Today's commentary is on Proverb 12:22.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,What does the Bible say about lying? A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him. Proverbs 6:16-19 says: "These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him"::
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
What constitutes a lie according to the Bible? Anything that is not the truth is a lie in God's Word.
- A proud look,
- A lying tongue,
- Hands that shed innocent blood,
- A heart that devises wicked plans,
- Feet that are swift in running to evil,
- A false witness who speaks lies,
- And one who sows discord among brethren.”
As believers, we must not tell lies. Christians must not exaggerate or embellish their speech, which is a form of lying. Another way is what some people call “white lies” which they tell not to hurt someone; this does not change it being a lie. Often, one must pray and ask for wisdom, carefully selecting ones words as the Holy Spirit guides us, but one must not lie.
There are many other forms of lying. For example, hypocrisy is a form of lying. 1 John 2:4 teaches that: "He who says," "I know Him," and does not keep "His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
Another form of lying is making false promises that we could keep, but simply choose not to. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie … has He said, and will He not do it? Does he promise and not fulfill?” The implication is that, when a person makes a promise he could keep but refuses to do so, he has lied. God does not do this, but people often do.
Then there is the half-truth, in which a person tells things that are technically correct but deliberately leaves out important facts or tells the story in such a way that leads people to reach a false conclusion. In the Old Testament, for example, Joseph’s brothers sold him to be a slave. Then they took his coat, dipped it in animal blood, took it to their father Jacob, and said that they had found this coat. Jacob, of course, concluded that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal, which is exactly what the sons wanted Jacob to believe, though they never came right out and said so Genesis 37:31-33. Nevertheless, they had deliberately deceived their father to believe a falsehood.
Lying and deceit are not reconcilable with righteousness. If a person is honest and trustworthy, then they do not lie or deceive. Being honest and dependable is an integral part of being righteous. Proverbs 13:5-6 says: "A righteous man hates lying, but a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but wickedness overthrows the sinner."
Revelation 21:8 says that “all liars“ will have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death.
As Christians our behavior should represent and manifest the character of God’s Truth. Matthew 5:37 says: “But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', be 'No'. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
Ephesians 4:15 tells us that............. To continue reading today's commentary go to Mission Venture Ministries.
Proverb 12 (NKJV)
The House of the Righteous Shall Stand
01 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
00 But he who hates correction is stupid.
02 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
00 But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.
03 A man is not established by wickedness,
00 But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
04 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
00 But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
05 The thoughts of the righteous are right,
00 But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
06 The words of the wicked are, "Lie in wait for blood,"
00 But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
07 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
00 But the house of the righteous will stand.
08 A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
00 But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.
09 Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant,
00 Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
00 But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
00 But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
00 But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
00 But the righteous will come through trouble.
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
00 And the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
00 But he who heeds counsel is wise.
16 A fool's wrath is known at once,
00 But a prudent man covers shame.
17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
00 But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
00 But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
00 But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
00 But counselors of peace have joy.
21 No grave trouble will overtake the righteous,
00 But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
00 But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
00 But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
00 But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
00 But a good word makes it glad.
26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
00 For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
00 But diligence is man's precious possession.
28 In the way of righteousness is life,
00 And in its pathway there is no death.
The purpose of Writing the book of Proverbs was to reveal the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and Godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.
Without wisdom, knowledge is nothing more than an accumulation of raw facts, influenced by emotional feelings. Many highly educated people are in positions of power in the United States, but very few of those educated leaders have the wisdom needed to rule properly. .
One can say that they have been educated well beyond their intelligence. A cursory look at the court system will prove my point that knowledge without wisdom will only lead to an immoral society that eventually crumbles from within. Judges are supposed to be above the fray, and immovable to emotions. Instead, the vast majority of judges today are Godless individuals who are vacant of wisdom. So their rulings are totally based upon emotional feelings. .
We the people are to blame, because we ignored God's guidance in appointing our leaders. Instead of putting leaders full wisdom in power, we instead chose those who would scratch our itchy ears to lead us. .
Of the 31 Proverbs, only the first 24 were written by Solomon. King Hezekiah wrote 5, Proverbs 25 to 29, Agur wrote Proverb 30, and Lemuel wrote Proverb 31. Now many believe Lemuel was in fact King Solomon and Lemuel was just a nick name his Mother, Bathsheba gave him. We are told that Solomon write over 3000 Proverbs and composed 1000 songs, but the only Proverbs God decided to preserve for us are Proverbs 1-24. Like the New Testament epistle by James, it is impossible to get a chronological outline for a study since they all bounce from subject to subject..
Along with my daily routine of reading the Bible, I try to read through the book of Proverbs once a Month. It's an easy task when you consider there are 31 Proverbs. So all you need to know is what day of the Month it is. In the Months that have 30 days, or in the case of February, I just double up by reading more than one two proverb so I can begin the next month with Proverb 1 on the first again.
No comments:
Post a Comment