Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. (Proverbs 12:19)
In addition to thoughtful and timely words, we are called to speak truthful words. Proverbs 12:19 uncovers the underlying difference between truthful and false speech. Truthful speech, because it is rooted in the very character of God himself, is eternal. Once spoken, it does not change or decrease in value. But lies change and fade quickly. Like all sin, they may appear true or profitable in the short run (thus their popularity), but that fantasy cannot endure for long. Compared to the eternal nature of truth, lies last only a moment. A wise person therefore seeks to speak only that which is true.
When the book of Proverbs was written, two types of untruthful speech were strictly forbidden in Israel. Both focused on the matter of personal reputation. The first was false testimony, which had primary application to legal matters. Civil contracts in that day were made verbally and in public, attested to by witnesses, thus making personal testimonies crucial. Criminal investigations in that pre-scientific age were not focused on material evidence—the clues that are at the heart of modern detective dramas. Instead, guilt or innocence
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