Lev 5:1  If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.

          

Many of us would suggest that Leviticus is the most unintelligible book in the Old Testament, yet it contains simple and straight forward laws like this one today, which are actually very easy to understand!

 

God's Law says quite a lot about justice, and in fact many laws are really all about ensuring behaviour is just. To get to grips with this one we need to work backwards. Someone has been a witness to some wrong taking place in life. It comes to the attention of the authorities and they ask for witnesses to what has happened to come and speak up so that the truth can be determined. This witness decides it is better not to get involved and stay silent. That says the Law is actually sin! More than that, if it comes out, then you will be held responsible.

 

There are two aspects of this to be considered. The first is about the law itself. It simply places a duty on people to ensure that justice is done by speaking up. The idea of “I won't tell on my people” isn't justifiable before God. If you know, you speak up, otherwise you have an issue with God!

The second aspect is of realisation or awareness. You may not have ever thought about it before and that's one of the reasons the Law of God is written down, so that you will read and become aware of God's requirements. Ignorance of the Law is OK? No! Know what God's word says, and obey it!

Now this does raise another issue - does the Law of Moses apply to Christians today, and the answer has to be largely, no. Why? Because they were a unique nation under God. Moreover many of the laws were ceremonial and have been superceded by Jesus' death on the Cross, and many of the laws applied to a nation that was largely agricultural. However, don't be in a hurry to dismiss it all. Behind all the laws of Moses is the wisdom of God and many parts of the Law declare principles that can be applied even to modern life. Some of it is even enacted in English Law! Today's instructions lay down divine principles and we would do well to follow them.