The Salty Peanut Gallery

In case you were wondering…

Proverbs 26:7 & 9 explains that “a proverb in the mouth of a fool” is like “a lame man’s legs, which hang useless” and “a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard.” Why is the wisdom of God out of place coming from a fool? Because it is invariably misquoted, misappropriated and generally inconsistent with his lifestyle. It’s as useless as a pair of limp legs. Like a man too drunk to pull a thorn from his hand, a fool is unaffected by the sting of wisdom and incapable of rightly applying it. Like a drunk waiving around a thorn bush, a fool quoting a proverb is a danger to himself and to others.

We’ve recently heard the phrase “bearing false witness” being used to describe those who disagree with the government health care reform bill that is currently being considered before congress. Here we have a clear lack of understanding on the part of our elected officials on the correct usage of this phrase. There seems to be some confusion over what is considered a lie and what is bearing false witness. Let me see if I can clear this up. Saying things that are patently untrue about the health care bill, that would be called a lie. For an example of this look no further than the president’s speech before a joint session of congress last Wednesday night.

While it is technically true that both the House and Senate versions of the health care bill contain language that specifically bars illegal immigrants from receiving federal help to purchase health care coverage, it is not truthful to say “reform efforts will not insure illegal immigrants.” Without tough enforcement provisions, which Democrats have thus far refused to include, a written ban is meaningless. There’s nothing in this bill to prevent it from happening. Only now in the wake of all the furor over Rep. Joe Wilson’s congressional outburst are members of the Senate Finance Committee actually discussing the addition of enforcement safeguards to their bill. Clearly the president was not telling the whole truth. This is what is known as a lie.

Bearing false witness on the other hand carries with it a more specialized meaning. Former President Jimmy Carter provides us with a beautiful example.

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Bearing false witness means intentionally telling falsehoods specifically designed to undercut the integrity of others. The idea is that of someone giving false testimony on the witness stand in a courtroom. In this instance President Carter, bereft of anything remotely substantive to bring to the health care discussion, has chosen to strike a low blow by playing the race card, impugning the integrity of protesters with an INCREDIBLY STUPID (pardon my French) ad hominem attack and thus absolving himself from having to consider the real concerns that real Americans have toward this governmental monstrosity. Bearing false witness is considered by God an abomination. It is among the things God hates the most (Proverbs 6:16-19). Bearing false witness is “deceitful” (Proverbs 12:17) and according to God’s Word “will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 19:9).

So I hope we’ve cleared up any misunderstandings there may have been toward the usage of this phrase. And remember, the next time you hear a politician attempting to use scripture in public in support of an agenda, consider the source and beware.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it would take for full-fledged revolution to break out in this country. Understand I’m not just talking about a revolution in the generic sense of radical sociological change. I’m talking about people literally taking up arms against their government because they are no longer willing to stand idly by in the face of tyranny and injustice. Now let me be clear, I’m in no way advocating such a thing, only pondering its prospect. Here’s why.

Americans are becoming increasingly outraged about the growing expansion of governmental control over the private sector. People are afraid. They fear government intrusion into their private lives and the loss of personal freedoms. They’re worried about the exploding deficit and the increased inflation it will bring. They’re overwhelmed by the mountain of debt and the crippling effect it is having on the US economy. But worst of all, they are outraged that their elected officials seem disinterested in hearing their concerns and desires, particularly when they are at odds with an expansionist agenda.

I’m reminded of a passage from the Declaration of Independence:

That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

If you look at the United Nations this year, there are 192 nations at the UN. Do you know that America is the only nation in the world that doesn’t average a revolution every thirty to forty years? We kinda take it for granted. We just assume that stability is natural but stability is NOT natural. With the polarization of American politics and the growing public unrest one wonders if American exceptionalism in that regard is about to come to an end.

Proverbs 24:21-22 says, “My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those given to change; For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring?” Scripture tells us that both the Lord and our government officials are to be revered since both have the power to punish the rebellious. It’s for that reason that we are exhorted not to even associate with those who would overthrow the government. But how then should we be true to a government that is against the wisdom and righteousness of God? Is there a line in the sand that would compel the believer in Christ to seek “to alter or to abolish” their government. And for that matter were the founding fathers correct in their rebellion against the King of England.

In Romans 13:1-3 we read “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” There are those who would use this as a proof text that the American Revolution was unbiblical. I say it proves just the opposite. If authorities are from God and are instituted by God, by what means are unholy governments removed and righteous governments established. Who can deny the hand of God on 200 plus years of American history? Who can deny the fact that Americans have done more to further the Kingdom of God than any other people in the history of the church? Without question that’s God’s blessing.

History tells us that in the decades leading up to the Revolution most of New England’s pulpits were filled with men who were solidly behind the resistance of the colonies. In fact every right set forth in the Declaration had been preached from the American pulpits prior to its conception. Did you know that half the signers of the Declaration had some form of seminary training? Being 200 years removed from of the context of their grievances it is not inconceivable that a good deal of their experience has been lost in the historical record. It’s easy for us to stand in criticism over circumstances we cannot hope to fully comprehend. However, we would be remiss if we could not at least acknowledge that men of good will did what they believed with all of their hearts God would have them do.

In Acts chapter 5 Peter and John were brought before the ruling authorities in Israel for disobeying a command not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus:

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men” – Acts 5:27-29.

Have we reached that point in time where it is our duty “to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for [our] future security.” Even the founding fathers agreed that “governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;” and that “mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable.” I’m not sure we’ve come anywhere near the level of tyranny that compelled them to act as they did. But if fear of God puts us at odds with fear of the king, we know that God is preeminent regardless of the consequences. We must obey God and know that the outcome is in His hands.