, silence is our best response. You are not obligated to tell everyone everything you know, just because you know it.

But now here’s another issue. Do you realize that although it is never right to tell a lie, it is not always right to tell the truth? Sound contradictory? Well, at times, your sinful nature can use the truth to hurt and wound another. Yes, if the reason you speak the truth, is out of malice, hate or envy. Then telling the truth becomes a weapon for doing evil. Here again silence is our best response.

Prov 12:6 ( NLT )  The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives.

Friend, you are not obligated to speak everything you know, but you are obligated to tell the truth when you do. The point is, God wants us to be honest and truthful in our speech, and use it to help and encourage others. So then, everyone of us is to watch our tongues and keep from lying; and, be warned God will punish all of us who habitually and unrepentantly do.

Here then are some Scriptures to help us remember the importance of keeping the 9^th commandment, not to tell lies,

Psa 141:3 ( NIV )  Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Mat 12:36-37 ( NIV )  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Rev 21:8 ( NIV )  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

One can see how God hates falsehood and the telling of lies. David, when he was later crowned king of Israel , understood his sin and evil early on of telling lies to preserve himself and gain advantage. King David became a man of truth. This is what God wants of us all, but it can never happen until we allow the God of Truth, to take control of our sin ridden lives. The Devil is a liar from the beginning and his lies will deceive and lead all who follow Him to death. Jesus Christ is the infinite God man of truth, and His words lead to life. Listen to the words of Jesus that can lead you to life eternal, if you believe and follow Him,

John 1:14 ( NIV )  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 6:47 ( NIV )  I tell you the truth, he who believes [on Me] has everlasting life.

1 John 5:12 ( NIV )  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 10:10-11 ( NIV )  “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh, to tell us the truth about ourselves, our impending peril and to offer His free gift of forgiveness and new life through Him. The truth is, our lying tongues will send us all to Hell, but God’s truth can rescue us and grant us forgiveness, and give us Heaven and eternal life. Have you believed Jesus and received Him as your God and Savior? If not, even telling one “white lie” in all your life is worthy of the punishment of Hell,

Rom 3:23 ( NIV )  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

James 2:10 ( NIV )  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Make truth, that is Jesus Christ, the Word of Truth, your Savior and God, and be rescued from the sin and evil of falsehood and lies. Do it today and receive Him for life eternal.

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·         Radio talk #0706

·         Broadcast date: February 12, 2006

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

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The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 25 years, and serves as General Director.

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