The command says,
“Neither shall you give false testimony against your neighbor.” Deuteronomy 5:20
Note that this command is specifically about giving false testimony about your neighbor. This includes gossip. It is also only directed toward a neighbor. Who is your neighbor is another whole study, but basically it is anyone who behaves as a Christian toward you and others.
It is never wrong to deceive or lie to or about one who hates our God to save health or innocent life.
Where does your morality come from? Many get their sense of morality from family, friends, the news, Movies and TV shows and even just feelings. All of these things change, sometimes even in the same day.
The true definitions for right and wrong can only be found in Scripture. All scripture is inspired and useful for finding truth, 2 Timothy 3:16. Romans 1:2 calls the old testament Scripture, so the whole Bible must be included to find “instruction in righteousness”.
Yahweh God does not change. God did not change His morals from one day to the next nor from one covenant to another. God is the same yesterday, today and forever and He does not change. Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8 and James 1:17b.
I like to tell people that what was sin the day The Adam was placed in the garden is still sin today. What is sin today was sin that very same day. God can not change. To change what is right and wrong from one day to the next or even from one covenant to the next changes God into another God.
Isn’t it better to wake up in the morning knowing that what was good and bad yesterday will still be good and bad today?
Yahweh God does not use the dictionary to determine the meaning of words in Scripture. A good example is the word food such as in 1 Timothy 4:3.
“Forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving.”
Scripture is precise and defines the word in the Law. Have you noticed that in the KJV you will see the phrase “unclean thing“? You will never find the phrase “unclean food” used in the Greek text since there is no such thing as something that is unclean and food. As a reminder, the word unclean is not in the Greek text in Romans 14:14. It is the word common. Not the same at all.
Scripture defines several other words as well such as adultery. As time has progressed, adultery has been limited to only one of five aspects. Go to Scripture for God’s intended word meanings.
Normally, I prefer to only talk about who is truly Israel. Sometimes though you do have to talk about the imposters. So, as a follow up to some previous posts, I found a lesson by an old friend, Dr Eric Benson, linked below.
The Bible makes more sense when you correctly identify the people in it then and today. There is a whole crowd of people out there that do not seem to be fulfilling prophecy. So some have created a new path to Christ just for them. The reality is that they are not and never have been Israel. They do admit this in some of their own official writings. There are over 100 marks that describe who is and has always been physical Israel in scripture. Archeology and history back it up.
Start with the second to last link on this page.
Bible translations do a good job at giving us the basics. Sometimes they are not always accurate. Here is another example. This is a case of a verb being translated as a noun in the KJV.
Ephesians 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”
The actual Greek reads closer to,
Ephesians 2:12 “that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
So why is the translation error in Ephesians 2:12 important? Ephesians 2 is not about a reunification of “Jews” and “Gentiles” who were never united in the first place. Ephesians 2 is about the reunification under Christ of the house of Judah and the ten tribed house of Israel. The ten tribes of the house of Israel had been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel when God divorced them, Jeremiah 3:8. God then temporarily sent them into Assyrian bondage “among the Gentiles” and they became known as Gentiles.
Hebrews 7:19 “(for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”
The Greek word translated “bringing in” is from a combination of words that means superimposition. Superimposition is “place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident”. So the new covenant did not replace, but was laid over the first covenant. Both are still evident and with us today.
The new covenant added the Law written in the heart, not just on stone, Jeremiah 31:33. So the perfect law made nothing perfect, but we are given a better hope with the new covenant over laid upon the first.
If we don’t take care of our own and our own country, others will be sending missionaries here, that is if there are any left elsewhere to do so. 1 Timothy 5:8 is valid here.
“But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.”
In the past it has been mentioned how Romans 13:1 is only talking about the Law rooted in the I AM, Yahweh God’s Law only. Romans 13:3-4 specifies the actions of this Godly government. 1 Peter 2:13-14 has the same requirements for obedience to God’s righteous Law.
“Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.”
Note that Peter is referring to a righteous government that has vengeance for evildoers and praise for those who do well. In verse 13 the word ordinance has roots in the one who created righteousness and Law, Yahweh God. These verses can not be used to teach Christians to obey that which does not fully endorse and protect God’s Law.
There was a time before the Babylonian captivity that God let it be known that if the house of Judah would observe the Sabbath rest, that is just take it easy for twenty four hours, no work, no chores, no buying, no selling, then he would put off their captivity.
Jeremiah 17:24-25 “It shall happen, if you diligently listen to me, says Yahweh, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein; then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever.
Many think we have evil times in our future. One might wonder if we followed scripture on this that God would keep that promise for us?
Hebrews 4:9 “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
We do not live on the new or renewed earth where righteousness dwells. The wicked still inhabit the earth.
Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says Yahweh, “…And it shall come to pass that from one new month (chodesh) to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says Yahweh.”
I do not claim to know the future, but it does appear that we will observe the Sabbath in the next age.
Hebrews 4:9 “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
