“These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgement for peace in your gates. Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,” declares the LORD.
Zechariah 8:16–17 (NASB)
Recently The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the finding of scroll fragments from ~100 BC near the Dead Sea.
There were only a few, but they contained at least two discernable Bible verses: Zechariah 8:16–17 and Nahum 1:5–6. The passage from Nahum is one of judgement. The passage from Zechariah is clear instruction on what we should do.
In Josiah’s reign ~625 BC the scroll of the law was found and Josiah was commended for taking heed (II Kings 22:8–20). Huldah told Josiah, “Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD . . . and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you.”
Jesus confirmed the mindset and actions desired of us by our Heavenly Father as spoken through Zechariah:
- The importance of speaking truth when he told us that he alone is “the way and the truth and the life” and that we must—and can, by God’s grace—come to our Father through him.
- The beauty of peacemaking in the blessing, “Blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
May we humble ourselves as Josiah and follow our Heavenly Father’s good instruction to speak truth and peace with one another.
Please share a comment! Ed.
We always speak of Jerusalem being the City of Peace but in that same chapter of Zechariah at verse 3 it says Jerusalem is to be the city of Truth. If for no other reason that would be a good one to desire to be in the Kingdom since our world right now seems so full of lies and falsehoods and conspiracy theories that no one knows what or who to believe.
It sounds so simple, but speaking the truth AND keeping the peace…? Not as easy as it sounds these days. May God help me keep quiet when my words might stray from these 2 important principles. Thanks, Phil!
Becky-I thought and agree, seems hard, yea nigh near impossible to speak truth and judge for peace at same time, but it can happen.
Christ Jesus our Lord comes to mind as the one that did this. ‘He himself is our peace…having put to death the enmity; “He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who are near.”‘ Eph. 2: 14-18. In truth we were far off and he told us so, in a judgement for peace he condemned sin that we might live. Perfect love! Hallel YHWH!