The Ten Commandment – 9th Commandment
Bible passage: Exodus 20:16
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today we’ll look at the 9th Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Many pride themselves on not lying but the reality is that most of us engage in deceptions – both big and small. Just as fine dust or stains that are hardly seen in darkness become visible in bright light, most people are found bearing false witness in the eyes of God who is the truth itself.
I encourage you to examine as to whether you have any falsehoods through the Word. May you be recognized as children of light, free from any falsehood, in the presence of God. Firstly, bearing false witness means stating something that is untrue—claiming that an action was taken when it wasn’t or vice versa. This is particularly serious in court, where a witness’s words can directly affect the verdict. A false witness can cause an innocent person to suffer a huge loss or even endanger their life.
God emphasizes that both the witness and those who make judgments be vigilant. Deuteronomy 19:15 states, “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” We should not condemn others based solely on one person's words; it’s important to listen to multiple perspectives and discern the truth. The following verses (16-20) speak of the punishment for false witnesses. “Then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.” The verses dictate that false witnesses should suffer what they try to inflict on others through false witnessing.
This command against false witness is not limited to just formal situations. As children of the holy God, we must also eliminate even small lies from our daily lives. Even minor falsehoods are still untruths, though they don’t cause serious damage. Sometimes, remaining silent in situations where the truth should be spoken can be a form of falsehood, even if you don’t directly lie. For example, when someone else is wrongly accused for your mistake, if you don’t speak up out of fear, you cannot proudly say, “I’m not a liar.” Also, let’s say you purchase an item and the clerk makes a mistake and gives you extra change. If you just receive it out of greed, this is not honest as well.
God wants us to go beyond not telling lies. He wants our heart to be honest and all our words and actions to be sincere and truthful. People refer to certain lies as "white lies.” Sometimes, they lie not with an evil intention to harm others but out of care for others. For example, when someone asks them around a meal time, “Did you eat?” They may say, “Yes.” They do so to avoid causing him worry. The Bible often illustrates similar situations. For instance, when Saul sought to unjustly kill David, people around him often deceived Saul to protect David.
In 1 Samuel 20, Jonathan, Saul's son, hid David in the fields but didn’t tell Saul the truth. Instead, he said that David has gone to meet his brothers. As Saul was eager to kill David if he ever got the chance, David’s life was at stake. So, Jonathan couldn’t tell the truth on his part. Though this is not perfect, Jonathan was doing his best to save David in such a perilous situation. When someone tells white lies with good intentions and not for personal gain, God doesn’t condemn them as liars. But, if we attain to more perfect goodness, we don’t even encounter such situations. God works for us so we can move another person’s heart even without telling white lies and evade the trouble. But some people lie for their own benefit and justify it by claiming, “I did it out of a good intention.
I did it for him.” Yet, they cannot deceive God who sees the heart. I encourage you all to cultivate honesty and receive wisdom from above so that you can always speak in virtuous and gracious ways. Secondly, "adding or omitting words when conveying something” also constitutes false witness. This means altering someone else’s words based on your own thoughts or feelings and conveying a different message. If the words are distorted negatively and cause misunderstanding, it is a problem.
Even when the exact words are conveyed, their meanings can change through tone or emphasis. For example, the phrase, “Why are you doing that?” can be said with concern or in an angry tone, and the message is delivered differently. While it's hard to covey words exactly like a recorder, we must aim to deliver the speaker’s intent as accurately as possible. Even though you can convey something accurately, if it lacks grace, edification, or truth, it should not be spoken. It’s important to remember that conveying someone’s words in good intentions may still hurt others who hear them and cause division. Matthew 12:36-37 says, "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." I hope you will always speak gracious and virtuous words and be found righteous instead of speaking harmful, divisive, or hurtful words. Thirdly, speaking judging and criticizing words against others without knowing their heart also constitutes bearing false witness. When people see or hear another person’s actions, expressions or words, they often judge their heart and intentions based on their own assumptions. They think, ‘He said this because he feels this way. He’s acting that way because he clearly has this intention. For example, when a subordinate looks intimidated before his superior, the superior might misunderstand him thinking, ‘He must be holding a grudge.
He is upset because I pointed out his mistake.’ When someone with poor eyesight passes by his friend without saying anything, the friend may think he is being ignored or wonder if there are any underlying feelings involved. Similarly, someone might see another person in pain and dismiss them as overeating. Having had the same disease, he thinks that the person is being dramatic. Even in similar situations, each person has different feelings and thoughts, and varied levels of endurance.Even a perceptive person can find it challenging to fully understand another’s heart. This is true of even among close friends. Even family members who’ve lived together for decades may misunderstand one another. People often misunderstand and judge others based on their own standards, which leads to negative feelings and slander.
Even when the other person has no such intentions, they firmly believe their judgments are correct, resulting in the spread of untrue statements. Some may even agree with these false statements and join in judging and gossiping about a person. This is a foolish behavior of joining in false witnessing. Brothers and sisters, those who judge and slander others should recognize that the condemnation they impose often reflects their own shortcomings. As for most of men of truth, if they can act maliciously in a specific situation, they assume that others will do the same in the same situation. Because they have deceitful hearts, they suspect that others are deceiving them. When they watch a scene and have bad thoughts, they judge that others would think the same way. Because they have feelings of contempt, they misinterpret others' actions as ignorance or arrogance.
If you have experienced such misunderstandings, you know how painful it can be to be condemned and criticized unjustly. I urge you all not to judge or condemn others based on your own thoughts and standards. Matthew 7:12 says, "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:1-5 also states, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
Those who criticize others must recognize that they may be committing greater evil themselves. Only after they’ve cast off their own evil can they discern the faults of others. But in fact, when a person has removed all evil from his heart, he no longer focuses on the faults of others. Rather, he wants to see their good aspects. Even when they have faults, he wants to cover them up. James 4:11 says, "Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge." Judging and slandering a brother is a grave evil of becoming like God who is the Ultimate Judge.
I ask in the name of the Lord never to commit such great evil. It is also important never to use your own reasoning to judge God's word. Even if something seems totally impossible from man’s perspective, God is more than able to do it. I ask in our Lord’s name that you will all refrain from ever declaring God's word as "incorrect" simply based on human reasoning. People often tell small lies even when they have no malicious intent. For instance, they may exaggerate or downplay facts based on their own perceptions. If someone says that they ate a lot, another might convey it as if they had eaten everything. If someone mentions that there’s little left, it might be taken as there’s nothing left. Sometimes when a few people express the same opinion, others may report it as if everyone agreed.
Additionally, when relaying someone else's words, people may grossly distort the message according to their own thoughts. For example, while having a meal with a few people, the shepherd once said that the food on the table was modest. He wasn’t referring to the number of the side dishes but to the amount of food on each dish. With many people eating together at the time, it would have been better if each side dish had a larger amount. But hearing this, someone else reported that the shepherd said that there was no meat on the table. The words “the table was modest” was interpreted as “there’s no meat.” So, while the person conveyed the wrong message, he didn’t realize it. This may seem trivial. This is not purposely lying with a malicious intent of harming others.
Neither is this judging someone viciously. Even so, if you find yourself with such deceitfulness of adding or omitting words, you need to figure out a more fundamental reason. A person whose heart is filled with the truth does not exaggerate or downplay a fact. Even if someone desires to hear more and he doesn’t have much to say, he only shares what he knows. He doesn’t add his own thoughts or feelings to the story and talk as if it was true. You have to accept the fact as is and deliver it accurately. Therefore, if your words lack sincerity even in trivial matters, it indicates that your heart is not filled with truth and still contains falsehood.
Those who have not fully uprooted falsehood are likely to resort to harmful lies in urgent situations. I hope you will be mindful of even trivial attributes of falsehood but thoroughly remove them as you discover them, using this process as an opportunity for complete transformation. Today, we looked at the 9th commandment: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." In addition to what people generally consider to be lies, adding or omitting words and judging others’ intentions and condemning and criticizing them all constitute bearing false witness.
As children of God who is light, we need to strive for a pure heart that has nothing to do with deceitfulness even in trivial matters. Psalm 84:11 says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." I pray in the name of the Lord that God will illuminate your path, protect you in every trouble, and generously provide all good things as you live with integrity.
