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Deuteronomy chapter 5. Deuteronomy 5, as we continue to work our way through the Ten Commandments, remember the book of Deuteronomy is the second generation poised to enter into the promised land. They are presently on the plains of Moab, and Moses gives them a series of exhortations, a historical review in chapters 1 to 4. And then an exhortation to covenant loyalty in chapters 4 to 28, so that's the bulk of the book, and foundational to that exhortation is the Decalogue, or the Ten Words or the Ten Commandments that we find here in chapter 5. And then after this exhortation to pursue covenant loyalty, there's a summary and conclusion in chapters 29 and 30, and then it's followed by the succession of Joshua, in chapter 31, and then the death of Moses according to chapters 32 to 34.

And remember, with the Ten Commandments, we usually speak of the two tables of the law. The first table is our duty toward God. You shall have no other gods before him. You shall not make an idol. You shall not blaspheme. And you remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. And then the latter six commandments are our duty toward man.

So I'll read the section beginning in verse one, and then our focus will be on chapter five, verse 20.

So Moses called all Israel and said to them, here, O Israel, the statutes and judgments, which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain.

He said, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. "'You shall not bow down to them nor serve them, "'for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, "'visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children "'to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, "'but showing mercy to thousands, "'to those who love me and keep my commandments.

"'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, "'for the Lord will not hold him guiltless "'who takes his name in vain. "'Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, "'as the Lord your God commanded you. "'Six days you shall labor and do all your work, "'but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. "'In it you shall do no work, you nor your son, "'nor your daughter, nor your male servant, "'nor your female servant, nor your ox, "'nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, "'nor your stranger who is within your gates, "'that your male servant and your female servant "'may rest as well as you.

And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. These words, the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain, from the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness with a loud voice. And he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. Amen.

Well, as we consider this particular commandment, we'll proceed like we have in the past with other commandments. We'll look first at the prohibition of the command. It comes in the form of a, you shall not. But then secondly, we'll look at the reason for the command. And then finally, the positive aspect of the command. So a command that forbids something by implication positively commends something else. And that's how the history of interpretation has approached the commandments.

So with reference to the prohibition of the commandment, notice the command, verse 20, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Now it's certainly a commandment that underscores the principle of telling the truth in all situations, but it specifically focuses here on the courtroom. It's specifically or primarily concerned with witness testimony in criminal affairs or criminal matters. So basically, the prohibition against perjury, the act of perjury.

So we'll look at several sins or several crimes, the first being perjury, then we'll look at lying, backbiting and slander, gossip and tail-bearing, and then the way that we can commit these particular crimes, or these particular sins. But with reference to perjury, the ninth word is primarily concerned with the courtroom. Again, giving false testimony in a particular situation with serious ramifications. It is the deliberate, willful giving of false, misleading, or incomplete testimony under oath.

Remember that in this Old Covenant situation, God regulates Israel's political life, he regulates their societal life, he regulates matters of crime and justice and punishment and witness testimony and courts and supreme courts and all of that. You see that throughout the Pentateuch. There's a heavy emphasis on that for the regulation of the conduct of the children of Israel as a body politic. Remember, they're on the plains of Moab. They're poised to go into the land of Canaan, that land that God had sworn to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Well, when they get to that land, they're going to need to function in a particular capacity. They've been subject to the Egyptians. They've been wandering through the wilderness. They have certainly sinned. They have certainly engaged in criminal activity. The idea being is that when they get into the land, they're supposed to shine forth the glory of the God of Israel. In fact, if you look back at Deuteronomy chapter 4, notice specifically at verse 5. Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore, be careful to observe them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? 

So they were to be a model society, a civil polity built on and founded upon the law of God. And so therefore, it does matter the way that witness testimony is prescribed, the way that cases are heard, the way that judges function, the way that courts function, appellate courts, supreme courts, all of that built into the Pentateuch. 

Notice back in Exodus chapter 23, again a heavy emphasis on truth telling with reference to a courtroom. Truth telling with reference to witness testimony. Notice in Exodus 23 at verse one, you shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute. And then in verse six, you shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. 

And then notice in the book of Proverbs, again, a heavy emphasis on. good, faithful, truth-telling when it comes to witnessing. Proverbs chapter 19 at verse five, a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape. And then in 19.9, a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish. And then again in chapter 25 in the book of Proverbs, specifically at verse 18. A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow. 

So there are, as I said, serious ramifications for false testimony circulating amongst the commonwealth in Old Covenant Israel. And of course, by extension, If we don't have truth-telling in our court system, if we don't have truth-telling as the foundation of our social order, it's in a big mess. In fact, Dabney makes the observation in his systematic theology. If confidence is destroyed, then all the bands which unite man with his fellows are loosed. Each man must struggle on unaided by his fellows, as though he were the sole forlorn remnant of a perishing race. 

Pretty epic language, but very actually perceptive because a society that doesn't function on truth, where courts do not function regarding to truth, where witnesses are false and lie and perjure themselves and there's no consequences appended to them, you can't long advance the cause of justice and righteousness when the courts are filled with liars and lawlessness and deception. 

When we come to this particular commandment, it says, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. It's always important for us to define the concept of neighbor. Remember in Luke chapter 10, when Jesus speaks the parable of the good Samaritan, the neighbor is anybody in close proximity to you. In fact, Stuart says this. This is the first commandment to employ the word neighbor in its general juridical sense of anyone else you happen to come into contact with. rather than the more narrow sense of someone living near you. In laws and formal rules, neighbor has nothing to do with proximity or familiarity. Your neighbor connotes any other human being you may have dealings with actually or potentially.

" And again, Luke 10, I think, illustrates that well. The Samaritan had no regard for this particular man at some personal level. They weren't next-door neighbors, but the Samaritan saw him as a neighbor, and thus the Samaritan rendered aid to him. So the idea of neighbor doesn't mean you're next-door neighbor. It doesn't mean somebody in your local church. It means anybody that you have contact with. And so the idea is, is you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Now, when we consider this particular crime, we consider this particular sin, we see the seriousness of it in Deuteronomy 19. You can turn there. And again, eventually we'll get to Deuteronomy 19. We may not have to do as much heavy lifting when we get to these further chapters because we've already looked at them. But if your mind is like my mind, by the time we get to 19, I'll have forgotten what we did tonight. Actually, not totally, but at least somewhat.

Notice in Deuteronomy 19, specifically at verses 15 to 21, you've got the New King James Bible, that's a good heading, header there. The law concerning witnesses. The law concerning witnesses.

Now, notice first a rule established. Verse 15, one witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits. By the mouth of two or three witnesses, the matter shall be established. This isn't the first time this principle has been invoked. We see it in Deuteronomy chapter 17 as well, specifically at verses six and seven. As well, Matthew 18 is founded upon this principle. If your brother sins against you, go to him. If he hears you, you've won your brother. If he doesn't hear you, then take with you two or three witnesses. If he doesn't hear them, then tell it to the church. If he doesn't listen to the church, then treat him like a tax collector and a heathen.

So this idea of two or three witnesses is built into biblical law, I think, to restrain the accuser and to protect the accused. And when it comes to Matthew 18, for instance, I'm not convinced that the witnesses necessarily witnessed the particular effects. Because then, in the matter of sin, I think this is a courtroom, Deuteronomy 19, and the principle that's going to follow, I think, makes it clear of what's in view here.

But in a Matthew 18 scenario, if you go to your brother, and which, by the way, Brethren is a command. It's an amazing thing to me how many times the people of God disregard Matthew 18. If your brother sins against you, don't run and rat him out to the pastor. Don't run and rat him out to his workmates. Don't run and rat him out to everybody else that knows. If your brother sins against you, you must go to him. That's not an optional thing. Well, you know, I kind of prefer the other option. No, no, there's no other option. If your brother sins, and notice the language that Jesus employs in Matthew 18. If your brother sins, It's not your brother didn't look at you on Sunday. It's not your brother didn't pick up the phone when you called. It's not that your brother sent a sad-faced emoji and it hurt your feelings. It's if your brother sins against you. You've got to make that determination. If he hasn't sinned, then why would I go to rebuke him for his sin? If he has sinned, then I must go to rebuke him for his sin.

Now, I can invoke the principle of letting love cover a multitude of sins. That's another option as well. But if you invoke that principle, you must actually let love cover that sin. Because I think we hide behind that because we're too afraid to go confront the brother. I'm going to let love cover it, but then we avoid it. And then we treat him at arm's distance. Well, that's not letting love cover it. That's staying or holding on to it and allowing it to ruin the relationship. So Matthew 18 proceeds in this particular way. If your brother sins, go to him. If he doesn't hear you, then take two or three witnesses.

Again, the two or three witnesses didn't necessarily witness the sin. They're going to witness the process. They're going to witness the accusation. They're going to witness the accused. They're going to give testimony or listen or rather, you know, give their input and their counsel in the proceeding of the matter. Of course, if he doesn't hear the two or three witnesses, then you tell it to the church. If he doesn't listen to the church, then you excommunicate him.

This principle is invoked in 1 Timothy chapter 5 as well. Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Why is that? So that elders can get away with stuff? No, for the protection of elders. Lots of times, especially if an elder is functioning biblically, he irritates people. I hate to break this to you, but sometimes when pastors tell you what God says, you don't always take it well. I don't mean you specifically, you take it glowingly. But sometimes people get upset. So they have easy access to go and, you know, put a complaint against or an accusation against an elder. Paul says don't receive those except on the basis of two or three witnesses. There ought to be a degree of protection built in for a man that does at times invite criticism and at times invites persons that have a bee in their bonnet.

So this principle is thoroughly biblical and it's a great principle. So it's foundational to what we'll find in the rest of this section of legislation. So back to Deuteronomy 19, then notice the violation of the rule by a false witness in verse 16. This is the rub, this is the issue, this is the problem. And here's where we see the seriousness of the offense of violating the ninth commandment in a courtroom. And I think you'll see that in a moment.

So notice in verse 16, of a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing. So, you know, God is, you know, omniscient, omnipotent. He knows the heart of man. He knows it's deceitful above all things. He knows it's desperately wicked. So he gives the legislation in a broad form in Deuteronomy 520, and then he gives specific judicial details of it and the possible ways it could go wrong. Right? If everybody in a body politic is supposed to tell the truth, wouldn't it be great if everybody just told the truth? Well, that's not the way the world works. People lie. People deceive. People cheat. People steal. That's why the commandments are here.

So the obvious application of the commandment to the courtroom in the case of the false witness now proceeds. Notice in verse 17, then both men in the controversy, the accuser and the accused. The accuser is the false witness. The accuser is the one that says, hey, I saw so-and-so rob that bank at 3 a.m. on Thursday morning. That's what's in view. So then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. So in other words, there's a new situation, right? We've got a false witness. The accused is saying, it wasn't me at that bank at 3 a.m. on Thursday morning. This guy's lying. So now that's what's being addressed. It's not the bank robbery at 3 o'clock in the morning on a Thursday. It's the issue that this man has lied in witness testimony for the purpose of getting his fellow in big trouble.

So then notice in verse 18, and the judges shall make careful inquiry. That's what it's all about. Again, that's the two or three witness principle in the Matthew 18 scenario. If your brother sins, take two or three witnesses. What are they going to do? They're going to ask questions. They're going to make careful inquiry. And they're going to do cross-examination. They're going to say, well, how is that the case that he was at that place at that time when he's got alibis that says otherwise? There's careful inquiry.

Biblical law is not barbaric. Biblical law is not, you know, throw them down under the gutter and let's just stone them to death. I think there's that conception out there. Unfortunately, it's in much of the church. I get it why the pagans have a problem with biblical law. I don't get it why Christians do. Christians should have a great appreciation for the matters and the principles embedded in the law of God. I mean, if Western civilization actually operated accordingly, it probably wouldn't look as messy as it does now.

So the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness who has testified falsely against his brother. Now here comes the penalty in verse 19. The penalty is stiff. Why? Because the crime is severe. Then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother.

So let's just put this in the real concrete real world here. I allege something of Julian. And my hope is is that Julian is going to be found guilty and executed. Well, it turns out I'm a liar. I'm deceptive. If they prove that I'm a liar and deceptive, guess what my punishment is? Capital punishment. Whatever I had hoped for Julian, and by the way, I don't hope this at all. I think you're a lovely human being. I don't want to see you executed by stoning. You're just an illustration tonight, brother. Do you see the seriousness of that? It's not, well, you were a false witness, so pay the fine and go home. No. If the crime I'm alleging he committed is worthy of capital punishment, or a huge monetary fine, or corporal punishment, or any host of penalties that you find in the Old Testament, whatever it was going to be for him, if I'm a false witness, it's going to be for me.

Now, I ask you, if you knew that, wouldn't it deter you from being a false witness? You'd really think twice about lying about Julian in a courtroom if you knew that you could be subject to stoning to death. I think it would really cut down on a litigious society that is so happy, a society where there's a lawsuit behind every shelf at Walmart. If persons were held accountable for their false witness and their deceptive testimony and their crime of perjury, up to and including the death penalty, I think it would have a great effect upon the court system.

The end of verse 19, so you shall put away the evil from among you. Notice, the first emphasis isn't deterrent. I mean, I think it's corollary. I think it's a benefit. The first emphasis is get the evil out. You don't build a functional society with perjurers. You don't build a functional commonwealth with people that'll lie under oath. You don't build civilization when people aren't as good as their word, when people will lie to try to get other people into trouble. Verse 20, and those who remain shall what? They'll hear in fear. I'd hear and fear. If I knew that this false witness got taken out back and stoned to death for his efforts, I'd hear that and I would fear. And hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you." So there's your deterrent. The first is just raw punishment. Get him out. Sanitize society. Remove him. Again, these are not popular concepts in our generation. This is barbarism. This is sick. This is twisted. No, we much prefer criminals violating innocent people. That's more preferable in Western civilization as it's circling the drain at this particular juncture.

But notice the deterrent effect, they shall not again commit such evil among you. And then it's underscored by the Lex Talionis or the law of retribution, your eye shall not pity, life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Christopher Wright comments on the Deuteronomy 19 passage. It therefore established a remarkable retributive law on perjury. Anyone discovered to have given false testimony was to be punished with the same punishment that the victim of his accusations would have received if the verdict had gone against him. One wonders what a salutary effect such a law might have in the modern world, which is plagued with miscarriages of justice, notoriously caused by false testimony and conspiracy. Yeah, if you watch any news, you ever stumble onto social media, you can't miss this. This happens all the time. There's such a necessity to regulate the political system according to principles of justice and righteousness.

Calvin says, with reference to Deuteronomy 19, whence it appears that false witnesses and murderers stand in the same light before God. That's pretty epic, but that's the emphasis in the passage there in Deuteronomy 19. So the specific prohibition is for the crime of perjury in a courtroom, in a public situation, again, for the betterment of the body politic, for the stability of the commonwealth. But secondly, broadly, the act of lying. Kaiser says it demands the sanctity of truth in all areas of life. That's just a basic principle in God's world is that you tell the truth.

Now, we're not going to get into the various nuances. Is it right to camouflage in a time of war? Is it right to paint your face in a time of war so your enemy can't see you? Or must you walk out there in your shiny whiteness and get shot in the head? I'd argue that camouflage is perfectly acceptable. Deception in time of war is something we see in scripture. I think when Rahab the harlot lied, Everybody gets caught up on her lies. She was protecting the spies of the kingdom of God, committing an act of treason against her body politic, but she's only ever commended subsequently to that in Scripture. She's in the Hall of Faith in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 11. So when it comes to war, yeah, you can deceive your enemy so you can beat him. That's war. So we're not, I guess we just did discuss that, but we're not going to discuss it further.

Notice in Leviticus 19, again, several passages throughout scripture. This shouldn't be like, wow, I can't believe the Bible emphasizes telling the truth. But it's good to see some of these passages. Leviticus 19, 11. You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. In fact, I would recommend, encourage, submit, that you think about Leviticus 19 as the love chapter in the Old Testament. If I asked you, what's the love chapter in the New Testament, you'd probably say, You sure would. Leviticus 19 functions as something of a love chapter. Notice specifically in verse 17, you shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. 

Well, previously, it's how we love our neighbor. Love with our possessions, according to verses 9 and 10. Love with our words, verse 11 and 12. We don't lie against them. We don't deceive them. We love with our actions, in verses 13 and 14. We love in judgment, in verses 15 to 16. It's the love chapter. The principle undergirding it all is the end of verse 18, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

Well, it's worked out in concrete ways in the previous section in the chapter, beginning with when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest, and you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I'm the Lord your God. That's how you love people with your possessions. 

Notice in verse 11, you shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another, and you shall not swear by my name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. So you love with words, by telling truth. 

Verse 13, you shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God. I am the Lord. You love by your actions. 

So you see the emphasis, again, in verses 15 to 16. You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a tailbearer among your people, nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord. It's all about love, brethren. This is the love chapter, one of the love chapters in the Old Testament. 

Notice as well in the book of Proverbs with reference to telling the truth in general, not just narrowly confined to the courtroom and the crime of perjury, but the necessity to tell the truth and the condemnation of those who do not. 

Notice in Proverbs 6, 16, these six things the Lord hates. Yes, seven are an abomination to Him, a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. So, two emphases there, the specific with reference to perjury in a courtroom, but as well, generally speaking, a lying tongue. It's condemned here by Solomon. 

Look at Proverbs 18. I'm sorry, Proverbs 619. No, not 619, I'm sorry. Proverbs, where am I at here? 12, 17 to 19. Proverbs 12, 17 to 19. He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness deceit. There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy. Again, this emphasis on the sanctity of truth in all areas. Notice in verse 22, lying lips are an abomination of the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight. And then of course, in the New Testament, Romans chapter one, it's seen in a vice list. One of those lists of vices that the apostle says is a sin against God and thus condemned by God.

In Romans chapter one, specifically at verse 29, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whispers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.

You see it as well in Ephesians 4. The apostle prohibits lying. You see it in Revelation 21 verse 8. Who's in the lake of fire? Well, several categories of persons, but certainly liars are there. So speaking the truth in all areas is absolutely crucial in terms of the ninth commandment.

I would suggest thirdly, backbiting and slander. Excuse me, backbiting and slander fall prey to this or fall under this particular commandment. Basically false and malicious statements made about another. You can turn back to Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 10. Backbiting and slander. We already saw backbiting there in Romans 1, 29 and 30. This whole idea of backbiting, Proverbs 10, verse 18, whoever hides hatred has lying lips and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

Backbiting and slander is deceit, it's lying. You know, I've said this before in the pulpit. When I was a kid, my mom told me, if you don't have something good to say about something, don't say it. That's a good principle, right? We shouldn't want to participate in slandering people.

You know, the next hat is gossip. I don't know what it is, our proclivity, our tendency, our inclination. Well, I guess I do know what it is. It's our wretched hearts. Brethren, gossip and backbiting and slander, it destroys people. You know the old adage, sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. My mom told me that one too, but that's false. That's false. You can destroy a person. You can absolutely destroy a person.

And the recklessness of social media, oh man, I've always thought, well, we may look at those two texts, but in Proverbs chapter 25, you can turn there, Proverbs chapter 25. 23, the north wind brings forth rain and a backbiting tongue and angry countenance. And then turn to Proverbs 18. If you were all my children, and you're not, and you could never be, but let's say you were 12 or 13 living in my house, and you said, I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, I wanna be a faithful Christian. Two texts I would have you memorize for your interpersonal relationships and your dealings with other people is in Proverbs 18.

The first is verse 13. He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him. Right? You hear one side of the story, and you've already condemned somebody. You've heard one side of the story, and you've gone on a Facebook blitz. You've heard one side of the story, and you're already convinced in the validity of their testimony and the falsity of this crook that they have reported. Brethren, if you answer a matter before you hear it, it's folly and shame to you. There's responsibility in interpersonal relationships.

And then the other is verse 17. The first one to plead his cause seems right. until his neighbor comes and examines him. If you've ever been on the receiving end of this, you can amen it 100 times, right? Somebody comes to you and they said, oh, so-and-so said this about you, and I just have this view of you now. And then you say, well, would you like to hear my side of the situation? Well, OK. and then you tell them and it's like wow I didn't know that well of course you didn't know that because you didn't examine me and you've already rendered a verdict and thus you've answered a matter before you heard it and it's folly and shame to you 

Brethren, we know that it hurts when it's done to us. When people operate with half a set of facts based on what we are or who we are, why would we do that to others? I mean, the golden rule still stands as well in Matthew 7, treat others as you want them to treat you. And I love the golden rule for this reason. I mean, I love it because it's God's word, but treat others the way you want them to treat you. Notice it's not treat them the way they do treat you. He treats me like garbage. So I'm going to treat him like garbage. No, no, no, no, no, no. You treat people the way you want them to treat you. Even if they don't treat you that way, that's the way I want you to treat me, so that's the way I'm supposed to treat people. Do you get that? 

Like in Ephesians 5, husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, but only if your wife is submitting to you as unto the Lord. Paul doesn't say that, and he doesn't say wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, only if your husbands are loving you the way that Christ loved the church. No, no, our obedience to God is not conditioned on other people's obedience to God. Again, tough pill, 13-year-old, but it's time to swallow it, because we operate that way. Well, my wife is this, that, and the other. I'm not going to love her the way Jesus says. Paul says love her the way Jesus loves the church, irrespective of how she behaves. Or the wife, I'm not going to submit to him. He's, you know, whatever. Well, I don't see that in Ephesians 5. Paul doesn't make that extended qualification or nuance, only submitteth. We always want to add conditions as a reason or rationale for our obedience or disobedience. 

Well, Proverbs 18, this is the way to live. This is the way to do life. The first one to plead his cause seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him.

And again, closely connected gossip and tailbearing. Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature. This happens at prayer meetings. Brethren, we need to pray for brother so-and-so who's, you know, and then they gossip. We're not supposed to gossip at a prayer meeting. I know, shocker, if the person didn't ask you to share it at prayer meeting, then maybe don't share it at prayer meeting. It's why I always say at the AGM, if you want the church to know your prayer request, let me know that. There are certain persons in our church that for whatever reason, when they have maladies or illnesses or whatever, they don't want an email going out. So I try to respect that. Everybody's got a right to privacy. Other people want those things to go out. Tell me. If you want it to go out, I'll send it out. But I typically operate on the principle, unless they ask me, I'm not going to send it out. Because some people value their privacy in such things.

But when it comes to gossip, I suspect that gossip, backbiting, slander, and tailbearing are probably more responsible for destroying churches than a guy standing up and denying the deity of Jesus. Now, I'm sure there are guys who have stood up and denied the deity of Jesus, and it's had a bad effect upon churches. But it's usually this kind of stuff, the level of brethren hanging out and gossiping. It's foul, it's polluted.

We saw it there in the love chapter in Leviticus 19. It's all over Proverbs. Proverbs 11 and verse 13, Proverbs 18, eight, Proverbs 20, 19, Proverbs 26, 20, Proverbs 26, 22. Why do you think Solomon addresses it so many times? Because it's our tendency, it's our propensity. Oh, did you hear? Did you hear? Did you hear? That's not our job, is to publish everybody else's business. It's up to them.

Again, I think social media is just a conduit. In many ways, it can be, I guess, a tool for good, but it seems to me at times, it's a tool that's not very used good.

Then the twofold manner, we can be the active participant. That means the one that lies, the one that's got a big mouth, and the one that runs it constantly. That's active participation. But we can be a passive participant as well. We like to hang around the people that have big mouths. We like to hang around the people that gossip. We like to hang around the people that slander. I don't say anything. Yeah, but you listen. You're not duty bound in scripture to listen to everybody's everything. If somebody starts to speak sinfully to you, you're not obligated in the scripture to listen. You can say, you know what, that's not my business. That's not for me. You have the power to shut that down. You can walk away. You can stop it.

Westminster larger catechism says we are to discourage tail bearers, flatterers, and slanderers. Discourage them. Brother, that's not something that should be for public knowledge. That's not something perhaps that they want to be brought up at the prayer meeting. Let's respect people's privacy unless they ask us to make it known. I don't think that's bad. I think that's the way to operate in civil society, in an ecclesiastical situation, to maintain peace, and unity, and joy, and love, and not compromising each other's reputations, and not spreading gossip, and slander, and backbiting, and tailbearing. These are killers within the context of the local church. And if that's a propensity, we need to deal with that.

Calvin says we must also close our ears against false and evil speaking. We must close our ears against false and evil speaking. Well, they might think I'm weird. I'd rather them think you're weird than to participate in gossip, wouldn't you? I mean, I'd rather have somebody go, that guy's weird, than participate passively in somebody else's sin. I'd rather look weird, I guess. I mean, I look weird, so it's okay, I'm used to it. But then participate in sin.

So prohibition, and read Westminster Larger Catechism, it goes on for, you know, more, more than all that. Well, I'll just read it. This is a catechism, question and answer. Now, the shorter was shorter, but if you were memorizing the Westminster Larger Catechism, here's what you'd get.

For what are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment? The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are all prejudicing the truth and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature, giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth, passing unjust sentence, calling evil good and good evil, Rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked.

Forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence and a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth forth either a reproof from ourselves or complaint to others. Speaking the truth unseasonably or maliciously to a wrong end. So speaking the truth unseasonably or maliciously to a wrong end is even condemned. or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice, speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tailbearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring, misconstructing intentions, words, and actions, flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others, denying the gifts and graces of God, aggravating smaller faults, hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins when called to a free confession, unnecessary discovering of infirmities, raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense, evil suspicion, envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy, scornful contempt, fond admiration, breach of lawful promises, neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

Can you imagine having your kid memorize that today? He'd go to jail for child abuse. But it's extensive. You see, they took it seriously. It is a matter of individual integrity, but a failure to maintain truth is destructive of everything it comes into contact with. It comes into contact in families, you can wreck families. Churches, you can wreck churches. Courtrooms, you wreck the justice system. The body politic, you wreck the system as a whole. This is vital and foundational and somewhat axiomatic to all the other commandments. I mean, come on. Somebody that's not faithful when it comes to speaking the truth has a likelier chance of not being faithful when it comes to other commandments in the scriptures. In fact, some of those commandments are oftentimes broken through deceit. through lies, through building up a story or whatever. I mean, stealing? I'm sure deceit comes in there somehow. Adultery? I would think at some level, you've got to lie to the innocent spouses. Again, it seems to me that it would happen. Not that I have any personal experience, but it seems to me that at some point, there's got to be deception. So deception is woven in to the breaking of all the other commandments. This is very important, and it's very important for the proper operation of family, church, and society.

Well, I want to stop there because I want to be able to talk on Sunday. Does anyone have any questions or comments thus far on any of that material? I mean, it's pretty straightforward. I hope nobody says, wow, I learned something new. I should tell the truth. Hopefully it's not. That's when you stop up here is that way. Yeah, that's a tough question.

All right, well, let me close in a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the law. We thank you that initially it shows us our sin and misery and our need for the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We thank you for that Savior, that salvation. Thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit that now directs us by that law, not so that we can be saved, but because we are saved. And help us to rejoice in your word. Help us to rejoice in the commandments. The apostle says the commandments of God are not burdensome, they're not grievous. Jesus says, if you love me, keep my commandments, help us, empower us, enable us by your grace and for your glory. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.