KEY TEXT: Joshua 9:22–23 (AMP) – “22 Joshua called the [Hivite] men and said, ‘Why did you deceive us, saying, “We live very far away from you,” when in fact you live among us? 23 Now therefore, you are cursed, and you shall always be slaves, both cutters and gatherers of firewood and water carriers for the house of my God.’”
All sin enslaves the sinner. God commands us in the ninth commandment not to lie. Lies enslave you. As a result of lying to the Israelites, the Hivite men were made to be cutters and gatherers of firewood and water carriers. If they had not lied, they would have been living more freely, using their time for the normal activities they used to do before.
Lies bring curses. Joshua told the Hivite men, “You are cursed.” Lying is disobeying God, and any commandment we disobey will always bring a curse. That includes the most disobeyed commandment, which is the Sabbath commandment. Not keeping the Sabbath day holy will bring a curse to your life. Therefore, be very careful not to disobey God even in the smallest degree. Be very careful not to lie.
Lying includes making false promises.
Psalm 15:4 (KJV) – “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.”
Psalm 15:4 (AMP) – “He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit].”
When you make a promise, you should keep it even when it is inconvenient. That is why you need to be very careful when you make a promise to God or to fellow human beings. Think of all possible scenarios before you make a promise. Consider what might happen that could lead you to fail to fulfill that promise. Do not promise out of desperation and then fail to fulfill it when the time comes to fulfill it.
Judges 11:30–31 (AMP) – “30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If You will indeed give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.’”
Jephthah promised God that he would offer to Him whatever came out of the doors of his house to meet him. When he said this, he likely thought it would be an animal that would come to meet him.
Unfortunately, after winning the battle against the Ammonites, his daughter was the first person to come out of his house to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child; he had no other (Judges 11:34).
What happened?
Judges 11:35 (AMP) – “When he saw her, he tore his clothes [in grief] and said, ‘Alas, my daughter! You have brought me great disaster, and you are the cause of ruin to me; for I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.’”
Judges 11:39 (AMP) – “At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed.”
Jephthah had to offer his daughter to God to fulfill his promise to God. Therefore, Jepthah’s daughter became a lifelong virgin (Judges 11:37-40). Jepthah loved his daughter very much because she was his only child. When you have many things, you may not feel so bad when you give one away. However, when you have only one thing, it can be quite painful to give it up. Some people feel terrible when they lose the only phone they have or the only car they own.
In Jephthah’s case, this was not just a thing. It was not a phone; it was not a car. It was a human being, his only daughter, that he had to give away. Fathers usually have a special bond with their daughters, just as mothers do with their sons. You can imagine how he felt when he gave up his only daughter.
You need to keep promises even to your own disadvantage. The culture of not keeping promises has been passed down through many generations. You promise your child something, but fail to keep that promise after he fulfills his part. Not only does it make him feel bad and see you as a liar, but it also cultivates in him the habit of not keeping promises.
When many families do this, it leads to a society that accepts and embraces breaking one’s word. This affects relationships with people even outside the family circle. It affects businesses and governments as well.
A righteous person who does not break his word even to his own disadvantage shall remain in the presence of God, because he abides in God’s tabernacle (Psalm 15:1). Such a person will have rock-solid stability because he cannot be moved (Psalm 15:5).
“Allow No Deviation From Rigid Honesty—In every business transaction be rigidly honest. However tempted, never deceive or prevaricate in the least matter. At times a natural impulse may bring temptation to diverge from the straightforward path of honesty, but do not vary one hairsbreadth. If in any matter you make a statement as to what you will do and afterward find that you have favored others to your own loss, do not vary a hairsbreadth from principle. Carry out your agreement. By seeking to change your plans you would show that you could not be depended on. And should you draw back in little transactions, you would draw back in larger ones. Under such circumstances some are tempted to deceive, saying, ‘I was not understood; my words have been taken to mean more than I intended.’ The fact is, they meant just what they said, but they lost the good impulse and then wanted to draw back from their agreement lest it prove a loss to them. The Lord requires us to do justice, to love mercy, and to love truth and righteousness.” – Child Guidance, p. 154.1, Ellen G. White.
Proverbs 18:21 (KJ21) – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. God created everything in the universe through His Word. He brought everything to life through His Word.
Unknown to many, words are very powerful. When we speak words that are in accordance with the Word of God and the commandments of God, we are speaking words of life. This is because we are speaking the words of truth. The words of truth and the words of eternal life (John 6:68) all come from one Source, and that Source is Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
When we speak lies, including white lies, we align ourselves with Satan, because he is the father of lies (John 8:44), and the truth does not abide in him. When we speak lies, we speak words of death because the wage of sin is death (Romans 6:23). If our words are not words of life, then they are surely words of death.
“Honest Weights and Measures—An honest man, according to Christ’s measurement, is one who will manifest unbending integrity. Deceitful weights and false balances, with which many seek to advance their interests in the world, are abomination in the sight of God…. Firm integrity shines forth as gold amid the dross and rubbish of the world. Deceit, falsehood, and unfaithfulness may be glossed over and hidden from the eyes of men, but not from the eyes of God. The angels of God, who watch the development of character and weigh moral worth, record in the books of heaven these minor transactions which reveal character.” – Child Guidance, p. 152.4, Ellen G. White.
GOD BLESS YOU!
Prayer
Almighty Heavenly Father, make my heart pure and my tongue truthful. Teach me to walk in integrity, to keep my promises, and to honor You in every word I speak. Deliver me from the bondage of lies and help me choose truth, even when it is difficult. Strengthen me to follow Your commandments faithfully and to reflect Your character in all that I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity
“The Promise Reflection Challenge”
- Take a notebook and write three promises you have made recently, to God, to yourself, or to others.
- Next to each promise, honestly evaluate:
- Have I kept this promise?
- If not, why did I fail?
- What steps can I take today to fulfill it?
- Choose one promise you have not fulfilled and take action within 24 hours to either:
- Fulfill it, or
- Communicate honestly with the person involved and make things right.
- Conclude the activity by writing a short personal commitment:
“With God’s help, I will be a person of truth and integrity.”
This activity helps develop self-awareness, integrity, responsibility, and the habit of keeping one’s word, key elements of a truthful life before God.
Author: Mark Alex
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