The consequences of lies is seen in the following example.
“And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart: ‘The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob’. And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him: ‘Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran. And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away; Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?’
Jacob is forced to flee from home. And although he returns approximately two decades later, the reconciliation that then takes place with Esau is still filled with tension. Also, Genesis provides no evidence that Jacob ever again saw his mother, even though she promised to send for him (another lie). It does not appear that her ever conversed with his father after leaving home. When human beings start on a downward spiral of falsehood, they lose control over their lives. Liars may think that they are capable of shaping reality. Yet, when leaving the basic principle of truth for selfish purposes even after calculating the effects, they are likely to experience some painful consequences.
Another example is given from the record of Laban’s tangled relationship with Jacob. After his dishonest dealings with Jacob, Laban suffered the loss of livestock, and children when Jacob leaves him. Even more exemplary are the brothers of Joseph who believe that their deception and mistreatment of Joseph is responsible for their own imprisonment on charges of spying in Egypt. They said to one another,
“We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.“ (42:21-22).