ON AVOIDING FALSEHOOD, AND ON THE REPENTANCE OF HERMAS FOR HIS DISSIMULATION
“Again he said to me, “Love the truth (Psalms 119:142 the Torah), and let nothing but truth proceed from your mouth…
Sirach 9:15
“Let your talk be with the wise and your communication in the Torah of the Elyon (EL Most High).”
Since the Torah is the truth and the truth of the Torah is constantly being heard from your mouth, then you will not have the opportunity to speak any falsehood.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “That the spirit which ELOHIM has placed in your flesh may be found truthful before all men; and the Master, who dwelleth in you (YAHWEH, YESHUA, and RUACH are ONE), will be esteemed, because YAHWEH is truthful in every word, and in Him is no falsehood.
Titus 1:2
“Concerning the hope of eternal life which the EVER-TRUTHFUL ELOHIM promised before the times of the world…”
Numbers 23:19
“ELOHIM is not a man that He should LIE; neither the son of man that He should be given counsel; He speaks and He shall do it, and His word abides forever.”
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “They therefore who lie deny YAHWEH, and rob Him, not giving back to Him the deposit which they have received.”
2 Esdras 7:78
“Now, concerning death, the teaching is: When the decisive decree has gone forth from the Most High that a man shall die, as the spirit leaves the body to return again to Him who gave it…”
Mathew 27:50 (Hebrew Besorah)
“Then again YESHUA cried out with a loud voice and released The RUACH HA’KODESH The Set-Apart Spirit.”
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “For they received from Him a spirit free from falsehood. If they give him back this spirit untruthful, they pollute the commandment of YAHWEH, and become robbers.”
Think of it this way, our Father YAHWEH has given you a shiny brand new car right off the lot, so the car is without any blemishes when He gives the car to you, yet you give the car back to Him full scratches, dents, and covered completely in mud, meaning you have taken a gift that He has given you and you have defiled the gift. YAHWEH has given us the RUACH HA’KODESH when YESHUA ascended into heaven and He is a gift that dwells within us;
Acts 2:38 (Aramaic English New Testament)
“Simon (Peter) said to them, “Repent and be immersed each of you in the Name of Master YAHWEH-YESHUA for the forgiveness of sins, that you may receive the gift of the RUACH HA’KODESH.”
Therefore, we are to be truthful in words and deeds, because the RUACH HA’KODESH will lead us into all truth (John 16:13-16), but you have freewill to tell lies and grieve Him, because lying is the exact opposite of who He is and what He wants to do while living in you, and that is for you to obey YAHWEH and His Torah (See Romans 8).
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “On hearing these words, I wept most violently. When he saw me weeping, he said to me, “Why do you weep?” And I said, “Because, sir, I know not if I can be saved.” “Why?” said he. And I said, “Because, sir, I never spake a true word in my life, but have ever spoken cunningly to all, and have affirmed a lie for the truth to all; and no one ever contradicted me, but credit was given to my word. How then can I live, since I have acted thus?” And he said to me, “Your feelings are indeed right and sound, for you ought as a servant of ELOHIM to have walked in truth, and not to have joined an evil conscience with the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13-16), nor to have CAUSED SADNESS to the kodesh (set-apart) and True Spirit.”
Ephesians 4:30 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“And do not GRIEVE ELOHIM’s RUACH HA’KODESH (Set-Apart Spirit), for He has stamped you as His property until the day of final redemption .”
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “And I said to him, “Never, sir, did I listen to these words with so much attention.” And he said to me, “Now you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements. For even they (previous lies) can become worthy of credit. If you keep these precepts, and from this time forward you speak nothing but the truth, it will be possible for you to obtain life. And WHOSOEVER shall hear this commandment, and depart from that great wickedness falsehood, shall live to ELOHIM.”
The malach of repentance said: “Now you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements.” In other words, now that you know the truth and see how wicked lying is and turned away from it, then people will see the complete change in you and will hear nothing but the truth being spoken from you from here on; therefore, they will disregard the previous lies you told and focus on your present statements.
The malach of repentance said that those who lie DENY YAHWEH, so this is not a light matter at all, now let’s examine some scriptures concerning lying.
Supporting scriptures about lying:
Exodus 20:16
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Bearing false witness is lying because you are acting as an eyewitness to something that you did not see, yet claiming your stateements to be true.
Proverbs 6:16
“There are six things which YAHWEH HATES; the seventh is abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a LYING TONGUE, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who speaks LIES, and he who sows discord among brothers.”
Proverbs 12:22
“Lying lips are an abomination to YAHWEH; but those who deal truly are His delight.”
Proverbs 13:5
“A righteous man HATES LYING; but a wicked man is loathsome, and shall be ashamed and confounded.”
Proverbs 17:7
“Excellent speech is unbecoming to a fool, and LYING LIPS to righteous man.”
Proverbs 30:8
“Remove far from me vanity and LIES…”
Sirach 20:24-27
“A LIE is a foul blemish in a man, yet it is continually in the mouth of the untaught. A thief is better than a man that is accustomed to LIE: but they both inherit DESTRUCTION. The disposition of a LIAR is dishonorable and his shame is always with him.
Colossians 3:8-9
“But now, you put away from you all these: wrath, anger, malice, reviling, filthy talking; and LIE NOT one to another but put off the old man with all his practices; and put you on the new man that is renewed in knowledge, after the likeness of his Creator.”
Revelation 22:14-15 (Hebrew besorah)
“Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have a share in the tree of life, and be pure to walk in the city. For the dogs and sorcerers and the harlots and the murderers and the LIARS stay outside.”
As the malach of repentance said: “And WHOSOEVER shall hear this commandment, and depart from that great wickedness falsehood, shall live to ELOHIM.”
May our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!