Honesty 7/11/09

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

Prov 12:22 (NKJV)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

Phil 4:8 (NKJV)

When I think of lying, what generally comes to my mind is someone's mom asking him to clean his room, and the person being dishonest and saying that indeed his room is clean. We may not lie about big things, we may simply lie about small things. But it's all the same to God. Lying on something small is just the same as lying on something big. God treats it all the same way. As sin.

But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and spy out the country." So the men went up and spied out Ai.

And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few."

So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.

And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

Josh 7:1-5 (NKJV)

When the Israelites finished raiding and destroying a city, they went to Ai, another city, and proceeded to destroy it as well. But they found that they could not because one of the men, Achan, disobeyed against the command of Joshua and the Lord when he took some of the items that they had specifically instructed not to take. So, the Israelites went to attack Ai and found they could not defeat them, because of Achan's sin. So, the Lord told Joshua to destroy what Achan had taken, stone himself, his family, and his livestock, and all that he had.

When Achan took the items, I'm sure he didn't think that it would turn out the way that it did. He thought that he could get what he wanted, and not be hurt by his sin. But God had different plans. Sin always, always, is unjustifiable with God. He hates it. He can not let it go unpunished. That was what His Son died for.

Am I being dishonest in some way?

Does my life, thought, actions, and deeds match up with what God commands?