Question 1

What kinds of dishonesty do we often see?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 34:11-17, 24-31Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask.” . . . But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. . . . But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.” . . . So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, including Hamor and his son Shechem.We deceive others by what we say. If we don’t mean what we say, or if we say one thing but mean another, we are being dishonest.Genesis 12:11-13As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”We deceive others by telling only half the truth. Sarai was, in fact, Abram’s half-sister, but she was also his wife. Not telling the whole truth is intended to deceive others and is dishonest, not to mention the fact that it often comes back to hurt us later.Genesis 27:6-24[Rebekah] said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.” “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.” But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!” So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats.We deceive others by tricking them in order to have our own way.John 12:4-6Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.We deceive others by misappropriating money for our own purposes.Deuteronomy 25:13-16“You must use accurate scales when you weigh out merchandise, and you must use full and honest measures. . . . All who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the Lord your God.”Proverbs 20:14The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,” then brags about getting a bargain!Hosea 12:7No, the people are like crafty merchants selling from dishonest scales—they love to cheat.Amos 8:5You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales.Micah 6:10What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?James 5:4For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.We deceive others through dishonest business practices that cheat others of what is due to them.Job 24:2-4“Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers. They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures. They take the orphan’s donkey and demand the widow’s ox as security for a loan. The poor are pushed off the path; the needy must hide together for safety.”Isaiah 32:7The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just.Jeremiah 22:13The Lord says, “What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. He builds injustice into its walls, for he makes his neighbors work for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.”Ezekiel 22:29Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.We are dishonest through practices that exploit the poor and powerless and fail to give them what rightfully belongs to them.

Question 2

How is dishonesty hurtful in relationships?

Accepted Answer

Romans 13:9-10The commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.Dishonesty is inconsistent with a loving relationship. Who can trust a cheating heart?James 5:4-5For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.Dishonesty takes advantage of others and cause suffering for others. But this also cuts us off from the people around us and will ultimately lead to judgment.Genesis 27:12“What if my father [Jacob] touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”Habakkuk 2:9-10What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger. But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives.Dishonesty results in fear, shame, and isolation. We fear we will be discovered and our true character revealed to all.Proverbs 20:23The Lord detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.Dishonesty causes a person to be untrustworthy and untrusting. Dishonesty eventually makes one unable to relate to others. Double standards are no standards at all.1 Samuel 15:13When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”Dishonesty can begin to seem like the truth over time. By believing our own lies, we deceive ourselves, alienate ourselves from God, and lose credibility in our relationships. When we deceive ourselves, we lose our ability to even see the truth.

Question 3

What are the consequences of dishonesty?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 9:3-6, 16-22When the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.” . . . Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! . . . The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. This is what we must do. We must let them live.” . . . So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community.Proverbs 12:19Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.Proverbs 19:9A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.Dishonesty is usually exposed, because even the dishonest hate being deceived. Dishonesty ruins our reputation for being trusted, can cause us to lose friends, our spouse, our home, or our job, and in some cases can land us in jail. But ultimately, a pattern of dishonesty pits us against the God of truth, who won’t allow dishonest people into his eternal Kingdom. That is why few things are more important than practicing honesty.

Question 4

How does God respond to dishonesty?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 5:4-6You will destroy those who tell lies. The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.Proverbs 12:22The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.Proverbs 20:23The Lord detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.Isaiah 59:1-4, 12-15Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. . . . Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption. No one cares about being fair and honest. The people’s lawsuits are based on lies. . . . We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.God hates dishonesty!Deuteronomy 19:16-19“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, then both the accuser and accused must appear before the Lord by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person.”Joshua 7:10-12The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat.”2 Kings 5:19-27Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, “My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the Lord lives, I will chase after him and get something from him.” So Gehazi set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. “Is everything all right?” Naaman asked. “Yes,” Gehazi said, “but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.” “By all means, take twice as much silver,” Naaman insisted. . . . Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house. When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “I haven’t been anywhere,” he replied. But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow.Isaiah 29:20-21Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.Jeremiah 7:8-10Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and . . . then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again?Jeremiah 9:4-9“They all fool and defraud each other; no one tells the truth. With practiced tongues they tell lies; they wear themselves out with all their sinning. They pile lie upon lie and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,” says the Lord. Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “See, I will melt them down in a crucible and test them like metal. What else can I do with my people?”Jeremiah 14:14-15Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets.”Jeremiah 28:15-16Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”Acts 5:1-10There was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died.2 Peter 2:1-3There were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them . . . and their destruction will not be delayed.God judges dishonesty as the terrible sin it is!Exodus 20:16“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.”Exodus 23:1,7“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand. . . . Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.”Leviticus 19:12“Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.”Psalm 34:13Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!Matthew 5:33-37“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! . . . Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”Ephesians 4:25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.Colossians 3:9-10Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.God condemns dishonest words; they are an indication of a dishonest heart.Exodus 20:15“You must not steal.”Leviticus 19:13“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.”Deuteronomy 25:13-16“You must use accurate scales when you weigh out merchandise, and you must use full and honest measures.”Proverbs 11:1The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.Isaiah 33:15-16Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—these are the ones who will dwell on high.God will judge dishonest actions; they are an indication of a dishonest heart.Leviticus 19:35-36“Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume. Your scales and weights must be accurate.”Psalm 62:10Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.Amos 8:4-8Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample down the needy! You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales.Micah 6:10-13What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?Habakkuk 2:6-9“But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying, ‘What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You’ve become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?’”God condemns all dishonest gain. It is an indication of dishonest motives and leads to injustice against the poor and the powerless.Leviticus 6:1-7Then the Lord said to Moses, “Suppose one of you sins against your associate and is unfaithful to the Lord. Suppose you cheat in a deal involving a security deposit, or you steal or commit fraud, or you find lost property and lie about it, . . . If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed.”Luke 3:12-14Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”Luke 19:8Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”God demands restitution for dishonesty.

Question 5

Why is honesty so important?

Accepted Answer

Numbers 23:19“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”1 Samuel 15:29“And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”Romans 3:4Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”Titus 1:2This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.Honesty is a part of God’s nature. God doesn’t just tell us to be honest; he IS honesty itself. And if we are to follow God, we must strive to be as much like him as possible.Proverbs 16:11The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.God expects honesty from us. If we say we are his, then our conduct should become more and more similar to his as we grow closer to him.Proverbs 12:5The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.Matthew 12:33“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.”Luke 16:10“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”Honest dealings reveal an honest character. What we do reveals who we are.Psalm 24:3-5Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.Honesty is necessary for a relationship with God.Romans 12:3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.Honestly evaluating our walk with the Lord allows us to continue growing in our faith.