The Lies of Politicians – Ninth Commandment

The Lies of Politicians

The ninth commandment

Exodus 20.16; Deuteronomy 5.20

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Psalm 58.1, 2

“Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly? No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on the earth.”

Whatever they have to say, they will.

The “gods” in our psalm is probably a reference to earthly rulers. Apparently the rulers of David’s day were not much different from politicians in our day. They say whatever they think they need to say to get what they want – either to be elected or to pass some legislation. Politicians travel far and wide, altering their stump speeches just enough to make them palatable to the audience they are addressing. They rationalize set-asides, add-ons, and other assorted forms of pork by gussying up the language of their legislation and burying their project in an amendment somewhere. They say what they will, even it if means stretching the truth, because they believe this is the way to retain power. People get tired of being told lies, especially when they know the person talking to them is not communicating the truth. The teaching of Scripture is that God will not long tolerate the practice of lying. Sooner or later, His judgment falls on a nation that will not reckon with truth. And on its rulers.

What can we do to ensure that our political leaders are telling us the truth? How can we encourage and hold them accountable for being truthful? Is this important?
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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.