A False Witness Will Fall (Proverbs 19:5)
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Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
Yesterday, we saw how a truthful witness saves lives. But what about a false witness? What happens to those who breathe out lies? Proverbs 19:5 gives us the answer – falsehood doesn’t go unpunished. And today, we’re going to talk about why that matters.
First, piggybacking off of yesterday, the ‘father of lies’, our enemy, will not go unpunished. Satan will not escape the judgment of God. His fate is sealed. It is done. It is finished. Jesus crushed the head of the serpent at the cross. The enemy of truth is already defeated – and that’s something worth praising God for today.
Secondly, this verse isn’t just talking about the enemy. It’s talking about you and me. This verse should remind us, as we’ve seen all week and all throughout Proverbs, that our words are important. Verses like these are reminders of Jesus’ words in Matthew 12, verse 36, where He says:
‘I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak…’
One day we will be held accountable for every word that comes out of our mouths.
Every single one. Doesn’t that make you think twice about the words you’ve said and about the words you’ll say today? I mean, that’s frightening to me because I’ve said some awful things.
Now, I don’t think this verse is meant to scare anyone, but I mention that because I want to drive home how important your words are. And the reason I’m doing that is because Proverbs is doing that! God’s Word has a lot to say about our words and our speech. And reasonably so!
Our witness can save or destroy, build up or break down, give grace or require it. ‘...The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things’, James 3:5 says.
So in reflecting on this verse, I’d like you to join me in doing two things:
One, praise God for the victory we have in Jesus over the enemy, the father of lies, and over death.
Two, think about the words you’ve spoken this week. Have they reflected truth? Or have you been careless with your words – maybe stretching the truth, gossiping, or speaking before thinking? Have lies become as routine as breathing? If so, let this verse lead you to repentance.
The good news? God’s Word trumps ours, and there’s grace. And through His Spirit He gives us the power to speak truth instead of lies. So let’s pray with that in mind as well.
