Disguises

by Connie J. Horn

“He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not” (Proverbs 26:24,25).

To dissemble is to “engage in dissembling,” which is to hide under a false appearance. The Bible records disguises assumed in order to deceive and steal or destroy: Satan appeared to Eve as the beautiful serpent (Genesis 3); Jacob disguised Himself as Esau to obtain the birthright from his father (Genesis 27:23); Rachel pretended the “custom of women” was upon her in order to keep her family’s images (Genesis 31:34,35).

Other disguises were donned to provoke the one deceived into fulfilling a promise, or to bring the one deceived to a place of understanding. Judah’s widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar, disguised herself as a harlot, and deceitfully kept Judah’s bracelet and signet in order to assure her place in her husband’s family (Genesis 38). A prophet of the Lord disguised himself as a soldier wounded in battle in order to have the king pronounce judgment upon himself (I Kings 20:37–42).

Where God is concerned, no man is able to disguise himself. For “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). Jesus taught that no man can sin and then use ignorance as a “cloak” (John 15:22). The apostle Paul’s commitment was never to use flattering words or a “cloak of covetousness” (I Thessalonians 2:5). His testimony was that “we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us” (I Thessalonians 2:7,8). In our text verse, hatred intimates deception. Our calling is to love, and honestly share the truth of what makes us who we are—the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. CJH

This article was originally published June, 1997. "Disguises", Institute for Creation Research, https://www.icr.org/article/disguises (accessed April 24, 2024).