Courts are important for the punishing of evildoers. This is what our government’s main function should be concerned with. This is why it is important to have testimony and witnesses that are truthful. Without it, we will not have justice. Biblical law is concerned with accurate testimony. After all, we do not want to condemn innocent people and we do not want to see the guilty go unpunished. Justice is essential to the proper order of any society. If we do not think we can get fairness from our court system, then good people are at a definite disadvantage. Truth in the courtroom is of the upmost importance. Men’s lives hang in the balance on the truthfulness of the witnesses statements. The ninth commandment follows the fourth commandment in the covenant model of sanctions, blessing for truth, cursing for lying.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "testimony" as, "A solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact. Such affirmation in judicial proceedings, may be verbal or written, but must be under oath." This oath is calling down curses upon oneself for not telling the truth. In other words, there are curses for testifying falsely. Psalm 19:7 says about the testimony of God, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." We can rely on the word of God because of the veracity of the Lord. Numbers 23:19 testifies to this integrity, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" He hath spoken and He will make it good for He can only tell the truth because He is truth. We can rely on His testimony regarding Himself.
In the first message on the ninth commandment, I defined the word witness. Its primary meaning is testimony i.e. attesting to a fact or occurrence. The strongest form of evidence admissible in a court of law is eye-witness testimony. This is why hearsay evidence is not allowable as testimony. It was something heard second hand, not something that they actually witnessed themselves. In the Bible, we have the concept of two witnesses. Jesus said in John 8:17, "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." Based upon the law, Jesus bore true witness of Himself and the Father was the other true witness. There testimony is of course above reproach.
The reason for two witnesses with corroborating testimony in convicting one of wrongdoing is that an individual can have a vendetta against someone else and make up lies. This becomes one word against another. But where two are in agreements as to the facts, it takes away this revenge factor. In fact the death penalty can be only carried out based on this two witness system. Numbers 35:30 bears this out, "Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die." It takes witnesses i.e. plural testimony to put someone to death.
The Lord Jesus was put to death based upon this two witness testimony, only the declaration was given by those who broke the ninth commandment. We find this account in Matthew 26:59-61, "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." These men were seeking to pervert justice. Finally, they found two that could agree. These men were not interested in seeing justice furthered. In fact, they wanted just the opposite.
Deuteronomy 16:19 reads, "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." One of the attributes of God is that He is that he does not show favoritism. If you do wrong, you suffer for it, no matter who you may be. We are to be like God in this manner when dispensing justice. Bribes cause people who have seen things to lie. They break the ninth commandment by being false witnesses. Justice is perverted by bribery. It leads to corruption and justice given to the highest bidder. The court system then becomes a place ruled by liars.
Conclusion
Being a witness and giving testimony is an inescapable concept. It depends upon the condition of the heart. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 15:18-19, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Out of an evil heart comes false witness and the breaking of the ninth commandment. False witnesses essentially are calling God a liar by their dishonesty. They are saying that there is no true justice. They are of their father the devil.
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