Witnesses, Candlesticks, and Olive Trees

Witnesses, Candlesticks, and Olive Trees focuses on the role of witnesses in the Bible. This need of a “witness” appears in the very first verse of the Bible and will be required throughout the Bible.

When God set up the legal system for the Israelites, he formalized this as Law when he said, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” (Deu 19:15)

God requires at least two witnesses to verify the facts.

We make thousands of decisions and choices in our life based on our understanding of certain facts. If the facts are complete, and accurate, then the results are reasonably correct. Therefore, we are generally cautious of what we accept as facts and often require a witness to verify them.

Nearly every decision we make is based on our own witness and of others around us. Some decisions are simple such as what shall I wear? Some are more complex, such as shall I get married. What career shall I follow?

These decisions may be personal, or they may involve others, such as in a legal action.

Our whole legal system relies heavily on witnesses to arrive at the truth, yet it will still judge a case even with only one witness and sometimes with no witnesses at all.

We are all a witness to everything that goes on around us to some degree or another. Most of the time we continue our lives without giving it a second thought.

Witnesses are as varied as mankind. We know that not all witnesses are reliable, some even lie under oath. Some are sincere but have gotten their facts confused.

However, the Israelites were told, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (Exo 20:16) “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.” (Exo 23:1) “Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (Deu 5:20)

This also places a responsibility on the judges: “And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Deu 19:18-21)