TODAY’S MESSAGE
Exodus 23:1-9 Justice, Lies and Rumors
We live in the information age. Misinformation, lies, and rumors can spread fast via the Internet and Social Media Platforms. Cell phones, Photoshop, and video editing software, can make fake news look real and ruin people's lives in the twinkling of an eye.
Cancel culture, cultural insensitivity, freedom of speech, partisan politics, and political and religious correctness, make life in this age feel like walking a tightrope, knowing that the next words you speak could cost you your career, your family, your life, your ministry, and all that you hold dear.
YeHoVaH in His wisdom, knew that the words of a man could cause great harm to the innocent and warned His people as He spoke on Mt. Sinai about bearing false witness.
The depth of the danger of bearing false witness, lying, and spreading information that was not true, was at the heart of the Ninth Commandment. Join us as we expound on this Commandment in the teaching, Justice, Lies and Rumors.
The Bible is an historical legal document revealing YeHoVaH’s creation and ownership of all that exists. The Bible is filled with examples of the Creator’s dealings with His creation, including those who opposed His claims over their lives and those who submitted to His Lordship. There are examples of both good and bad, the ultimate example being Yeshua, The Messiah!
Moral and immoral behaviors of individuals in Scripture signify their relationship to YeHoVaH. YeHoVaH has revealed in His Word the moral behavior of His people.
Mankind has proven that without YeHoVaH’s moral code, mankind will display immorality. This fact was communicated by YeHoVaH when He said:
Ge 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Ex 23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
Ways of Raising a False Report
Spreading unverified rumors
Lying
Repeating or Spreading a Lie
Gossiping
Standing in Agreement with someone you know is lying
Saying you did something that you did not do
Saying you did not do something you did
Saying the Law is no longer for us today
Teaching people they do not have to keep the Law of YeHoVaH.
Most pastors today are liars and bear false witness against God’s Word while attempting to teach God’s Word. They are blind leaders.
People who follow them, agree with them, and teach the same, are liars. They are blind followers.
Lev 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.
Do not join sides with the wicked or criminal and testify unrighteous.
At all times, we must be truthful or not testify at all.
Don’t follow the crowd or be a crowd pleaser.
Ex 23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Wrest – 05186 נָטָה natah {naw-taw'}
Meaning: 1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow 1a)
Usage: AV - stretch out 60, incline 28, turn 16, stretch forth 15, turn aside 13, bow 8, decline 8, pitched 8, bow down 5, turn away 5, spread 5, stretched out still 4, pervert 4, stretch 4, extend 3, wrest 3, outstretched 3, carried aside 2, misc 20; 215
Ex 23:3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
Don’t take sides with or show partiality with the poor man because he is poor.
Father recognized that there will be those whom some will consider to be their enemies and therefore put restrictions in place to keep His people from becoming like their enemies.
Ex 23:4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Father recognized there will be those who hate you, therefore He put restrictions in place to keep His people from becoming haters.
Yeshua taught:
Mt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Mt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mt 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Mt 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Mt 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Ex 23:5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Father instructs further that we are not to hate our brother in our heart.
Lev 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
John takes this commandment and expounds further…
1Jn 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
1Jn 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1Jn 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Don’t pervert judgment or show favoritism for the poor.
Ex 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
Judgment – 04941 מִשְׁפָּט mishpat {mish-pawt'}
Meaning: 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a) judgment 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)
1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan
Usage: AV - judgment 296, manner 38, right 18, cause 12, ordinance 11, lawful 7, order 5, worthy 3, fashion 3, custom 2, discretion 2, law 2, measure 2, sentence 2, misc 18; 421
Deal righteously in every aspect:
Ex 23:7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Ex 23:8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Gift – 07810 שַׁחַד shachad {shakh'-ad}
Meaning: 1) present, bribe
Usage: AV - gift 10, reward 7, bribes 3, present 2, bribery 1; 23
Do not take bribes.
Dt 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Dt 16:20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Do not oppress the stranger.
Ex 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt
Heart – 05315 נֶפֶשׁ nephesh {neh'-fesh}
Meaning: 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites
Usage: AV - soul 475, life 117, person 29, mind 15, heart 15, creature 9, body 8, himself 8, yourselves 6, dead 5, will 4, desire 4, man 3, themselves 3, any 3, appetite 2, misc 45; 751
When reading YeHoVaH’s Law, I ask myself how do these Laws apply today, to me, to society, and to the world at large.
When I look at society through the lens of YeHoVaH’s Commandments, I find it easier in my flesh to conform to society than to YeHoVaH’s Commandments.
When I think of YeHoVaH’s Laws today, I can’t help but compare His Laws to the laws that govern our nations, states, counties, cities, townships, and villages.
In our societies of nations, states, counties, cities, townships, and villages, man makes laws to govern and establishes laws to enforce the laws that man makes.
As Kingdom-minded sons and daughters of YeHoVaH/God, we must always remember that we are a Holy Nation dwelling in heathen, pagan, and religious nations, subjected to the laws of man, but upholding the Laws of our God, King, and Maker!
