Wednesday May 22, 2024
Theme: “You shall not speak false witness against your neighbor”
Text: Deuteronomy 19:16-19
16. When a false witness arises against anyone to accuse him of a crime, 17. the two men in dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges then in office. 18. Judges will research carefully. If the witness is a false witness, has he given false testimony against his brother, 19. then you will treat him as he intended to treat his brother. Thus you will remove evil from your midst.
Let's remember:
Let us abhor false testimony. If we fall into the error of being a false witness against our neighbor, the sentence is very heavy and can go as far as exclusion, prison, hanging, stoning, or the death penalty. The fate reserved for a false witness is the same as that which the accused person could have suffered if the accusation were proven; case of Haman against Mordecai see Esther 7:10. This type of sentence helps to remove evil from the midst of a people and prevents the spread of false testimony. A false witness arises out of jealousy, out of hatred, out of bad faith, out of an evil heart. We know that there can be errors of assessment that can lead to false testimony; but here it is a false witness who did it knowingly. When a false witness gives a false testimony, the accusation should not be accepted without verifying the facts. There needs to be a deep investigation leading to the uncovering of the truth. We must not hide the evidence. Our duty is not to be found in that which reproaches us. Confrontation is mandatory to rule out false allegations lacking evidence. The impartiality of judges helps bring out the truth. The noble office of judge helps to have a healthy world without false witnesses. The children of God have Jesus, the lawyer who defends their cause. Have a great Wednesday. Amen
Alain Louz.-
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