Monday, December 9, 2024

Biblical Honesty And Ethics

Scriptures: Exodus 23:1-3 (NEB) – “You shall not spread a baseless rumor.  You shall not make common cause with a wicked man by giving malicious evidence.  You shall not be led into wrongdoing by the majority, nor, when you give evidence in a lawsuit, shall you side with the majority to pervert justice; not shall you favor the poor man in his suit.” 

Exodus 23:1a (NIV) – “You must not give a false report.”

Exodus 23:1a (NLT) – “You must not pass along false rumors.” 

John 8:31-32 (NIV) – “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

1 John 2:9 (NIV) – “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.”

Message: If we think that spreading baseless rumors is something from the 21st Century, then we need to turn to our Bible and specifically Exodus 23:1a.  “Spreading” or “passing along” baseless or false rumors is not a lesser sin, than the sin incurred by the originator of the baseless or false rumor. 

Further, in the Jewish Study Bible1, published on behalf of the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation by Oxford University Press in 1985, the word “majority” in verse 2 is more correctly translated as “mighty”, in other words those who are abusing their power.

During these incredibly turbulent times, we would all do well to read and pray over these wise words from the time of Moses, as well as remembering and living the words of Jesus to love our neighbor (all people) as ourselves.  

John Wesley put it so well on October 6, 1774 during a highly contentious UK parliamentary election when he was speaking to members of Methodist societies near Bristol, England:

“I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them

  1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy

  2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and

  3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.”2

Prayer: Father, help us to keep our focus on You during this election season and to remember the words of Moses, Jesus and Wesley, and to treat all whom we meet with dignity and respect, just as we would wish to be treated.  Amen. 

David Vatcher

1.      Jewish Study Bible, published on behalf of the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation by Oxford University Press in 1985 © Copyright.  Permission not required for quoting a single word.

2.      Journal of John Wesley Volume 4. Published circa 1790.  Public Domain.
 

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