Witness, I guarantee it!!!

Witness, I guarantee it!!!

by Heather Collver

Such a small statement. But those three words are binding. They are life changing. "I guarantee it!". How many times have you used, heard or written those words? Do you take them lightly? It is your word, a part of you, written or spoken, it is a part of history.

Yesterday we talked about a witness giving testimony. Today, the definition of witness is to be a guarantee of the accuracy of a transaction. I know that this is particularly important in many jobs today. When I worked as a teller, I had to count my cash can at the end of the day and my supervisor had to guarantee that I was telling the truth in my calculations. I think she probably paid good attention before giving her word. It was her job too, if I had not been honest. I know when I got married, the two people we trusted signed our certificate stating they had witnessed our marriage. This was particularly important when the social security office decided that I had never been given the legal right to use the maiden name I was using. We almost had to get married again! The Bible shows us many examples of guarantees or covenants between two parties.

Jeremiah 32:10 and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.

Many times the guarantee had to do with marriage or land. There are papyrus writings from 360 BC that show such guarantees in writing.

Jeremiah 32:12 And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses”!—yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”

Jeremiah 32:25 And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses”!—yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

Micah 6:3 “ O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.

Genesis 31:50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”

Many times God himself wanted his people to be witnesses for Him.

Deuteronomy 31:19-26 Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”
22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”
24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;

How important are those words? God as our witness..... I hear that a lot. Have you ever pondered how many people have lied for others, placed their hand upon a Bible with their oath of truthfulness, have willingly given false witness to protect someone else, to guarantee without truth? That is bad news. I know God deals with each and every one of us and will bring to light those things that we have guaranteed and not been able to back up. Today I pray that we will all think clearly before we give our word, before we guarantee something.