Deuteronomy 19:15 – 21 “A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother.
You must purge the evil from among you. Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.”
This passage lays out the principle of lex talionis, the law of retribution and has helped form a basis for legal procedures for thousands of years. While God has established the cities of refuge, at the same time God is also laying the foundation for a just and fair legal system. One important point is the requirement of two or three witnesses in any case, rather than merely one witness. These witnesses had best be honest; if they are found to be lying and falsely accusing someone, they will suffer the penalty they hoped to incur on someone else!
When Jesus was on trial, two men came forward and gave false testimony that Jesus had threatened to destroy the temple and to rebuild it in three days. This statement was taken out of context; Jesus was actually speaking about his own death and resurrection. Rather than cross examine these witnesses , the high priest gleefully accepted their testimony. Mark wrote that even in this testimony, the two witnesses did not agree. (Mark 14:59) This incident illustrates the potential for failure of the system.
The fairness of such a trial clearly depended on the righteousness of the judges and the priests. If the legal panel was corrupt, then the innocent might be falsely accused and punished. But amazingly enough, this system evidently continued to function well for centuries. Penalties meted out were severe; life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot. Anyone causing bodily harm or committing murder would suffer as he had made others to suffer.
APPLICATION: While we can certainly understand the need for witnesses in a court case to speak truthfully, we need to ask ourselves how many times we spread false rumors about others, engaging in character assassination. A story is told of a wise pastor who had a lady in his church who was a terrible gossip. Nobody’s reputation was safe when this lady began sharing misinformation. Finally one day, the pastor asked the lady to come to his office. Handing the lady a full glass of water, the pastor then asked her to run around the church as quickly as she could without spilling the water. By the time the lady returned, the glass was mostly empty. “Now,” the pastor ordered her, “please collect all the water you have spilled.” “But Pastor,” the lady argued, “that’s impossible!” “True,” replied the pastor. “And recovering lies told about others is equally impossible.”
Jesus spoke about the law of lex talionis to his disciples, advising them that in the kingdom of God there was a new way to act.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
When Jesus came, he brought the rules of the Kingdom of God with him. Instead of focusing on vengeance, true followers of Jesus are to forgive. This does not mean that false witnesses should not be punished; however, it does mean that there is no more room for avengers of blood. Even when Jesus was dying on the cross at Calvary, he prayed that his heavenly Father would forgive those who were crucifying him. Focusing on vengeance only makes us increasingly bitter. Forgiveness frees us. None of us knows the human heart as God does, and none of us is as qualified to judge as is God. Rather than seeking vengeance, let us forgive and leave vengeance to God, who knows hearts and motives. Romans 12:17 – 19 tells us, “ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to speak only the truth about our neighbors and to be as careful with their reputations as we are with our own. Help us also to forgive and to allow you to settle our disputes, rather than seeking vengeance and harboring hatred. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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