Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - FAITHFUL

 FAITHFUL

The dictionary defines faithful as: true to one’s word, promises, vows; reliable, trusted,  believed; adhering or true to fact.*

Are we always faithful to what we say or pledge or are we often more indifferent to what we say and pledge? It is often easy to take short-cuts in life rather than aways do or follow the correct path. Most people tend to veer off course at least once and awhile, if not frequently. 

At times, it may be that one is not faithful to a pledge because of uncertainty or poor memory, but it often happens as well that one may be trying to alter facts to accommodate present circumstances. In such circumstances, one could be referred to as an unreliable or inconsistent witness.

Throughout the Bible, situations are often referred to as being a witness. For example, in Genesis 31:44 we are told that Laban said to Jacob:

“…let us make a covenant, you and I, 

and let it be a witness between you and me.”

In Exodus 20:16 Moses received the commandment:

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

 

Which obviously indicates that not all witness will be true.

In Leviticus 5:1 we are told:

 

If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, 

and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—

if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

Perhaps it is for that reason that James 5:12 states:

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, 

either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. 

But let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No,” “No,” 

lest you fall into judgement.

Without care, a witness may not be everything that is expected of him, But isn’t it good to know that a witness can be true and accurate all the time and so can be faithful to the purpose for which they are a witness? Such is mentioned in the Bible only twice and only toward two people.

So they said to Jeremiah, 

“Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, 

if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God 

sends us by you. 

(Jeremiah 42:5)

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead… 

(Revelation 1:5) 

…And you hold fast to My name, 

and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas 

was My faithful martyr [witness]… 

(Revelation 2:13)

Isn’t it good to know that when we may need a witness,        and be certain that what we are told is true, we can depend on Christ as being a faithful purveyor of the truth and for us a faithful witness?

Just something more to think about.

*Dictionary. com