You shall not raise a false report: put not your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
– Exodus 23:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

This verse is God’s requirement that we cannot follow others to casually spread rumors and false reports, nor can we bear false witness with the wicked, for it is a matter of doing evil to resist God and offending the disposition of God. God’s disposition is righteous and holy. He hates us doing such dishonest things as spreading rumors and bearing false witness. God’s purpose in telling us His will and requirements is that He hopes us not to do these evil things or take part in these sins, but to guard our own tongues and behave ourselves, so that we will not do evil and offend the disposition of God and thus receive God’s righteous punishment. Recall the Pharisees recorded in the Bible. They were familiar with the Bible and knew God’s requirements back to front. They clearly knew spreading rumors and bearing false witness would offend the disposition of God. However, when they saw the Lord Jesus performed so many miracles, they attacked, judged, and blasphemed Him, saying, “He casts out devils through the prince of the devils” (Matthew 9:34). They even got the Jewish commoners to bear false witness to ensnare the Lord Jesus. They knew very well that the Lord Jesus’ word and work are full of authority and power, but they didn’t seek God’s appearance and work in the least, and wantonly attacked and discredited what the Lord Jesus did. Furthermore, when they knew the Lord Jesus was resurrected, they paid off soldiers with money and asked them to bear false witness stating that it was the disciples who took the Lord Jesus’ body. Their such evil deeds seriously offended the disposition of God, so they finally received God’s curse and punishment.

From the lessons of the failure of the Pharisees, we understand that God’s righteous disposition cannot be offended, so we should fear God even more and temper our deeds and actions. Especially it’s already the period of the last days and it’s the time of the Lord’s return. When someone bears witness to the message of the Lord’s return, those evil servants, false shepherds, and antichrists in the church will surely rise up to bear false witness, saying, “My lord delays his coming” (Matthew 24:48). What they mean is that the Lord has not returned yet and that all those who testify to the coming of the Lord are surely false. How should we treat it at this moment? Do we, like the wise virgins, seek and investigate to hear God’s voice, and welcome the Lord’s return when we hear someone saying, “The bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6), or do we follow the evil servants and false shepherds to bear false witness to discredit and condemn the Lord’s return? This concerns whether we can welcome the Lord’s return and be raptured into the kingdom of heaven, and is worthy of our deep reflection.