When we show justice, we reflect the character of our God who is true and just. Psalm 106:3 says that people who practise justice are blessed. The precise words of this verse are, “How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!” A quick review of the nature of fallen humanity tells us that justice and truth are not always the norm. The tendency of this sinful nature is to exploit and take advantage of others. Man would resort to lying to ensure self-preservation, to take advantage of others or to protect a friend. It was true in the day of Moses, so also it is true in our day. We can understand why God had to give the call to His people not to bear false witness. Exodus 23:1-9 God expanded on the ninth commandment with the objective to get us to act truthfully, righteously and justly.
In verse 1, the instruction is clear. We are not to bear false witness. And we must not team up with a wicked person and spread malicious lies. When we are called to be a witness to affirm a situation, we must always tell the truth. Conspiring with a mischief maker is strongly prohibited. God would not allow us to be a malicious witness and help a wicked person get scotch free. Justice must not be marred and perverted. We must always speak the truth and not indulge in giving a false report. Bear in mind that what we hear is always only one side of the story. People will never give an account that will disadvantage themselves or their friends. Accounts are often told to fit only one side of the narrative, leaving out details that don’t fit the true situation. This verse ensures that we always speak the truth.
Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us to be truthful to let our yes be yes and no, no. Nothing more is required. We need to know that untruths and conjectures are harmful to harmonious living. How often has a family, partnership or friendship been broken up because of untruths? How often have people been wrongly punished because of misinformation? We must resolve to speak the truth wisely and in love. This will save us untold sorrows and a great deal of trouble. We can prevent this by refusing to listen to unfounded rumours. Don’t give ear to something that has nothing to do with us in the first place. When we have to bear testimony, always be sure that our story is accurate and factual. Don’t add fuel to a person who already has an axe to grind with someone. Let us speak only to advance the Kingdom of God.
Another temptation in life is to speak in a way, even if it borders on untruth, just to convince our listeners. People usually adjust their narrative just to get into someone else’s good book. So, truths could be stretched and story adjusted to fit into what listeners want to hear. Verses 2-3 explicitly say, “You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.” God does not want His people to play to the gallery and pander to the crowd.
In verses 6-7, if we are in a position to adjudicate a situation, God expects us to presume a person blameless until he is proven guilty. We must not conclude based on hear-says and unproven truths. God is fair and just and He expects us to deal with all equally, regardless of a person’s wealth or status. The poor must not be presumed wrong just because he is poor and the rich must not be presumed right just because he is rich. God expects justice to be applied equally to both the rich and poor. Never take sides and allow the poor to be taken advantage of, and the rich be encouraged to exploit the poor. But do bear in mind that the poor could also be the guilty and manipulative ones. While God sympathizes with the poor, he would not condone their wrongs. The poor are not always right, neither are the rich always wrong. He expects justice to be dispensed rightly based on the truth. Equality must be considered in administering justice.
For justice to be rightly served, God gave instruction concerning bribery in verse 8. When a judge accepts a bribe, justice can never be rightly served. Justice should never be bought because bribery always corrupts justice. A judge must not be blind to the truth by accepting a gift. Verse 9 deals with justice for foreigners. People in another land could be taken advantage of. God would not allow that. He protects them. He reminded the Israelites of their past position. They knew how it was like to be oppressed and mistreated. Hence, they must not mistreat foreigners. To live justly and graciously Micah 6:8 comes to mind. It says “Act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Tug this verse somewhere in our heart as we seek to practise truthfulness, righteousness and justice. We will be truly blessed!
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