The practice of swearing in a witness in the courtroom at a hearing, with an oath that they will ‘tell the truth and nothing but the truth’ is twofold. Firstly, to impress on them the importance of telling the truth, and secondly, to enable enforcement of the consequences of not telling the truth in court or through documentation. This is called perjury, which can bring punishment in the form of fines or prison sentences upon conviction. The severity can depend on judicial discretion. It is a grievous thing that we even need this. There was a day when a handshake was a binding contract and a person’s word was their bond. This is an adage dating back to the 1500’s in the Latin ‘Dictum Meum Pactum’. Being used even in the British Stock Exchange since the early 1800’s, but often not even dependable in one’s own home in this day and age.
However, the scripture says it this way, Matthew 5:33-37, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” There is nothing you have that has not been given to you by God or nothing that we can give as security for our word that does not already belong to him. We should just live truthfully each day, and we do not have to worry about what we do or give if we default. James repeated as well in, James 5:12, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” Numbers 30:2 “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” It is a profoundly serious matter to make an oath and break it. Just tell the truth and you will not have to worry about unknown consequences. Plato, a Greek philosopher from 428 B.C, was credited as saying, “When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them. “Jesus Christ the Messiah, always spoke truth, but it was said of him in Luke 4:22, “And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?” You may not know how to be eloquent or have gotten high marks in your speech class, but when you speak always let it be unto the edification of others and not to the tearing down. The prayer of our hearts should be that of Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”
When mining, the ore, aka the chunks of rocks that are harvested can contain many different precious metals, like gold, silver, copper, or platinum. It is through the process of refining that they are separated. There are no greater or more refined words than God’s word. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Simply put without taking away from the amazingly arduous process, miners extract ore from mountains and underground using expensive, heavy-duty machinery and dynamite. The ore that they extract is then crushed into small pieces through varying processes and washed in water, then acid. It goes through a trapping apparatus, called precipitation (extracting a solid from a solution) then is again dried. It is then put through the fire which separates the silver or precious metal from the waste. It is poured into molds where the metal will sink, and the waste will float and be skimmed off the top and discarded. This is not the end of the process. The bars are sent to a refinery where they are broken down again and put into a crucible (container that is very heat resistant) with ‘flux,’ which promotes melting, and is melted down in fire once again. Then poured out where again the waste will float and so on and so forth. You see where the scripture stated that ‘the word of God’ has been purified seven times! The precious metal continues to be crushed, and melted and poured and at the end, put into an acid solution, which dissolves it into a liquid form. The chemists will add the chemicals needed to extract the precious metal they are looking for. When it is poured the last time, it is in its purest form and ready to be sold and used for whatever the buying manufacturer desires.
Proverbs 25:11 states, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” If we put our thoughts through this grueling process of purification before we ever speak, we would have only fitly spoken words. ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ is not a true statement. Words are innately attached to feelings. It is up to us to choose our words wisely in every circumstance daily. Colossians 4:6 admonishes, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” We want them to be received well and generate valuable feedback, not hurtful and bitter responses. Keep in mind, no one can read our minds, but thoughts, once put into words and spoken, live forever. James 3:2-12, “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” Verse 2 is worth repeating, “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” Ephesians 4:15 states, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” You can tell people the truth, be honest always, but not brutal, showing love and a good spirit. If we speak with the right motive, our message will always get across in a more fruitful way. Proverbs 16:24 states, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” And Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
The word of God that has been refined seven times, is also given to us for instruction. Just because a parent tells his children what to do, gives them the consequences and may have to administer some of those when the child disobeys, it does not have to be in a cruel and abusive way. It can be done in love, and this is what the word of God is to the Christian. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” And 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” It also gives us clarity and direction, In Psalm 119:105 David says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” And Psalm 119:130 continues, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” The word is not given to confuse us but to bring us hope in an otherwise hopeless world. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 Paul states, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” Simplicity is often more valuable than profundity. However, the word is not meant to tell us just what we want to hear either. 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” In the book of Acts, Paul preached a lengthy, powerful message to some of the leaders pointing out some of their wrongdoing, and when he ended, Festus spoke up in Acts 26:24-28. “And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” The responses were really compliments to Paul’s great oratory ability, for he was speaking to an intelligent audience. However, they were also their confession of not wanting to comply with the word of God. People today do the same thing. They like the ‘feel good, flowery’ messages but as soon as it gets too serious or they start feeling conviction in their own hearts, they start patting the preacher on the back as they are backing out of the door of the church house.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Could Paul have been saying here to Timothy, “No matter your age, experience, or inexperience, if you are talking the talk, you’d better be walking the walk!” We need to make sure that whatever we say is not only done in love but backed by our actions. The message should not be, “Do as I say and not as I do.” Actions speak more loudly than words. They say a picture paints a thousand words. It is because they people digest what they see often much more quickly than what they hear, however, actions as is the painting, is subject to the interpretation of the viewer. What one may interpret may be the total opposite of another because it becomes subjective. If how we live and how we speak agree, we take out any guessing or surmising by the viewers and listeners. Then as the scripture instructed us, our yea, will be yea and our nay, will be nay, we will speak the truth in love and our words will be fitly spoken, as apples of gold in pictures of silver.