Or does it?
Somehow we never say the Ninth Commandment in it's entirety. Maybe because we don't read The Bible. Maybe because we don't want to. Have YOU ever actually read the Ninth Commandment? Some people are so quick to tell people not to lie because, doggone it! They just know The Bible says thou shalt not lie.
Well, we at The UnderCover Adventist are here to tell you the truth.
Ex 20:16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
Did you actually read it? It points out one, yes, one lie. Not lies. One lie.
That's what The Bible says.
Now you are asking yourself, why are we even talking about this? Two reasons.
1. We of all people, should know The Bible.
2. Not all lies are condemning lies, and we need to know that.
Have you ever kept a secret? Something held back to not inform people at such and such a time? Letting them believe something for a while, then telling them the truth? You are a deceiver.
Do you tell your spouse they look beautiful? Even in the morning...even when they know they don't?
Do you ever tell a child who has drawn an unrecognizable picture for you....that it's great?
A child messes up at a piano recital. Are you going to tell the kid, "sorry...you did not do so great. Oh well, better luck next time!" Doubtful.
Your son hits another kid on purpose and makes them cry. Have you ever demanded the child immediately go and apologize, even though they are NOT sorry? Well, you have forced your kid to lie.
Kids are serious problems when it comes to lies. So is family. You have to pretend to get along. You have to act like you are glad to see them.
You smile at someone, even though it pains you.
Can you imagine a world where everyone tells everyone else how lousy they are? How ugly they are? How terrible they are? How you hate being here?
Each and every time you go somewhere out of need or duty, and you do not want to be there, then pretend you are happy....you are a deceiver. And we certainly know you can think of many, many other examples.
How about Anne Frank's family and the other holocaust victims who were hid...due to deception?
Christians have risked their lives smuggling Bibles behind the iron curtain.
Do you know that people were rescued from East Berlin....
....all of these due to deceptions and lies?
We do not...and we need to reiterate this loud and clear,
We do not serve a loving and just God that would condemn anyone for doing the above acts.
Maybe, just maybe, that's why there is no version of the Ninth Commandment that says thou shalt not lie.
The sin in lying, lies with deceit for ill-gotten gain, to do harm to others, for hate and spitefulness. Not for acts of kindness.
Do you want more proof? Let's actually read The Bible.
God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Do we really believe God wanted Abraham to kill his son? Certainly not. We don't even teach that.
Jesus told the parable about the rich man and Lazarus. Was that the truth? According to Adventists, hardly any of that is true.
Elijah ran away and hid.
Many, many stories in The Bible are about deceit.
Paul heard about a plot to kill him in Jerusalem, and they helped him escape by lowering him in a basket.
Jael killed Sisera, the story of Deborah. She lured him in under a false sense of security....then drove a tent peg through his skull.
Joseph toyed with his brothers, even making them steal something.
But let's look at two very telling ones.
The first, is about a prophet who disguises himself. Read the account very, very carefully. He is being deceitful.
1 Kings 20:35-43
35And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. 37Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. 38So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. 39And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. 40And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. 41And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
The account of Rahab
Joshua 2
3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 4And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: 5And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 6But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Rahab lied and deceived. What does The Bible say about it?
Look at James 2
25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Not very condemning, is it?
In fact, let's look at what the Adventist Bible Commentary says about this.
Vol 7, page 523-524
"Rahab cast her lot with the people of God and demonstrated her faith in Israel's God by jeopardizing her life to save the spies. James implies that if she had professed faith in the God of Israel and yet had not hidden the spies, her faith would have been barren and dead."
Did you catch that? Her deception put her life in danger, but proved her faith.
Be very, very careful as you talk to people and call them sinners.
Be extra careful when talking about The Ten Commandments. If you don't know them, what will people say of you?
Bearing false witness against a neighbor, is a sin. Not telling the whole truth and deception, not always wrong.
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