THE DANGER IN BEARING FALSE WITNESS
Proverbs 19:5, 9 (AMPC)
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes out lies shall not escape.
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish.”
Dear people of God, many governments and groups speak against the spread of fake news and advise people generally on how to handle unverified reports.
There are many people who receive a social media message, read it and then forward it to some or all of their contacts without verifying the authenticity of the information.
The Word of God tells us in today’s lead text that a false witness shall not be unpunished.
Who is a false witness? The dictionary defines a false witness as “someone who starts or spreads falsehood.”
Other synonyms of the phrase “false witness” include cheat, con artist, perjurer, deceiver, fabricator, prevaricator, mis-leader, maligner, etc.
As a warning, verse 9 of the same 19th chapter of Proverbs states thus, “9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish.”
This time around, the Bible says the person who breathes forth lies shall perish.
In our everyday conversations, people bear false witness and tell lies as though it were water they are drinking.
They simply don’t realize the enormity and gravity of their actions. Lying and bearing false witness cannot be for fun or whatsoever reason when it damages a person, company or country’s reputation.
When next you receive a social media message, you must think first of the consequences of spreading false information before you hit the forward and send button.
Where you are not sure that such message is factual because there is no proof, it is in your own best interest to either delete or simply ignore the message.
If you go ahead to forward a sensitive report bothering on a person, group or company's reputation without first verifying it, you are as guilty as the person or group who started the false report as far as God is concerned.
How do I know this?
God Himself warns in Exodus 23:1-3 (AMPC), "YOU SHALL NOT repeat or raise a false report; you shall not join with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
All over the world, politicians canvass votes from their electorates during the electioneering season whilst promising a number of things they would do if elected to office.
Unfortunately, majority of them make promises that they simply have no intention of keeping because their only interest is to make money when they get to office and not to serve the people whose votes they canvassed.
You can lie to men and get away with it BUT you cannot lie before God Almighty Who sees and hears everything including our innermost thoughts and ever believe you can get away with it.
If you are a politician reading this in any part of this world and you have made promises to the electorate whose votes you have canvassed, ensure to keep every single promise made when you get to power because your word is your bond and you are accountable to God for it.
Once again, remember what is written in Proverbs 19:9, “9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who breathes forth lies shall perish.”
May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Holy Name, Amen.
Gabriel Ama
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