“They That Observe Lying Vanities Forsake Their Own Mercy” | Jonah 2: 8

WHAT are the lying vanities of which the scripture speaks? The wise man wrote: “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, ALL is vanity.” (Proverbs 12: 8) The flesh, the world and the devil promise many things, but are all liars! Riches are deceitful¸ promising happiness and contentment, when in fact they gender the opposite. The world talks of wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, when in fact they lie about most things (not revealing the facts, bringing up false ‘witnesses’, manufacturing ‘findings’ and ‘sources’). David said in his haste “All men are liars.” God’s people are not liars, but the world is so full of them, that all seem to be so. And David’s son said: “Money answereth all things” i.e. behind every lying scheme is the love of money. The devil, who is the father of lies, perpetrated and is perpetuating all his lies in the name of truth. Behind the façade of religion is the smiling face of the devil, who has his ministers of righteousness, who are all liars, evil men and seducers, waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. And money is behind it all.

For us to observe lying vanities, is to listen to the world and put stock in what it is saying. It is to listen to the experts, the wise men and women of this world rather than God. To observe lying vanities is to listen to and participate in the world’s religions. To observe lying vanities is to walk with, talk with and commune with the liars of this world (evil communications corrupt good manners), for you cannot really believe anyone except a true believer, one who has the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them and leading them. The natural man is out for himself, not truth, not the good of others. To observe lying vanities is to think that anyone or anything in this world can be of some good to us. Fact is, there is nothing truly good in this world except the things of God and the people of God. God says of this world, “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, NO, NOT ONE!” (Psalm 14: 3) He said, “Love not the world, neither the things of this world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.” He said, “They (false prophets) are of the world: therefore speak they of the world (health, wealth, material things) and the world heareth them.” (1 John 2: 15-16; 1 John 4: 5)

To forsake our own mercy is to absent ourselves from the preaching of God’s Word, which exposes all lies within us and without us, and reveals to us the vanities of this world. The Word of God is His mercy to hell-deserving sinners. It is our mercy to hear and heed it. It is full of warnings, rebukes, reproofs and corrections to save us from perishing with this world . . . to save us from this untoward generation. To observe the lying vanities of science, medicine, politics, which tell us to stay in the ‘safety’ of our homes and not gather with God’s people, is a terrible lie that robs us of mercy. To observe the lying vanity that there is peace, happiness, and comfort in the home with our family, rather than worship with God’s family, is a terrible lie and deception; for all homes and families will soon be gone and only God’s house and family will remain (Heb.12:25-29).

Yes . . . They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. To listen to, pursue and court the things of this world and the people of this world rather than God, the things of God, and the people of God . . . is to cut your own throat . . . it is to cut off your own life-line . . . it is to commit spiritual suicide. Wherefore . . . “Flee Idolatry” . . . “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” . . . “Come thou with us and we will do thee good” . . . “Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby” . . . “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity.”

~ Pastor Paul Mahan

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Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 3 January, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia