Perjury.. Willfully making a false oath. Swearing to something that is false…
There was a time when truth was expected and assumed. People could be taken at their word, to do what they said they would do…whatever they told you was so. Not so much anymore it seems…
Perjury could cost you dearly under Jewish law.
“If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the Presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony ….then do to him as he intended to do to the other…. You must purge the evil from among you.” (Deut. 19: 16-19)
Wow ! You lie to get the other guy…you get what you were setting him up for !
Fast forward…Mark 14
“The chief priests…were looking for evidence against Jesus, to put Him to death..”
“..some stood up and gave…false testimony against Him…yet their testimony did not agree…”
The very ones who held the positions to enforce the laws they lived by, ignored that law. They LOOKED for evidence…didn’t matter how accurate it was. Not only did they not enforce their law, they did not punish the perjurers, they became involved IN the act.
“Are you not going to answer?” they asked Jesus.
Today, as then, a person on trial is not required to answer questions that would show himself to be guilty.
“Jesus remained silent.” and by His very silence, He convicted them of their wrongdoing, convicted them of breaking the law they claimed to uphold.
Until…
“ the high priest asked Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of The Blessed One?”
“I Am”.
Jesus never denied His Father. And they crucified Him for it.
