God's Glory Church

“You will not be with the majority to do evil.” — Exodus 23:2

“One man is dead. The other’s life is in danger,” says the judge grimly in the classic 1957 film Twelve Angry Men. The evidence of the young man’s guilt seems convincing. However, during the discussion, one of the twelve jurors, namely number eight, declares that the suspect is “innocent.” The debate escalates and the juror is ridiculed as he points out discrepancies in the testimony. Emotional heat runs high, and the murderous tendencies and biases of the jury members become apparent. In the end, the jurors change their votes one by one, agreeing that the defendant is “not guilty.”

When God gave instructions to Israel, he called on them to show honest courage: “You shall not speak about a lawsuit, leaning to the majority, to bend the truth” (Ex. 23:2). It is interesting that the court should not “indulge the poor in his claim” (vv. 3, 6). God, the righteous Judge, wants us to be honest in all our dealings.

In the movie “Twelve Angry Men”, the second juror, after voting “not guilty”, said about the first: “It is not easy to stand up against the ridicule of others.” However, this is exactly what God requires. Juror number eight saw real evidence and humanity at trial. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can also stand up for God’s truth and defend the defenseless.

What tempts you to follow the crowd? In what way does God call you to stand up for truth and justice?

Heavenly Father, help us to show Your love to the world as we stand for Your truth.

Author: Tim Gustavson