God hates liars. The fifth chapter in Psalms is a call to God to destroy deceitful people. “You put to death those who speak lies… Nothing reliable comes out of their mouth. From within them comes destruction. Their throat is an open grave. With their tongue they flatter. Declare them guilty, O God! Let them fall because of their own schemes.” Wow! That is pretty strong! Someone has obviously been slandering David and he wants vengeance from God, but it is also a good reminder what happens to liars. Lies can change lives, even getting you a better life than what you have, but there is always a price. If you claim to be someone you aren’t and build a life on that lie, you’ll always be worried that someone will destroy you by revealing your lie. If you ruin someone else’s life by lying about them, it can ruin your life if it comes out that you’re a liar.
People who lie always have to stay ahead of their lies. It’s better to do as David asks of God: “Lord, lead me in your righteousness. Because of those who slander me, make your way straight before me.” Make your path so straight that no one will believe anyone who tries to slander you. It’s not easy, but it is a great goal to strive for instead of focusing on revenge for those who have wronged you.
As a side note, my study Bible says that slander and liars are probably talked about so much in Psalms because only God could prove a liar was lying or an honest person was being slandered. In ancient times all a person had was their word and reputation. Once that was ruined, it was never fixed. Now a days technology can prove people innocent, but back then they only had their words or witnesses and witnesses could be bought.
David ends this chapter thanking God for his protection. “Yes, you bless the righteous, Lord, you surround them with your favor as a shield.” God’s protection is as strong as any shield.
*Verses copied from the EHV version of the Bible.
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