August 31, 2003

Rev. Rurel Ausley

You Shall Not Bear False Witness
Exodus 20:1-17; Luke 6:45

1. When were these Commandments given? Gen. 46 tells us about the time Jacob and all his children moved down to Egypt. Does your Bible show a date when this happened? Dates would be B.C. (before Christ). After a few years, all the Israelites were put into slavery by the Egyptians and they remained as slaves for 430 years (Ex. 12:40). The Commandments were given 3 months after their liberation (Ex. 19).

2. To whom were these Commandments given? These slaves were descendants of what man in Genesis? Do you know that the grandparents of these salves had once been in the Promised Land? God warned them not to go down into Egypt (Gen. 26:2). What happens when we disobey God? Do you understand that a dysfunctional family was partially to blame for the 430 years of slavery? Can you find the family and trace the problem as it unfolds?

3. Why did God need to give these Ten Laws of Life to people? Do you understand that the Ten Commandments are basically a condensed summary of the Torah? What is the Torah? Why was this a great idea on God’s part? What was God about to do with these (1 to 1.5 million) slaves? What do slaves know about starting a system of government? About a system of justice? Why was the 9th Commandment so vital to this process? Why was absolute truth so vital to this whole situation?

4. Look up these references to “false witness”: Ex. 23:1; Prov. 6:19-12:17; 19:9; 24:28; 25:18; Matt. 19:18; Rom. 13:9. What does it mean to bear false witness? Bearing false witness is lying. We can lie by telling a lie, spreading a lie, and living a lie. Why do you think God is concerned with what we say about others? What characteristic about God does this commandment teach us? Why is truth so important to God? What can you tell about a person by what they say? How does what you say put "who you are" right out in front?

5. First, define what is meant by slander, gossip and lying? What does God have to say about slander, gossip and lying? (Luke 6:45; Ps. 109:3; 1 Tim. 5:13; Ps. 50:20; Rev. 12:10; Ps. 101:5) Using these Scriptures, discuss the following questions: What does speaking against others have to say about our own heart? What is the motivating attitude in bearing false witness? What happens when people have too much time on their hands? Who are we most like when we accuse people? What will God's action towards slanderers be?

6. God gives some pretty straight commands to Christians regarding lying/slander/gossip. Take each one of these Scriptures and discuss what it is that God is saying to us: Ps. 34:3; 1 Peter 3:10; Eph. 4:31; Titus 3:1, 2. In what way should we live our lives that would avoid gossip? (1 Peter 2:12) What should our response be to someone who is slandering us? (1 Cor. 4:13) What does God say He will do when we are the object of such slander? (Matt. 5:11)

7. Though God does intend to bless us when we are unfairly attacked and feel helpless, what can the impact be upon us? (Prov. 26:22) What are more damaging results from gossip? (Prov. 26:20; Prov. 6:16-19)

8. So, what should we do as Christians? (Eph. 4:25-32) How would you define truth? How is truth "reality from God's point of view"? What are ways in which we do not tell the whole truth? How can we become known as truthful persons? In our speech? (Matt. 5:33-37) In our actions? What qualifiers did Paul give in Eph. 4:15, 25-32 to telling the truth? How important is our attitude and motivation in speaking the truth to others?

9. What does it mean that we should let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouths? (Eph. 4:29) How can we decide when and if the truth needs to be spoken? What does James 3 tell us about the tongue? What is the relationship between the size of the tongue and the potential impact that it can have? What does James have to say about the inability to control out tongues? (James 1:26) Discuss this principle: The key to the use of the tongue is "only what builds others up.”

10. Lying can take many forms: slander, gossip, flattery, exaggeration, carelessness, insinuation, silence. See Eph. 4:15. Our culture today is being destroyed by “the truth is relative” revolution. What is wrong with “there is no absolute truth”? Do you understand “moral relativism”? Do you understand that the 9th Commandment is most often broken and causes less concern on our part? Is there anything that you have said for which you need to be forgiven? Is there anyone that you need to apologize to for what you have said to them? Family member? Friend? Coworker? Use this week to make things right with anyone whom you have hurt.