20141015 Wednesday, October 15 2014
Job 06: Innocent Until Proven Guilty

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"The judges shall make diligent inquisition"

The legal right of "innocent until proven guilty" has been known and proclaimed since the earliest of times. The now-familiar "scales of justice" and "lady justice" originated long ago - in surprising places.

"Lady Justice" was an invention of the ancient Greeks and Romans who knew her as "Iustitia" (the Latin word from which the English word "justice" originated), Themis (the Greek goddess of Counsel) and Dike (the Greek goddess of "moral order"). The photograph shows the Roman version "lady justice" with her familiar scales on the wall of the Courthouse in Tehran, Iran (the ancient Persian Empire became known as Iran in the 1920s; see The Prophet Daniel: The Hand Writing On The Wall and The Prophecies Of Cyrus of Persia).

The principle of "innocent until proven guilty" was known long before the Greek and Roman versions of it however. The LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) founded the Israelite justice system based upon proof.

Witnesses were required for conviction - the word of an accuser alone (apart from evidence) was not greater than the accused person who denied any wrongdoing: "One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established."

As well, those who falsely accused someone were sentenced accordingly: "Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you" (see Innocent Unless Proven Guilty).

"19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

19:16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 19:17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 19:18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19:19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 19:20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. 19:21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Deuteronomy 19:15-21 KJV)

When the LORD permitted Satan to strengthen Job's righteous character by challenging it (see How Did The Devil Challenge Job To Commit A Satan?, What Was In The Heart Of Job's Tabernacle?, Job's Prophecy Of The Resurrection, Let Both Grow Together Until The Harvest and The Seed Of Fools), Job's friends presumed Job to be guilty of wrongdoing. They ignored Job's declaration of innocence, with no witnesses of Job having committed evil. They wrongly equated Job's troubles with Job having done something wrong.

"6:1 But Job answered and said,

6:2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! 6:3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 6:5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? 6:6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 6:7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

6:8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! 6:9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! 6:10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

6:11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? 6:12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? 6:13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?

6:14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 6:15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; 6:16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid: 6:17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. 6:18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish. 6:19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. 6:20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. 6:21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid. 6:22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance? 6:23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

6:24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 6:25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? 6:26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? 6:27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. 6:28 Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie. 6:29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it. 6:30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?" (Job 6:1-30 KJV)

Fact Finder: Did the Messiah get "a fair trial"?
See Innocent Blood