Exodus 20:16 - Ninth Commandment
Thomas S. Myers
The Ninth Commandment
Exodus 20:16
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (NIV)
The 10 commandments cover every law that needs to be made. You can not come up with an 11th commandment that is not some how already related to the 10 commandments. Did you know that every one to God's 10 commandments are given to protect something that is very precious to you? Whether it is your family, your property, your worship of God or your relationship with others, it is already covered by the 10 commandments. Take a good look at the 9th commandment.
Exodus 20:16
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (NIV)
I want to introduce you to the 9th commandment that tells us we are not to lie, by first of all sharing with you the origin of all lies.
FIRST -- THE FATHER OF ALL LIES.
Jesus Christ was in a discussion with the Pharisees. And the Pharisees were giving false testimony against Jesus. Jesus looked directly at the Pharisees and told them who is the originator of all lies. If you want to see who is the father of all lies look at John 8:44:
John 8:44
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (NIV)
The devil is the originator of all lies. And when you lie you are acting just like the devil. You are never more like the devil when you are telling a lie. And you are never more unlike Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness when you are bearing false witness. Think about this for a minute. What is the very first thing that you see the devil doing in the Bible? In Genesis 3:1 the very first act that the devil is seen doing is slandering the truth of God. Take a good look at it in Genesis 3:1 and notice what the devil does.
Genesis 3:1
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (NIV)
A. THE DEVIL SLANDERS THE CHARACTER OF GOD.
The devil is saying, "You have to be kidding, did God really say you can not eat from that tree over there?" Do you see what the devil is doing? He is putting a question mark after the Word of God. He is trying to get Eve to doubt the Word of God. Do you know why the devil is doing that? You see, the devil does not want you to necessarily deny God. But the devil does want you to think negatively about God. So the devil will slander the truthfulness of God. But that is not all that the architect of lies does.
B. THE DEVIL ALSO SLANDERS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.
Notice in Genesis 3:4 and see what the devil says.
Genesis 3:4
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. (NIV)
The devil was saying that God is soft on sin and He will not judge sin. There are 2 sides of God. God is love, but God is perfect holiness. When a guilty man is acquitted, the judge is condemned. If God knowingly, willingly, deliberately lest sin go unpunished, God becomes a sinner. But the architect of all lies doesn't want you to believe that God judges sin. So he lies to Eve saying, "You will not surely die."
Today, it's unchristian even to think about a God of judgment. I have a suspicion that if the Supreme Court of the United States could vote on hell, hey would outlaw hell as cruel and unusual punishment. They would vote hell out of existence. I'm glad that they can't vote on it. They did not vote God in and they can't vote God out. But God does judge sin. There is another thing that the devil does.
C. THE DEVIL SLANDERS THE GOODNESS OF GOD.
GeNESis 3:5
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." (NIV)
Do you see what the father of all lies is doing? The devil is implying that God was not letting Adam and Eve have all the good things in life. The devil was saying to Eve, "Eve, when you eat of the forbidden fruit, you will be like God. God does not want you to be like Him." What a liar the devil is. And the devil is still in the business of slandering God. The name devil means slanderer. Did you know that the devil even used lies to get Jesus crucified. Look at Matthew 26:59 and notice what the religious crowd did to get Jesus Crucified.
Matthew 26:59
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. (NIV)
The religious rulers began to encourage others to lie. The devil even entered into Judas Iscariot moving Judas to betray Jesus Christ.
Luke 22:3-4
3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. (NIV)
And Jesus very clearly tell us that same religious crowd that was moved and motivated by the devil himself.
John 8:44
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (NIV)
When you bear false witness you put yourself into some pretty bad company. Jesus said, the devil is the father of all lies.
SECOND -- THE FAMILY OF FALSE WITNESS.
Who is in this family of false witnesses?
A. THE PURGER.
The purgerer is a person who DEF
Exodus 23:1-2
1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. 2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, (NIV)
Now what does that mean? When you stand in a court of law and you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing about the truth and you lie, the wrath of all mighty God is upon you. I want you to know that there is another court coming, when the grave will give up their moaning, schricking, groaning dead and they will stand one by one in single file before almighty God and be judged. The Bible says:
Revelation 20:11-12
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. (NIV)
B. THE RUMOR MONGER.
The person who spreads rumors is among the family of the devil. Did you know they used rumors to crucify Jesus? It was rumored that Jesus planned to destroy the temple. I heard someone say, "Pastor, It's not me who starts all these rumors, it's the people I tell them to." Maybe that is you. A small town news paper had section that listed who went to the hospital. The paper said, "Gladys went to the hospital for the removal of a rumor." Now it was a misprint, but I wish there was such a hospital.
I heard of a church that recently hired a new youth pastor. The congregation did not really know him that well. Word had circulated around the church that he forced his wife to leave the church in tears. He knew he had to address the problem. Finally he said in the morning service, "I have heard this rumor and I have 4 things to say about it. First, I never interfere with the choice of my wife. She may attend whatever service she wishes. Second, my wife did not even attend the service in question. Third, I was not at the meeting in question. And fourth, I do not have a wife. It's easy to get rumors started, but it's even harder to stop a rumor.
C. THE FLATTERER.
The flatterer is the person who used insincencere flattery.
Proverbs 26:28
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. (NIV)
Notice that from Proverbs 26:28 that God list flatterer with ling. You see the flatterer wishes to use people. They make merchandise of people. They are not really trying to praise or flatter you. Now there is nothing wrong with giving honor. The Bible says,
BIBLE VERSE. GIVE HONOR TO WHO HONOR IS DUE
D. THE INSINULATOR.
Look at 2 Corinthians 12:20 and notice the word "gossip" (NIV), "whisperings " (KJV).
20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. (NIV)
The Greek word for "gossip" means secret slandering. Did you know that Jesus Christ had to face secret slanders all his life. Notice in John 8:41 the insuation of the Pharisees.
John 8:41
41 You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." (NIV)
Do you see the insinuation? They are saying , "We know who our father is, but you don't know who your father is." They were inferring that Jesus was the illagetament son of Mary. They said it with an insinulaltiohn. You can lie with the one of your voice. You can lie with the arching of your eye brows. You can lie with the way you word your words.
In the ships log the captain wrote down that the 1st mate was drunk today. The 1st mate begged the captain not to let that be in the ships log, but the captain said, "The ships log, stands as it is written." The next day it was the 1st mates turn to take charge of the ships log. He made this entry, "The captain was sober today." Now that was true, but it has insinuation.
E. THE SLANDERER.
The Bible says in James 4:11
11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. (NIV)
Do you know the reason people give you gossip? It is because they believe you're the king of person who wants to hear it. It is not a compliment to you that people want to use your ears as garbage cans. Perhaps you have sent out the signal that you're the kind of person who loves the hear juicy gossip.
THIRD -- THE FOLLY OF FALSE WITNESS.
Proverbs 14:8
8 the folly of fools is deception. (NIV)
The most foolish thing that you can do is to be dishonest. Why is it folly to be dishonest?
First, because it is so hurtful.
Illustration. In 1690, the British fought the French for control of the St. Lawrence River. The British commander ordered Admiral Phipps to take eleven ships and anchor outside Quebec. They were to wait for the British land forces before starting the joint naval-ground attack on the city. Admiral Phipps arrived early on the river, and saw the statues of saints on the roof of Quebec's Roman Catholic cathedral. He spent the next several days firing at those statues with his ship's guns. When the land forces arrived to attack the city, Phipps was out of cannonballs. He had used his ammunition shooting at the saints!
When you counter fix money, that money can always be taken out of circulation. But when you slander someone, those words can never be taken back. Did you know that God took the time to write in His word the things that he hates?
Proverbs 6:16-17
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, (NIV)
Second, because God hates the sin of a lying tongue. His anger burns against it. Do you know what is the end of all liars? The bible says
Revelation 21:8
8 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. (NIV)
God has a place for liars it is the lake of fire. Look at Matthew 25:41
Matthew 25:41
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (NIV)
Look at the word "angel" in Matthew 25:41. Do you know what the word angel means? It means messenger. When you tell a lie, you're the devil's messenger. And hell was prepared for the devil and his messengers. And God will not let you into heaven.
Revelation 21:27
27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (NIV)
Revelation 21:27 was not put into the Bible just to look at, but to heed. Is your name written in the Lambs book of life? I want you to know that all of us have been liars. There is not a man, women or child his not guilty of breaking the 9th commandment. But I want to tell you there is one way that every lie and every sin can be cleansed. When you receive Jesus Christ as Savior the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses us from all sin. Here is a prayer just for you to receive forgiveness of sin and to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. "Lord Jesus I need you. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. I open the door of
my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Amen"
I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, if you will trust Jesus Christ, He will forgive your sin. And when you die, He take you to heaven. Now the devil is a liar, he will give you every reason not to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. Don't listen to the devil's lie. Come to Jesus and do it now.