The ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20.16), is explained in greater detail in chapter 23.
“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness.
“You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice,
“Nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit” (Exodus 23.1-3).
The issue in these verses is the use of legal means to deprive disadvantaged persons of their rights.
Below are a few of the ways this happens in today’s America.
(1) Poor people are often victims of predatory lending. Payday loans can trap borrowers in a cycle of debt that is nearly impossible to overcome.
(2) For individuals living on the edge of poverty, an unexpected eviction can lead to homelessness.
(3) I recently read how churches in urban America were given significant contributions for every member who applied for a subprime mortgage before the subprime debacle in 2008.
When the poor defaulted on their loans, their credit was ruined and they had to grapple with the problem for years.
While the poor suffered from the 2008 crisis, few top banking executives faced criminal charges directly related to the crisis.
Some executives who left their positions — either voluntarily or due to pressure — received “golden parachute” exit packages, worth millions or even tens of millions of dollars.
Though the next verses cover more than the above illustrations, they do provide guidelines that if followed would benefit society in general.
“You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits.
“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty.
“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds officials and subverts the cause of those who are in the right” (Exodus 23.6-8).
Free People Living in Freedom
The inequities in the American legal and business system are straight out of Pharaoh’s playbook. The Egyptian ruler used people to achieve his greedy desires.
Jesus had a different perspective and so should his people.
“No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6.24).
When we serve Jesus, we will adopt his attitudes and actions toward people and possessions. We will love people and use possessions, not the other way around.
We also will trust God for all of our needs.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6.33).
What About Enemies
God freed his people from slavery in Egypt. His laws free people from resentment and unforgiveness.
“When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back.
“When you see the donkey of one who hates you struggling under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free” (Exodus 23.4-5).
We are familiar with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount concerning enemies. What is interesting is that the Old Testament law espoused this behavior years before Jesus delivered his message.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
“But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
“So that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5.43-45).
What is the benefit of following God’s direction when we observe the Old Testament teaching or that of Jesus?
When we pray for our enemies, we open the door for God to conform our character to his. As God works with us, he will free our attitudes and actions to reflect his character.
When we do good to our enemies we may conquer them by making them our friends. That’s the way God defeated his.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Whispering Danny, and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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