“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.”
Exodus 23:1–3, ESV
These words given to Moses by God are a great reminder for us as followers of the one true God. If it was so with Moses and the Israelites when the fullness of God was partially hidden, how much more is it for us in the full revelation of Jesus Christ? Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. If there are those that wish us harm, let their sin be on them and not respond to cover us in further sin. Our desire would be that the Lord enter the heart of others and bring them to turn away from sin and hear God’s call for them in their lives. We are to be always proclaiming faith in our words and our actions. We should flee from falsehood. A partial truth is as good as an outright lie. We should never side against someone just because we dislike them. If we know that what is being said is wrong, it is wrong and cannot be justified because the outcome is better. This is not of God but of the deceiver. God does not care about the wealth or poverty of a person, but His desire is for the soul of all humanity. The power of God’s Word is not centered in His wrath but in His grace and mercy. Our Lord desires to be merciful to all. Justice is important, but for our Lord, justice is never to justify the sin of another but to make the hearts of all seek out His mercy and ask for His forgiveness. Vengeance is not for us to carry out, but it will come upon all who find themselves outside of God. We are meant to be the bearers of the good news of God as we tell others about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and stand firm in the truth. We are to be just in our dealings and not be taking sides against others, but always willing to stand up for truth. It is our calling and our duty as followers of the one true God. This way, others may see more of Jesus in our faces and less of us.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.