Live by the Spirit: The Ninth Commandment

Bible Text: 1 Kings 21:1-16 | Preacher: Pastor Mark Verbruggen | Series: Live By The Spirit | In our reading today from I Kings 21:1-16, royal privilege crushes the one without advantage
and it’s all accomplished by bearing false witness against one’s neighbour. King Ahab wants a
vineyard that is close to his palace but Naboth, the owner of a vineyard, will not give it to him.
For this reason, Naboth is accused falsely of “cursing God and the king” so that the king could
then take his vineyard deceitfully. King Ahab and his wife Jezebel are two reprehensible political
figures in biblical history.
Violation of the Ninth Commandment is evil and it runs against the vision and values of God’s
Kingdom. To be led by the Spirit is to walk in the light of God’s Word and in his Word God
reveals his will for our lives in the Law. Today we turn our attention to the Ninth
Commandment from Exodus 20:16 which says, “You shall not give false testimony against your
neighbour.” Leviticus 19:11 it states it simply saying, “Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.”
Positively, the Ninth Commandment is about speaking the truth in love.