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Daily Devotion: Exodus 23:1-9

Exodus 23:1-9    "Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." 

We, as the people of God, are expected to act honestly in all our dealings. No matter how popular it might be, we are never to add our voice to a false report. This means that we are to make every effort to know the truth of a matter before we decide where we stand. A thing is neither right nor true just because we wish it to be that way.

No matter how popular an idea is, we are not to agree just because it is popular. We should never add our voice to any matter to sway others to that point of view simply because we think that will put us on the “winning” side. If it is unjust, then we must oppose it, and if it is just then we must support it. Whether or not it is just is a matter of whether or not it is in accord with God’s word.

A person’s social standing should never determine our support for or against them. We should not be for the poor just because they are poor, but we should be for them in right causes. In the same fashion, we should never support a rich man for his wealth. Even when someone hates us, we are to do to and with them what is right and just. 

We need to stay away from false matters (conspiracy theories and social media lies) that are used to stir up our carnal minds. God will never justify us in supporting and spreading stories that are meant only to harm another. When we must take a stand, we should never take anything from either side of the question. Whether the gift actually swayed our opinion or not is not the only issue: it gives the appearance of sin. 

Our God has called us to walk righteously according to the example of our Lord and Saviour. He has set for us a higher standard than simply what is socially acceptable. May we always use the grace of God to do justly in love. Let our yay be yay and our nay be nay and give God the glory.

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