Proverbs 26:18 - Meaning and Application

Here we see, first, how harmful people are when they feel no shame about deceiving others. Such people are like madmen who throw firebrands, arrows, and death, because their lies can do great damage. They may think of themselves as clever and polished, but in truth they are acting like fools. There is no greater madness in the world than chosen sin.

This is not only true of the angry, violent person. It is also true of the malicious, deceitful person. He is, in effect, throwing firebrands, arrows, and death. Fraud and falsehood burn like firebrands, and they can wound from far away like arrows. A dishonest person often does more harm than he realizes.

Second, we see how weak the usual excuse is for harm done in fun, that it was only a joke. When people are corrected, they often try to cover themselves by saying, “Am I not just joking?” But it is dangerous to play with fire or joke with sharp tools. That does not mean people should be so touchy that they can never receive a joke. Those who are wise must sometimes put up with foolishness (2 Corinthians 11:19-20).

Still, people are surely wrong when they abuse their neighbors, trick them because they trust them, cheat them in business, lie to them or about them, speak harshly to them, or damage their good name, and then excuse it by saying it was only a joke. If a person sins in jest, he must repent in earnest, or that sin will destroy him. Truth is too valuable to be traded for a joke, and a neighbor’s reputation is too precious as well.

When people lie and slander for fun, they train themselves and others to lie and slander seriously. A false report, first spoken in play, can later be spread in malice. Also, if a man feels free to tell lies just to amuse himself, why would he not tell them to make money? In that way, truth is pushed aside altogether, and people teach their tongues to speak falsehoods (Jeremiah 9:5).

If people would remember that a lie comes from the devil and leads toward hell, it would surely ruin the joke. A lie is not harmless play. It is throwing arrows and death at both others and oneself.