Dishonesty is contrary to the will and nature of God, and so should not be found among the people of God.
Dishonesty is contrary to the will and nature of God
Numbers 23:19 See also 1 Samuel 15:29; Romans 3:4; Titus 1:2
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
Dishonesty, like sin, is of satanic origin
John 8:44 See also Genesis 3:1–5
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
God's hatred of dishonesty
Proverbs 12:22 See also Psalm 5:4–6; Proverbs 6:16–17; Isaiah 59:1–4, Isaiah 59:12–15
Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.
Kinds of dishonesty
In business deals
Hosea 12:7 See also Deuteronomy 25:13–16; Proverbs 20:14; Amos 8:5; Micah 6:10
A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.
In not paying debts
Psalm 37:21 See also James 5:4
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
In exploiting the poor
Ezekiel 22:29 See also Job 24:2–11; Isaiah 32:7; Jeremiah 22:13
The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have exploited the foreign resident without justice.
God's judgment on dishonesty
God's denunciation of dishonesty in general
Hosea 4:1–2 See also Leviticus 19:15; Jeremiah 7:8–10; 1 Thessalonians 4:6
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land! Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.
The dishonesty of liars and false witnesses
Proverbs 19:9; Acts 5:1–10 See also Deuteronomy 19:16–19; Joshua 7:10–12 regarding Achan's sin; 2 Kings 5:19–27; Psalm 5:6; Isaiah 29:20–21; Jeremiah 9:4–9; Revelation 21:8
A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.
The dishonesty of false prophets and teachers
Jeremiah 14:14–15; 2 Peter 2:1–3; Isaiah 9:14–15; Jeremiah 28:15–16; Ezekiel 13:1–23; Zechariah 10:2–3; 1 Timothy 4:1–2
God's demands for making amends for dishonesty
Leviticus 6:1–7; Luke 3:12–14 This demonstrated that their repentance was genuine; Luke 19:8 the result of encountering Jesus Christ; Luke 16:1–12 Jesus Christ was not commending the steward's dishonesty but his shrewdness.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.