Honesty Is the Best Policy?
He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 NASB
Integrity – Are you considered a person of integrity? Ah, before you answer, you might want to know what tamam means. Most of us think of integrity as a synonym for honesty and by that we mean “always telling the truth.” But we don’t always tell the truth, do we? In fact, there are circumstances where telling the truth would not be ethical. If you’re hiding spies and the wicked officials of the city ask where they are, you lie (and God rewards you). If Pharaoh commands you to kill the babies, do you save them—and lie about it? Of course you do! Honesty is not always the best policy. But tamam is not honesty. It’s completeness. Healthy, sound, full, true, upright, perfect. Maybe the best word for capturing the Hebraic idea is blameless. Rahab was blameless even though she did not tell the truth. So were the midwives. But what do we do about Joseph’s deception? Or Rachel’s?
Blameless is ultimately God’s evaluation of our behavior. We walk as close to Torah as we can. He decides if we meet the standard. Solomon’s insight is simple. If we walk as close to Torah as we can, we are secure. Yelek batah. We walk in trust, confidence and reliance. If we walk in the completeness of God’s instructions, we can be assured that His faithfulness is trustworthy. He will keep His promises for all those who abide in His directions. Tamam equals batah.
Now we have a practical guide for goodness. Do what God asks. Rest in His promises. It will all work out in the end.
Did the midwives know that God would reward their tamam when they saved the children and lied to Pharaoh? No, of course not. They were willing to risk their own lives in order to protect the people of the covenant. Did Rahab know she would be saved when she lied to the city officials? No, she didn’t. She just knew that YHVH’s people were destined to take the land. Do you know what God will do with your willingness to risk in order to serve His purposes? No, you don’t. But you can trust Him. How it will all work out isn’t something He usually shares with us. But you can trust Him.
Honesty is flexible. Blamelessness is not. When you exercise choices to walk before the Lord according to His instructions, you will one day have to stand before Him and explain your decisions. Were you blameless? Did you preserve life, uphold His name, serve His purposes? Did you put yourself aside in order to act with benevolence toward others? Did you end up a “finished product” in the hands of God?
Topical Index: tamam, integrity, complete, blameless, batah, trust, Proverbs 10:9
This is the one I struggle with the most. In Revelation, it is only the ones who have no GUILE that stand faultless before the throne.. Messiah is represented as One in Whom is found no guile, and in the end, in the list of those who are found outside that City, the liars are first on the list.
I had people in my life who were practiced in using what they knew as the truth about others to hurt them. For decades, I struggled with all the ways to deal with this. I tried being perfectly honest at all times. I got creamed. I tried being silent. I got creamed. I tried re-directing the subject, I tried mis-representing. Everything! I always got caught when I lied, I always paid, too. But the truth always got used against me and those I tried to protect, equally. There is one thing I know: the Liar knows his own. And he also apparently has ways of tipping of those who are tuned in to his channel, too!
In all of this period where I kept wiping out, over and over, I was learning things. What did I learn?
Well. I learned that the truth is no defense if you aren’t being backed up! I was alone.
I learned that lies are no defense when you are up against the consummate liar of the universe, either.
I learned that if you are representing something that is not the truth, you are going to be walking in shame. Liars are always ashamed. I hated that shame.
I learned that when you are trying to protect someone, you had better be prepared to pay, but that paying was better at the end of the day, than choosing to walk away: walking away because of fear was worse than standing and getting wiped.
I learned to hate myself in guile. Why? Because when you play on the devil’s machinery you are playing by his rules, and one of his rules is if you lie, you are his. That is bondage. And, above all, weakness.
You have to be strong to withstand all the wiles of the devil, and lies weaken you. The intent to deceive weakens you.
So what to do?
First of all, I have learned that when you go out to battle, you had better make sure you are marching with the company. This is not a one-man war! Don’t go alone! Further, make sure the communication channel between you and the Commander is clear, and you have discussed the matter with Him, first, too! When I first started going to Al-anon, this one really struck home. The group was praying TOGETHER. Even though I was not praying yet, I was getting prayed FOR. But, up and beyond that, I had JOINED OTHERS. This yanked the chain of everyone around me: “LOOK! She’s not alone anymore!” Even the devil laid off!
Second, I think I learned that it is not enough to be TELLING the truth, as you know it. To be “walking in the truth” is different. Different in several ways, in fact. I was born a literalist. Literally. I painfully told the truth. Always. And insisted on it, too. But, I was also born in shame. The kind of shame that made me want to run and hide. The dichotomy would tear me apart. It was a rock and a hard place.
What does it mean to be walking in the truth? The real me was hiding. Terribly ashamed, I hid behind a wall of obfuscation when it came to transparency with others ABOUT ME. The pain was overwhelming. Further, it was too painful for me to go check, so, in essence, I was lying to myself about myself, first. This, in the end, was the bottom of what was driving my inherent weakness in dealing with evil. This was the setup that doomed me to failure, no matter how much truth I TOLD. I was not telling the truth about me, first. Why? I believed it would be used against me, that’s why! I believed that I would use it against myself, too! Those were the days I was not trusting (loving) myself. I was beating myself up to get put of bed!
To walk in the truth. To walk in perfect trust is what this is. Trust that I will be backed up. I gain that trust when I know the lines of communication are clear with my Backer. And I know where, why, when and how He has got my back. I know because I have put His Word in my heart. Only when I truly believe it, not just ‘know’ it in my head, will I be able to trust He will be faithful to do it. Back me, that is. Then, and only then, is transparency (lack of guile) possible. Why is it necessary? Many reasons. But one of those reasons is because I was given marching orders in this war. Just one, in fact. What is my battlefront duty? Witness. That’s it. What is witness? Transparency. (Which brings us back to trust!) How do I witness? I have to be walking in the truth. I have to be real. I have to be me. I cannot be hiding. Do I choose to not always blab the whereabouts of my fellow soldiers? Sure. I learned that that is called protecting the identity of others. I am called to confidence. I am called to protection. And I know that I sure cannot do that on my own! I need to be protected, first!
When Messiah returns, will He find faith in the earth? Will He find us in perfect formation, each of us having the backs of the rest of us? This is only possible when we are being real. And when it is for the protection of those around me for me to not give away their vulnerability? I had better be prepared to speak up and say “that’s none of your business!” And be prepared to pay.
It is good to march with the company, but there will be times than an individual hears the beat of the drummer before others. Someone has to be the first to follow the commander-in-chief, and if that is you, there is not the luxury of waiting for a company to form. Abraham heard the drummer first, he stepped out, and then God provided the company. Honor, integrity and faithfulness don’t rest in majority agreement.
My witness is my fruit, isn’t it? And fruit is sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes not yet ripened. Which means I really can’t define how my witness “tastes” to someone else. It’s everything I do, especially when I think people are not watching. When it is everything I do, you can bet that the things I do when I’m not walking in the way, scream out the loudest to those who are watching. So my marching orders are not to determine my witness — that will be manifest without any effort on my part. My marching orders are to be found faithful — whatever the outcome.
You are right, Suzanne. Faithful IS the right witness, and it is certain that YHVH is watching, and people are watching, too; and if they are not, it is pretty certain the rest of the universe is still going to be! Faithful is what they all want to see! Christians have always been watched, though. The horrible ones have been watched, too! But, they have always been watched. It is what we were given to be: a spectacle to angels and to men. Now, whether or not that witness is going to actually get us across a finish line is what the “faithful unto death” will determine, you are right there for sure. However, I really don’t think a Christian is even going to be able to be a perfect witness by themselves; which is to say, as good as they are to those around them, and no matter how well they know and embrace the truth, even, I believe it is going to only be when they JOIN FORCES correctly, that the world is going to see what one actually truly is. Why? Because we were supposed to act in a Body. Not as lone rangers. Not to say it doesn’t get lonely out here in my neck of the woods, or yours, either, I bet. I am pretty lonely over here, too. BUT, I think we can seek and learn to be together in PURPOSE and in unity, reflecting the image of our Redeemer correctly. That way, no one can see anything but the same thing, no matter which of us they happen to be looking at. Does that mean that I have to compromise what I am convinced is true? Not at all! If the synagogues welcomed diversity, so should we. Let someone else have the problem with me, instead of me having it with them, I say. Does that mean I have to be unequally yoked? I don’t think so, either. I have to remember that this whole idea of INclusion and EXclusion is of the world, and I should be careful not to do it to myself (or others, either), or agree with them if they insist on doing it to me! I can always protest! Even if they prevail!
So what is ecumenism? I believe it is the world’s attempt to achieve unity on the outside, using the lowest common denominator and built upon an external structure: a political, religious platform.
What is the Body, by contrast? I think it is unity achieved through the HIGHEST common denominator, and built upon full function. Something the world has yet to see, frankly, or else they would have quit asking what a true Christian really looks like!
I think as good as individual Christians, or even clusters of them, have gotten it in the past (and even now), the number 144,000 represents (like the number 7 does), perfection: specifically, perfection in formation. In function. My digestive system, after all, is not going to be digesting well without your tongue. I need your tongue, you know. So please, keep on using it! Thank you for being you!
When Messiah returns, will He find faith in the earth? Will He find us in perfect formation, each of us having the backs of the rest of us? This is only possible when we are being real. And when it is for the protection of those around me for me to not give away their vulnerability? I had better be prepared to speak up and say “that’s none of your business!” And be prepared to pay.
YEP!!!
Amen, Skip.
People tend to judge you NOT on who you are, what you are doing and the impetus behind YOUR actions, but their PERCEPTION of who you are, what you have done and the why behind your actions that THEY assign, not so much the reality you know as fact.
They also judge your actions based on why and how THEY would proceed in like situations.
Rarely is one ever judged purely, as they will be judged before the throne. That stand is my only hope, because in that moment and ONLY in that moment will EVERYTHING be revealed.
A lot of people are going to be, hopefully, surprised and ashamed. I say hopefully because i’ve come to see that some are so freaking arrogant and self assured that i’ve kind of lost hope that they have any ability to be touched by the truth.
I can so relate and affirm to that! Thank you, bpW!
Shalom!
Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Rev 21:8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral…will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
John 8:44 …for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The worse part of good intention lies is to accept it. Did apostles witnessed about Jesus with a good intention? Maybe they combined the message with lovingly lie. Ok, then. Did Jesus really come to life again? DANGEROUS!!! All the lies is a lie no matter white lie or black lie. We are not perfect and still have the intention to trust our own strength helping God out . It Lord’s mercy to protect midwife and Rahab, but it does not mean it is justified.
I trust what the apostles witnessed because Greek word for witness is mayrter. They willing to sacrifice their lifes to tell me the truth! The will not lie even to point of death. When the authority ask them:”By what power or what name did you do this?” Acts 4:7 They face the chanllenge both from Jews and the government. They put the meat on the board as they witness the name of JESUS. They still talk that name anyway. Even that name is offensive as that reveals their crime. Resurrection power did give them strength to speak up the truth. Act 4:10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Daniel’s friends spoke up the truth even they have no support. Daniel 3:18 But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. That is trust. Whatever He choose to do about me.
In His Own Words
Honestly.. looking for Truth? Truth is a Person.
Remember the question Pilate put before (the) Anointed? ~ “What is Truth?”
(John 18,38) “Truth” was standing “right there” in front of the eyes of the one who asked the question! [Amazing!]
Pilate “missed it” entirely.. but he did not have the same benefit as we do, for we have the scriptures and the written word(s) of God.
Looking for “the Way?” Look no further.
Looking for “the Truth?” Look no further.
Looking for “the Life?” Look no further.
All of these (and much, much more!) are to be found and are hidden, just waiting to be discovered in a Person. A Man. The Man, Christ Jesus.
~ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and mankind, – the man Christ Jesus.. ~ (1 Timothy 2.5)
~ And I [John] saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a Name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.. ~ (Revelation 19.11)
~ Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness ~
(1 Chronicles 16.29)
but, ~ Who is this King of glory? ~ or, ~ Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? ~ What excellent questions are these!!
Who was that said, “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again?” (John 2.19)
Does anyone have an “honest” answer?
Who not only is “the Truth,” but also speaks “only Truth?”
Did Thomas the Doubter speak the truth when he uttered these words?
“My LORD and my God?” – What did Thomas know, that many of us do not?
~ God also has highly exalted Him, and has given unto Him a Name which is above every name.. ~
~ Perhaps we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip..~
“Yohannan answered and said to them, “Behold, I am baptizing you in water, but He comes after me, who is mightier than I, the straps of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you in The Spirit of Holiness and in fire..”
Who is this Man? ~ Is He the ONE? – or should we look for another?
Thank you, Skip. This exsplanation helped to answer a question I have been lifting up to Abba.
“Now we have a practical guide for goodness. Do what God’s asks. Rest in His promises. It will all work out in the end.” I had this line of thought for you in your recent TWs, Skip :- ) to lift up your spirit.
Lies are meant to deceive.
Oftentimes in Torah study on shabbats, we get such seeking questions- was it right for Avraham to lie that Sarah was his sister and not his wife; was it right for Rivka/Rebecca in teaching Yaacov to deceive Yitzhag his father in achieving the birthright. We do know well the consequences of those actions. Could Avraham had such wisdom /good judgement AND trust in YHWH to see him through? Surely he did.
Did Rivka not heard clearly from YHWH that the elder shall serve the younger, and, Esav had total disregard for his birthright, married two Hittite women causing grief to his parents.
“When you exercise choices to walk before the Lord according to His instructions, you will one day have to stand before Him and explain your decisions. Were you blameless?” I think so!
Shalom!
.
The fault in lying is whether one is protecting oneself at the expense of another. The difference between a false witness and a true witness is in the motivation.
WE may not perceive another’s motives, but the Potter knows precisely what the clay does as He is molding it.