July 13, 1952 THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS Ex. 20:16; Psalm 15 Inasmuch as we are studying some of the Ten Commandments it seems as if we ought to study them all; but those responsible for the choice of texts and topics evidently thought differently. We will, therefore, follow the prescribed or der and deal today with the sin of lying. As an introduction to the study it would be well to look up every reference in the Old Testament and in the New Testament having to do with lying and bearing false witness. You will note that the Word of God has much to say about honesty and dishonesty. From our texts let us notice several lines of thought: What It Means to Bear False Witness The primary reference in Exodus 20:16 is to telling a lie about another person. This is a dreadful thing. A man’s name, his reputation, his charac ter are the most precious things he possesses. Of course lying about a per son will never affect that person’s char acter, for a man’s character is what he is in himself and nothing said about him will change that. But a lie about a per son can do untold damage to his repu tation. We ought to pass every word about another person through three gates be fore we let it out of our mouth: first, is it true? second, is it kind? third, is it necessary? If our remarks about some one else can safely pass these three gates then probably it is safe to tell. But a man may bear false witness by lying in any matter. The safe rule to follow is, never tell a lie. Some people speak of “ white lies” but you will never hear one. I have heard of a lie as “ an ever present help in time of trouble.” But the trouble a man gets into for lying is worse than the trouble he keeps out of by lying. Someone has well said, “ Lies are very nimble, but they soon trip themselves up.” One lie leads to others and before long the liar reaches a dead end. Lies hunt in packs. As Spur geon said, “ One lie needs ten to wait upon it, and these need ten each to keep them company. A lie will multiply like the aphis, from generation to genera tion. The old tale is, ‘A crow; two crows; three crows; a hundred crows; thus one to a hundred grows.’ ” Perhaps the worst form of lying is the life that is a lie. Our Lord spoke His strongest denunciations against the hypocrite (Matt. 23). The hypocrite lives a perpetual lie. God wants His people to be real. Hypocrites love the gold of the altar better than they love the God of the altar. Let us love the Lord with all our heart for His sake and for none other. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
The Meaning of This First Commandment vv. 3-5
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First, the believer dares not give God’s place to anyone or anything. This is the meaning of the words, “ Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (v. 3). God is to come first in every man’s life, and especially in the life of the believer. He deserves to come first because of the reasons given under the first division of our study. In the second place, this command prohibits the making of any image or graven thing supposed to represent God (v. 4). The moment a man makes an image or any likeness of God, an act that is really impossible, for God is spiritual not material, the natural ten dency is to worship the thing rather than the One supposed to be represented by it. We witness the sad history of re ligions in the world where this very thing has happened (cf. Romans 1:18-32). Again,' this first commandment for bids the worship and service of any other god than the true and living God. “ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them . . .” (v. 5a). God is very jealous of His worship; He alone deserves to be worshiped. It is danger ous to worship anyone else than the true God because men become like the god they worship. Idolatry leads to gross superstition and vile and infamous ac tions (cf. Romans 1:18 ff). The Warning Attached to this First Commandment The warning is seriouè and solemn in deed. God says that He will “ visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. . . ” (v. 5b). God’s judgment rests upon idolaters in their spiritual well-being. Again read the tragic history of Ro mans 1:18-32. You will note here that when men became idolaters and dis obeyed this first commandment they be came fools. Their minds were so im paired that they were unable any longer to retain the knowledge of God. This is still true today. Even learned men and educators are ignorant when it comes to a personal understanding of the ele mentary things of God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14). God’s judgment is manifest in man’s physical condition when he breaks this first commandment. Medical science tells us that many diseases are inherited due to sin on the part of the parents. But most solemn of all is the dreadful fact that violation of this first holy com mand leads man to his eternal ruin. This is the argument of the entire Bible. It is because man plunged himself into the abyss of sin that God sent His Son to take the sinner’s place, that through faith in His finished work the sinner might not perish forever (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; John 3:16).
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