The Devotional – 024 – Lying!

The Devotional – 024 – Lying!

Proverbs 18:18 – Casting lots causes contentions to cease, and keeps the mighty apart.

 

 Comments and challenges

Is there ever a time when a lie is a good thing? The Holy Bible does record lies that have worked out for the good when Israel was face to face with their enemies; other than that all lies recorded in the Written Word of God have caused the execution of the liar and caused the separation of friendships. Lies in the Holy Bible are not condoned and carry heavy penalties in time and eternity.

Have you ever asked someone this question? “Have you ever told a lie”? And, have you heard a response like; NO! I’ve never told a lie; err maybe a little white one, but no I do not tell lies. What is a white lie? Now don’t attempt to answer that question… you will be lying. A lie is a lie, black or white it makes no difference in the Eyes with whom we must give and account.

Here is the rub! “Oh you better watch out, you better not cry, and you better not pout, I’m telling you why; Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s making a list and checking it twice and going to find out who is naughty and nice…” and it is now your turn to rub back. “Oh but Jesse the whole world believes in Santa Claus and the truth is that, once upon a time there was a man named Chris Cringle who gave gifts and such, we are just carrying on his tradition, so this is not lying, is it”? Bah Humbug!

How do you explain this lie to a child, well of course we will wait until an age when accountability kicks in; somewhere around the age of 7 to 10 and then we tell them the truth. “Well child; for the last seven or ten years we have been lying to you; Santa does not exist”! Well what will you say when the child says, okay then why do we have Christmas? “Well child you see on Christmas, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and…” and now you know that your child is going to believe that!

The Christmas story of the world is nothing more than a “FALSE PROVERB” notice what Ezekiel has to say to the Jews of his day concerning the lies that “parents” tell their “children”

Ezekiel 18:1-4 – The word of the LORD came to me again, saying. “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes (believed lies) and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? (Eager to believe the same lies)

“As I live” says the LORD God “you shall no longer use that proverb in Israel. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.”

Of course it is your turn now… Jesse this is the Old Testament, Ezekiel is hard to understand and he is talking to Israel so how does this fit in the overall scheme of things. “I am so glad you asked” there is a parallel verse of scripture in the New Testament and it goes like this. Children, obey your parents in the LORD, for it is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long of the earth.” (So far so good fathers; the burden of obedience is on the child). Ephesians 6:1-3; but don’t stop here read the next verse, verse 4).

Ephesians 6:4 – “And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the LORD”. Just what could change the countenance of our children and promote “wrath” in their young hearts. There are number of parental sins against children, the root cause of these begin and end with LIES. Well how do I know this is true? Take a look around at the fruits of parental behavior. What you see your children doing is mostly a result of the “training manual” we used or did not use when they were children.

Deuteronomy 29:29 – “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law.” Notice if you will that Moses under the guidance of God says – “that we may do all the WORDS of the law and not all the WORKS of the law”. This is important, since the works of man cannot be justified by God if man refuses to look at the Words of God first. The events of Christmas must be told to children BEFORE the world has a chance to corrupt their intellect, we will look at the Truth of Christmas on Friday.