These days there are numerous trolls and people who spread false stories and narratives to deceive the public. They are employed and paid by dirty politicians. We should not participate in such bad deeds, because God tells us clearly this command: “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness." (Exodus 23:1). We should stand for the truth and justice; we should condemn and shun the spreading of fake news. We should not oppress the poor by spreading fake narratives. Thank you LORD for this reminder. Father, help us show Your love to the world as we stand for Your truth. Praise God.
Text: Exodus 23:1-9 - NIV New International Version
Laws of Justice and Mercy
1 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, 3 and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.
5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
9 “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHTS:
[From Our Daily Bread] “One man is dead. Another man’s life is at stake,” says the judge somberly in the classic 1957 film 12 Angry Men. The evidence against the young suspect appears overwhelming. But during deliberations, it’s the brokenness of the jury that’s exposed. One of the twelve—juror number 8—votes “not guilty.” A heated debate ensues, in which the lone juror is mocked as he points out discrepancies in the testimony. Emotions escalate, and the jury members’ own murderous and prejudicial tendencies come to light. One by one, the jurors switch their votes to not guilty.
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When God gave His instructions to the new nation of Israel, He insisted on honest courage. “When you give testimony in a lawsuit,” God said, “do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd” (Exodus 23:2). Interestingly, the court was neither to “show favoritism to a poor person” (v. 3) nor to “deny justice to your poor people” (v. 6). God, the righteous judge, desires our integrity in all our proceedings.
In 12 Angry Men, the second juror to vote “not guilty” said of the first, “It’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others.” Yet that’s what God requires. Juror number 8 saw the real evidence, as well as the humanity of the individual on trial. With the gentle guidance of His Holy Spirit, we too can stand for God’s truth and speak for the powerless. - By Tim Gustafson
[From Bible Commentary] The law of Moses, summarized in the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue), sought to instruct the people of Israel in two vital areas—how to relate to God and how to relate to other people—whether fellow Israelites or foreigners. The Decalogue itself reflects those values, with the first part dealing with how they were to respond to God and the second part guiding their interpersonal relationships. Today’s reading (Exodus 23:1–9) reflects a further detailing of those interactions with other people. So, when Jesus said in Matthew 22:36–40 that all the law was reflected in two commandments—to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself”—He was reinforcing the law’s two great values. Loving God is the primary vertical relationship and gives context, significance, and value to all our horizontal (human) relationships. - Bill Crowder
[From me] These days there are numerous trolls and people who spread false stories and narratives to deceive the public. They are employed and paid by dirty politicians. We should not participate in such bad deeds, because God tells us clearly this command: “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness." (Exodus 23:1). We should stand for the truth and justice, and we should condemn and shun the spreading of fake news. We should not oprress the poor and deceive them with false narratives. Thank you LORD for this reminder. Father, help us show Your love to the world as we stand for Your truth. Praise God.
March 18, 2023
