Category: lies / deception

A Naughty Tongue! #6

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

Recall Matthew 12:24, when the Pharisees wrongly accused Jesus of casting out devils by drawing on Satan’s power. Christ thus told His Apostles in Matthew chapter 10: “[24] The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. [25] It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub [Satan!], how much more shall they call them of his household?” That is, “Whatever hateful language they applied to Me, expect worse for yourselves!”

King David, representing Israel’s believing remnant, wrote 1,000 years earlier: “For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue…. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul” (Psalm 109:2,20). The Prophet Jeremiah, over 600 years before Christ, was falsely slandered: “Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words” (Jeremiah 18:18).

The Prophet Stephen was also unjustly criticized. “Then they suborned [bribed, enticed] men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God…. And [they] set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:…” (Acts 6:11,13). Finally, the Apostle Peter wrote to believing Israel in 1 Peter 2:12: “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Also, chapter 4, verse 4: “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:….”

Back to James chapter 3….

A Naughty Tongue! #5

Monday, July 13, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

Earlier, we looked at Ezekiel chapter 28. (Re-read the first two verses, and then recall how verses 11-19 describe Lucifer’s transformation into Satan.) God is addressing the evil spirit operating through “the prince of Tyrus” (verse 2ff.) and “the king of Tyrus” (verse 12ff.). That spirit is none other than Satan, a “cherub” or spirit creature of the fallen angelic host (verse 14). These two wicked men from Tyre are historical figures, but they are also typical of the Antichrist, the zenith of Satan and sinful man’s sinful speech.

Turn to what the Prophet Daniel penned in Daniel 7:8,25: “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things…. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Now, consider the Apostle John’s words in Revelation 13:5: “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”

Finally, read what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” True to his name, the Antichrist will falsely claim to be Christ (Greek) or Messiah (Hebrew). Here is Satan’s attempt to replace Jesus, the genuine Christ, thereby redirecting worship from the Creator God and placing it on the creature. Man’s “naughty tongue” is worse still….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “‘Ye have the poor always with you?’”

A Naughty Tongue! #4

Sunday, July 12, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

Considering the entire Bible, we recognize two factions—creatures on God’s side, and everyone else on Satan’s team. Moreover, all communication originates from one or the other. That is, the tongue or speaking organ will reflect God’s truth or Satan’s lie. Notice that prominent dichotomy in the following classic Bible passage.

Matthew chapter 12: “[31] Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. [32] And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. [33] Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. [34] O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. [35] A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. [36] But I say unto you, That every idle [useless, worthless] word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. [37] For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

The two kinds of speech—good and evil—are likened unto “fruit” stemming from trees. Of course, that “tree” is the heart (verses 34,35). A corrupt heart produces evil words; a good heart yields good words. Read verse 24. Israel’s apostate religious leaders had just wrongly accused Jesus of cooperating with Satan. Their evil words leveled against Him, or groundless slander, exposes their heart as corrupt or unbelieving. Christ thus labels them “vipers” (verse 34), for they mimic their spiritual father Satan, the serpent (Revelation 12:9). Listen as sinful man’s “naughty tongue” articulates more filthiness….

A Naughty Tongue! #3

Saturday, July 11, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

The Lord Jesus had some harsh words for Israel’s apostate religious leaders: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Satan is a “liar,” and “the father of [a lie].” As Lucifer, he once had God’s truth. Then, he willfully forsook it in favor of deceit.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Did you see the lies he told? Lucifer, a mere creature, believed he should be worshipped as God, and that all creation should follow his will instead of the Creator’s will. This transformed him into Satan—Hebrew for “the Adversary”—and God promptly removed him from the third heaven.

Ezekiel chapter 28, verses 1 and 2, now: “The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:….” Read verses 11-19. Satan is working through this human political ruler, which loops to the future. Indeed, God’s Adversary “converted” man to his side in the Garden of Eden, and man has been speaking his spiritual father’s lies ever since….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What about a six-year Tribulation?”

A Naughty Tongue! #2

Friday, July 10, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

The Book of James says much about the tongue. For example, chapter 1: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth [restrains] not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (verse 26). Did you see how “vain [empty, worthless] religion” appears here? Keep that in mind as we continue surveying the Bible as touching the tongue.

Chapter 3 contains the bulk of the “tongue” statements found in James: “[1] My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. [2] For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. [3] Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. [4] Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

“[5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. [7] For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: [8] But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Wow! What striking language this is! Why is it here?

As always, we “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). If we remember where James fits on the Bible timeline, and use it to look back in time at previous Divine revelation, we can grasp the culmination of man’s “naughty tongue….”

A Naughty Tongue! #1

Thursday, July 9, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

Many years ago, an elderly and dear sister in Christ (who has since moved on to be with the Lord) signed up for an account on a new social-media website. Within three months, the woman decided it was nothing but a “gossip column” and promptly deleted her account! No longer could she tolerate viewing the filth and reading the talebearing in which people were engaging. We can only wonder what that poor lady would say about social media today… a decade later!

Dear friend, re-read today’s Scripture: “A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.” The parallelism enables us to define the components of the verse. In other words, the “wicked doer” is simply the “liar;” the “false lips” correspond to the “naughty tongue.” God’s Word is clear. The reason someone willingly listens to a lie is because he or she is interested in circulating it as well. It is human nature to be attracted to drivel and defamation. Once we hear or read it, we enthusiastically pass it along to others so they can spread it too! (If we must propagate disparaging remarks, let us be sure to tell everyone Jeremiah 17:9! “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”)

The “naughty [Hebrew, “havvah”] tongue” of today’s Scripture appears in other verses. For example, see Psalm 38:12: “They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things [havvah], and imagine deceits all the day long.” Also, Psalm 52:2: “Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs [havvah]; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.” Man’s tongue—our tongue—is a disobedient or unruly organ. Whether thousands of years ago, right now, or in the future, the Holy Bible articulates uncomplimentary remarks concerning it. Saints, in this age of plenteous useless (!) chatter (!), we would do well to close our mouths and open our ears to the Word of God….