UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Introduction
I have heard many people claim they were not lying because they were speaking from their heart, or because they had no intention of lying. They thought they were telling the truth as they knew it. Yet, were they actually lying? In order to understand lying and liars, we must first understand truth as described in the Bible. As we look, we must also eliminate any idea that one thing cannot exist without its opposite. For example, wrong thinking would suggest you cannot know the truth without lies, so that one may be distinguished from the other. Forget such nonsense. God is truth, and He never lies. Long before lies came into being, God existed eternally before then. Therefore, truth existed apart from any lies or darkness of any kind. Because the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44), truth existed in God long before the father of lies existed.
Lying Means the Failure To Tell the Truth
Jesus and the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:31-32; Matthew 13:31-32). Jesus used the example of the mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God. The mustard seed starts small, but grows into something big. Jesus was very precise in making a comparison regarding the mustard seed. Please keep in mind that Jesus sought to use the familiar things known to His audience to illustrate truths unknown to His audience. Therefore, we may expect that Jesus would talk about facts obvious to His audience to use parables to explain spiritual truths to them.
Many people teach that Jesus said that the mustard seed is the smallest seed in the world.
Matthew 13:31-32
Jesus used precise language when speaking about the mustard seed. Jesus specified that a man sowed seed in his field. Jesus used a comparison here which would be known to the audience. The phrase for “in his field (“ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ“) actually contains the article “the” and may be rendered “in the field of him.” Jesus continued that the seed was “smaller” than all other seeds. Smaller is a comparative word. So, the mustard seed was smaller than what? Jesus identified that the mustard seed was smaller than all the other garden plants when sown, but larger than the garden plants when full grown. Jesus also precisely stated that the seed was larger than the garden plants, but He did not make the claim that the mustard plant was larger than all the trees of the field. Jesus said that the mustard plant becomes a tree, not the largest tree in the field. Jesus was very precise in comparing the mustard seed to other plants in the gardens of His audience.
Mark 4:31-32
In fact, Jesus was very precise in His language. Jesus was not speaking about all the seeds on earth, but rather the seed sown upon the soil of the gardens of His audience. Notice the words of Jesus: “when sown upon the soil; though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches;”
Let us look at the precise words of Jesus here. Jesus was talking about people in His audience sowing the seed. Notice they sowed the seed upon “the soil.” What soil? Jesus answered that question by identifying the soil as the soil in the garden where the audience grows their plants. Therefore be sure to notice the words of limitation Jesus used. The audience sows the seeds on the soil in their gardens. Please notice further that the term “smallest” was in comparison to the other “garden plants” in their own gardens.
Jesus was not speaking anything but the truth. We must always be careful to read the words. The words matter. When the term “smallest” appears, we must ask: smallest compared to what? We should be careful to see what the speaker meant by the term smallest and how the speaker made the comparison. Here, the comparison is to the seeds sown by His audience upon the soil of their gardens.
Truth and Lies
1.1 Serving as a witness involves lies. “A trustworthy witness will not lie (“יְכַזֵּב”), but a false witness lies (“שָׁקֶר”).” In this verse notice two important things.
1.1.1 God did not mention any decision about lying here. Instead, God presents the matter of fact outcome. The trusthworthy witness does not lie, but the false witness lies. God did not focus upon motive or knowledge of the truth, but the quality of the source of the testimony.
1.1.2 God ties the lie to the trustworthy witness. Likewise, God ties the lies with a false witness.,
Proverbs 14:5 A trustworthy witness will not lie (“יְכַזֵּב”), but a false witness lies (“שָׁקֶר”). ((Two Hebrew terms appear here: lie (“יְכַזֵּב”), and lies (“שָׁקֶר”).
Habakuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, it hastens toward the goal and it will not lie (“יְכַזֵּב”). Though it tarries, wait for it; forit will certainly come, it wil not delay.
John 8
In John 8:31, many Jews had believed in HIm. Jesus spoke to them saying: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Min; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Those Jews who had believed answered Jesus: “You will become free?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin This slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remaijn forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
He said that they souight to kill Jesus, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things wich I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things whcih you heard from your father.”
Jesus then elaborated it further: Why do you hnot understand what I am saying? It is becasue you cannot hear My word.”
Jesus observed that they want to do the desires of their father, the devil. The devil does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, and he is a liar and the fatehr of lies.
If I say that I do not kow Him, I will be a liar like you, but AI do not know Him and keep His word.
יְכַזְּבוּ
Ps 78:36 But they deceived Him with their mouth,and lied (“יְכַזְּבוּ”) to Him with their tongue”
Is 58:11 “And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and to give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose water will not lie (“יְכַזְּבוּ”).
יַכְזִיבֵנִי
Job 24:25
כָזָב
Ps 4:3
Ps 5:7
Ps 40:5
Ps 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from the womb.
Ps 62:4 They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless wiht their mouth, but inwardly they curse. Selah.
Ps 62:10
Ps 116:11 In his distress, the Psalmist said: I said in my alar, “All men are liars.”
Pro 19:22 What is desirable in a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
Pro 30:8 Keep deception and lies far from me, given me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion.
Is 28:15
Is 28:17
Eze 13:6
Eze 13;7
Eze 13:9
Eze 13:19
Eze 21:34
Eze 22:28
Dan 11:27
Hos 12:2
Mic 2:11
Zeph 3:13
כִּזְבֵיהֶם
Amos 2:4
כְּזָבִים
Jdg 16:10
Jdg 16:13
Jdge 6:19
Pro 6:19
Pro 14:5
Pro 14:25
Pro 19:5
Pro 19:9
Pro 21:28
Pro 23:3
Hos 7:13
שָׁקֶר
Exodus 5:9
Exo 20:16
Exo 23:7
Leve 5:22
Deu 19:18
2 Sam 18:13
1 Ki 22:22
1 Ki 22:23
2 Ki 9:12
2 Ch 18:21
2 Ch 18:22
Job 12:4
Job 36:4
Ps 7:15
Ps 27:12
Ps 31:19
Ps 33:17
Ps 35:19
Ps 38:20
Ps 52:5
Ps 63:12
Ps 69:5
Ps 109:2
Ps 119:29
Ps 119:69
Ps 119:78
Ps 119:86
Ps 119:104
Ps 119:118
Ps 119:128
Ps 119:163
Ps 120:2
Ps 144:8
Ps 144:11
Pr 6:17
Pr 6:17
Pr 10:18
Pr 11:18
Pr 12:19
Pr 12:22
Pr 13:5
Pr 14:5
Pr 17:4
Pr 17:7
Pr 20:17
Pr 21:6
Pr 25:14
Pr 25:18
Pr 26:28
Pr 29:12
Pr 31:30
Is 9:14
Is 32:7
Is 44:20
Is 57:4
Is 59:3
Is 59:13
Jer 6:13
Jer 8:10
Jer 9:2
Jer 10:14
Jer 14:14
Jer 16:19
Jer 23:25
Jer 23:32
Jer 27:10
Jer 27:14
Jer 27:16
Jer 28:15
Jer 29:21
Jer 29:23
Jer 29:31
Jer 37:14
Jer 40:16
Jer 43:2
Jer 51:17
Eze 13:22
Hos 7:1
Mic 6:12
Hab 2:18
Zec 8:17
Zec 10:2
Zec 12:3
שְׁקָרִים
Ps 101:7
Pr 12:17
Pr 19:5
Pr 19:9
Psalm 116:11
1 Ti 1:10
1 Ti 4:2
Tit 1:12
Rev 21.8
Job 24:25
Pro 17:4
Pro 19:22
Pro 30:6
Joh 8:44
Joh 8:55
Rom 3:4
1 Jo 1:10
1 Jo 2:4
1 Jo 2:22
1 Jo 4:20
1 Jo 5:10
Ps 31:18
Ps 109:2
Ps 120:2
Pr 6:17
Pr 10:8
Pr 12:19
Pr 12: 22
Pr 17:7
Pr 21:6
Pr 26:28
Is 59:13
Jer 8:8
Ez 13;6
Ez 13:7
Ez 13:9
Ez 13:19
DAn 2:9
Zech 10:2
Rom 9:1
2 Cor 11:31
Gal 1:20
1 Tiim 2:7
Rev 21:27
Rev 22:15
Lies
Jud 16:13
Job 13:4
Ps 58:3
Ps 59:12
Ps 63:11
Pr 6:19
Pr 14:5
Pr 14:25
Pr 19:5
Pr 19:9
Pr 30:8
Is 28:17
Is 59:4
Jer 9:3
Jer 9:5
Ez 13:19
Ez 21:29
Ez 22:28
Dn 11:27
Hos 7:3
Hos 7:13
Hos 10:13
Hos 11:12
Hos 12:1
Amo 2:4
Mic 2:11
Mic 6:12
Mic 7:5
Nah 3:1
Zeph 3:13
Jn 8:44 Yoy are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer form the beginning, and does not stand in the truth and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the fatehr of liesl.
ψεύστης
jn 8:44, 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Himp; aned if Is ay that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.
Rom 3:4
1 Jn 2:4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the turth is not in him;
1 Jn 2:22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the onw who denies the Father and the Son.
1 Jn 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” an hates his borther, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot lvoe God whom he has not seen.”
ψεύστην
1 John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make HIm a liar and His word is not in us.”
1 John 5:10 “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, becasue he ahs not beieved in the testimony that God has given concerning HIs son.”
ψεύσταις
1 Tim 1:10 law designed for liars sse 1:12
ψεῦσται
Titus 1:12 Cretains liars
ψεύσασθαί
Acts 5:3 But Peter, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
Heb 6:18 impossible for God to lie
ψεῦδος
John 8:44
Eph 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
1 Jo 2:21 I have written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know the truth, but because you do know it, and becasue no lie is of the truth.
1 Jo 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
Rev 14:5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.
Rev 21:27 no liar
Rev 22:15 liars outside
ψεύσματι
Rom 3:7 But if thorugh my lie the truth of God abounded to HIs glory, why am I also still being judged as a a sinner?
