Initially, one might think that praising others or receiving the praise of others might be a wicked act, but the Bible does not reflect this. In Acts chapter 12, Herod was smitten by the Lord when he received praise from the people. The problem was not so much the praise he received, but his failure to, in turn, give glory to God (Acts 12:22-23). Contrary to what most Christians think, the Lord allows for the praise of others. In our passage, the Lord suggests that a virtuous woman will receive praise from her husband. In Proverbs 27:2, the Lord declares that one requirement in this matter is that a man only receive praise from the lips of another. When a man begins to praise himself, he does so in direct rebellion to the words and direction of God.
The Bible records the fact that Ananias lied to Peter! He told Peter that he and his wife had sold some property for a certain amount of money. Yet, God and His servant knew that he had sold it for more than that indicated to Peter. The Bible teaches that Ananias told these lies to a man but had in fact lied to the Lord (Acts 5:4). Man may not recognize the extent of a lie, but lies told to others are lies told to God. This brings a whole new perspective to the wickedness of lying. Men’s lies are not just before and against men, but they appear before and are in conflict with a holy God. No wonder the apostle Paul said, “Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not” (Galatians 1:20). He understood that lying to men would be lying before God, and he did not want to be guilty of that.
Today's passage provides a list of things that God expressly hates. That list includes those who murder the innocent when it refers to “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17). It also mentions those whose hearts devise “wicked imaginations” (Proverbs 6:18). In the midst of this list, the Lord twice references lying as it refers to “a lying tongue” (Proverbs 6:17) and “a false witness that speaketh lies” (Proverbs 6:19). This should really concern those prone to lying with seeming impunity. God hates lying so much that He is going to judge those who do it. The scripture says, “he that speaketh lies shall not escape” (Proverbs 19:5), but will "perish”(Proverbs 19:9). In fact, liars are listed among the wicked groups that will “have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).
The Bible has much to say about the tongue or the words man speaks. The tongue of man is a deadly weapon (James 3:5-8). As such, the scripture likens it to a bow that is bent; only the arrows are the expressed lies (Jeremiah 9:3). A similar thought is found in Psalm 64:3 where David said of the wicked that they “whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.” Unfortunately, even Christians sometimes make light of how deadly words can be. The old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” may sound quaint; but it is far from the truth. Words do cause wounds. The Bible likens lies to arrows that are shot out of a bow. Relating the lies to the arrows is certainly meant to convey the pain caused by the lying. Lies often do bring hurt; sometimes not physically, but in some form or another lies wound others.
