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These Six Things… Yea, Seven (A Lying Tongue)

Proverbs 6:16-19 puts before us seven things that are an abomination to God. They don’t just bug him. They are not merely irritants. They are detestable to God. We had better listen and respond.

Last week we looked at the first item listed - haughty eyes. If you missed that post I encourage you go back and read it so you get some of the context of what Solomon is doing with his list here in Proverbs 6. Today we come to the next item in this list - a lying tongue.

Lying here is more than merely speaking falsehood. Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke points out that the Hebrew word signifies “aggressive deceit intended to harm the other, unfaithfulness, perfidy, even when only the result of words.” (If you need to look up “perfidy” go ahead - I did!)

Boiling it down: a lying tongue is refers to talk that intends to deceive.

In what circumstances do you have a lying tongue? What prompts you to intend to deceive with false speech? Take time to prayerfully ask God to search your heart and reveal to you areas and times and occasions that prompt you to lie and deceive. And of course we must remember that God forgives us.

Our God only speaks truth. He cannot lie. As his image bearers he intends for us to also be truth tellers. Put to memory Psalm 120:2 and pray it right now.

Psalm 120_2

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