If anyone sins in that he is sworn to testify and has knowledge of the matter, either by seeing or hearing of it, but fails to report it, then he shall bear his iniquity and willfulness. – Leviticus 5:1, Amplified Bible (AMP)

There is a hard lesson for Christians in Leviticus 5:1. According to this verse, if a man was called to testify in a court case and adjured (commanded strongly) by the judge to tell all that he knew about the matter being tried, the man would be severely punished if it was found out later that he did not tell all that he knew. If he prevaricated (avoided telling the truth by not directly answering the question), equivocated (used unclear language in order to deceive or mislead), claimed he knew nothing, or simply didn’t say anything at all, he would be in big trouble if he were found out to have knowledge that he did not share.

In John 18:37, Jesus Christ informed Pilate that the reason He was born, and the very reason that He came into the world, was to testify to the Truth. Then, in Matthew 28:19-20, the Creator, Judge, and Savior of the world commanded each and every Christian to follow His example by doing the same. Yet most of us – either by prevaricating, by equivocating, by claiming we know nothing, or by saying nothing at all – break the command of Matthew 28:19-20 on a regular basis. In doing so, we are as guilty of Leviticus 5:1 as a non-cooperative Israelite in a court case, and just as a judge would hold us in contempt for holding back evidence, the Father holds us in contempt when we fail to bear witness to Eternity’s truth.

When God prompts us to testify to His truth, we owe it to Him to obey, right then and there. If we don’t, then we have sinned as described in Leviticus 5:1, and we will bear our iniquity.

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