"A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue."
Proverbs 17:4
Part 2
Yesterday:
“A wicked doer.”
“Giveth heed to false lips;”
Wicked people love evil, and they will listen to a liar.
Today:
“And a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.”
A liar loves hearing lies. The person described in this proverb is a habitual liar, everything they say is an untruth. Because he tells lies, “he is always ready to believe a lie.”1
“A wicked man gives heed to wicked mouths, and a false man listens willingly to scandalous tongues”2 (Luther).
The Scriptures illustrate this principle.
“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:9-11).
There was a time in Israel when her people were described as “lying children” who didn’t want to hear the truth of the Law of God, but instead, they wanted to be told “smooth things,” and “deceit.” How could God’s people ever stoop so low?
“A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:30-31).
Their prophets are false, and their priests are “doing their own thing,” and the people “love to have it so.” How sad for them! Amazingly, liars love to hear lies.
We who love and serve Jesus Christ ought to be known for our “truth-telling.” Only the truth should be known among us!
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
Believers, we will not tolerate wickedness, and we will not be liars!
1. E.W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
2. Martin Luther as quoted by Keil & Delitzsch, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, the electronic version in eSword.