Accusations (5) End Twist

Under the biblical model of justice, the person who gives false testimony against another can be given the penalty that their testimony would have inflicted on the victim of their lies.

If a malicious witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing… the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness... then you shall do to him as he intended to have done to his brother (Deut 19:16-19).

At the end of the book of Job, God restored Job because he was innocent. Since the three friends had given false testimony against Job, they could have experienced what they had allowed the accuser to inflict on him. However, God asked Job to offer sacrifices for his three friends and pray for them.

My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly (Job 42:7-8).

God heard Job’s prayer and protected them from the consequences of their false testimony. They could have been inflicted with sickness and poverty, but were kept safe.

Some Christians will be sick, because they have given false testimony against a brother and sister, and they are receiving the consequences that the person they were accusing would have received, if their testimony had been accepted. This is another reason why we should be careful about our words. A false accusation can harm a brother or sister, but it can also fall back on us, if our testimony is confirmed as false.

If the Holy Spirit convicts us of speaking words that have harmed a brother of sister, we should ask the Lord for forgiveness. We should declare to the spiritual powers of evil that we are withdrawing our testimony and that we will not testify against the person they are trying to harm.