False שָׁוְא

We are in moving into chapter twenty-three of Exodus with our word for today. שָׁוְא worthless, futile, emptiness, vanity, inconsequential, unrestrained, false. It is used 54 times in the Old Testament. We have already seen our word used in the sense of empty, futile a few days ago with the ten commandments. Exodus 20:7 You shall not לַשָּׁ֑וְא misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who לַשָּֽׁוְא misuses his name. This is the NIV which helps us better understand this idea of taking God’s name in vain which is how it is usually translated. We miss use God’s name when we fail to treat Him with respect. We also see our word used in the sense of falsehood. Psalm 144:8, 11 whose mouths are full of שָׁ֑וְא lies, whose right hands are deceitful … rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of שָׁ֑וְא lies, whose right hands are deceitful. Proverbs 30:7-8 Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep שָׁ֤וְא falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. This is how our word is used today in our chapter. Exodus 23:1 You shall not spread a שָׁ֑וְא false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. This is repeated in this way in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 5:20 You shall not give שָֽׁוְא false testimony against your neighbor. This repeat is originally found in Exodus 20:16 You shall not give שָֽׁקֶר false testimony against your neighbor. Here we looked at the word שָֽׁקֶר falseness, deception back a few days ago. Notice that when the command is repeated a different word is used. This helps us understand these words better. It is interesting that the word chosen by God was not the word for falseness but instead the same word used not to take God’s name in vain or lightly or without respect or without weight. Our word helps us understand this idea of perjury because it comes at this idea of false from the standpoint of the words being empty or not having weight to them. God clearly calls being a false witness a sin that must be dealt with. I’ll close with these stern reminders. Isaiah 5:18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of הַשָּׁ֑וְא falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes. Psalm 26:4 I do not sit with men of שָׁ֑וְא falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. Ezekiel 13:9 My hand will be against the prophets who see שָׁוְא֮ false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.