"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:1-2, 16 ESV
"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. - Matthew 5:33-37 ESV
Rev. Dwight Yoo
What it means
This command is specific to court/judicial setting. When you are brought up as a witness or you are accusing someone, you are to tell the truth. In this day and age, we have security cameras, cell phone footage, even DNA analysis. But Israel had none of these things. They only had spoken testimony. Speaking the truth can have life changing implications. It has corporate effects as well. Speaking lies tears at the fabric of community. It makes us skeptical and even cynical.
How it applies
This command is more then just not lying. It means to keep to the truth in all areas of life. Jesus speaks to this in the use of oaths. There was a set of religious laws called the mishna. It outlined two types of oaths. One set that were not legally binding and the other would incur the judgement of God. These religious laws made for more complex lying rather than more trustworthy people. Those who follow God were to be truthful, so truthful that they do not need to be under oath. They do not need to swear an oath in order to speak truth. That is the radical truth and trustworthiness God calls us to.
It is unlikely that we have committed perjury. But we break this commandment in many ways everyday. We exaggerate to plead our case, to make ourselves look better. We revile those we dislike. We magnify their faults and minimize/omit their strengths. We gossip under the guise of sharing. There is no heart to reach out and engage them to help them to kill that sin. All this lying is largely driven by fear. Fear of missing out, fear of looking bad, fear of not having enough social standing or career opportunities.
How to truly live it
Liars and slanders have no place on God's holy hill. We, those who tear at the fabric of community, deserve God's judgement & wrath. But Jesus came full of grace and truth. He came and paid the price of capital punishment on our behalf. He frees us from fear. We are accepted into God's kingdom because of what Jesus has done. We have the riches of God and a place in His presence. We can live a life of giving rather than fear.
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