We will therefore seek wise counsel about raising a godly seed we will be intentionally faithful to fulfilling our covenantal responsibilities as members of BBC we will expose _ to the numerous opportunities to learn of Jesus Christ through the ministries of BBC. In acknowledging our dependence on God, we hereby commit ourselves to utilising the various practical means of grace which he has provided. For example, consider this paragraph from our church’s declaration of intent, which parents are asked to read before the dedication to help them understand the task to which they are publicly committing: Baptists do not practice infant baptism, but in Baptist churches (like our own), parents often stand before the church and commit themselves publicly to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In some circles, that vow takes the form of infant baptism. What about parents who vow to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord? That is an expectation laid upon all Christian parents, whether an “oath” is taken or not, but there are settings in which parents publicly vow to do so. To fail to do so is to behave as a false witness. The husband vows to lovingly lead his wife, and the wife vows to reverently follow her husband’s leadership. When a couple is married, they make vows to one another. What might this look like today-outside the court room? A lying tongue is always detestable to God, but lying against a vow that one makes is placed in its own category. If we understand this practice of “swearing in” witnesses, it perhaps puts something of a fresh spin on the broader application of this sin. Witnesses were typically reminded of their obligation to tell the truth and warned that, if they were found to be lying, they would suffer the consequences that the defendant would suffer if pronounced guilty. Jewish custom recognised the need for oaths before a rabbinic or judicial court. He was not only lying under the general expectation that he should tell the truth, but lying against a specific oath he had made to tell the truth. In both cases, it led to death.īut the application can be taken a little further, because a false witness in a legal battle was not only lying, but lying under oath. Jesus was likewise subjected to the testimony of false witnesses (Matthew 26:60), as was Stephen (Acts 6:13). In other words, they fabricated testimony against him that was well thought out and not easily answered. David spoke of “malicious witnesses” who had risen against him, asking “things that I do not know” (Psalm 35:11). False witness is not easily dismissed, for it is carefully planned to sound like a reasonable charge against its victim. To lie about a person under oath is to ruin their reputation and to invite a penalty upon them. The most immediate application of this truth would be perjury in a court of law (see Exodus 20:16 Deuteronomy 5:20). A lying tongue might hurriedly fabricate an untruth, but a false witness carefully and deliberately plans the lies he plans to tell-or at least fails to honour a commitment he carefully and deliberately made. “A false witness” is similar, but the inclusion of the word “witness” indicates that Solomon is thinking of something a little more formal.Ī lying tongue can be exercised in any setting, but a false witness specifically breathes out lies in the context of a vow or an oath. We saw, when considering that sin, that the motive of the lying tongue is to hurt the one being lied to or about. “A lying tongue” describes the person who speaks something that is untrue when he knows it to be untrue. The British poet John Dryden once wrote, “Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and the cement of all societies.” The God of the Bible is a God of truth, and in the list of seven things that he hates, we have already considered “a lying tongue.” But Solomon also includes in this list “a false witness who breathes out lies.” It may seem as if the Lord is repeating himself here, but in fact, while the two are related (“lying” and “false” translate the same Hebrew word), there is a subtle difference between a lying tongue and a false witness.
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