"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…
You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit."
Exodus 23:1-3, 6
In God’s way of doing things, we are expected to be just and equitable in our courts and in our personal dealings with one another. Neither rich nor poor should have an advantage or special privileges; we should all be given the same treatment, the same access and held to the same standards of judgment.
The World has never understood any of this. The World’s approach has always been to give special status to the wealthy and powerful on the one hand or to give preferential treatment to the poor on the other hand, reasoning that since he is poor and therefore at a social and economic disadvantage, he should be cut some slack.
But God’s Word doesn’t accept special treatment for either end of the social and economic spectrum or for any other reason. God is just, and His Word is forever true.
Just as the World in its confusion calls love “hate” and calls using other people for our own gratification “love,” so the World calls the perversion of justice to give certain groups of people special treatment “equity.” That same World, in rebellion against God and His Word, says that men can give birth to children and that how you feel is more important than the facts of nature.
Light received brings more light; light rejected brings darkness. When we reject God’s Word we descend into moral darkness and confusion.
But God in His mercy has brought forgiveness, light and salvation to us. When we turn to Christ in repentance and faith He shines His light in our hearts, the darkness dissipates and restoration begins.
The light of the World is Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and dwelling among us. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light on our path.
Lord Jesus, the confusion of this darkened World has even invaded our churches, wherever Your Word is no longer held up as the truth. In Your mercy open the eyes of the blind. Keep my heart clear. Let the pure light of Your Word illumine my thoughts and light my path. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles