Accusations (see Criticism)

Joseph falsely accused his brothers of espionage in order to create an emotional crisis and test them. He wanted to see if they would once again resort to self-preservation at the cost of another as they had done years before to him.

• Genesis 42:9 HCSB Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land."

He further tested them by engineering circumstances where he could accuse them of theft.

• Genesis 44:4 HCSB They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

Eli jumped to the conclusion that a woman muttering to herself in the tabernacle would be drunk. This showed more about Israel’s spiritual state under Eli’s leadership than it did about Hannah.

• 1 Samuel 1:14 HCSB Eli thought she was drunk and scolded her, "How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!"

Nathan publicly accused King David of adultery, conspiracy and murder. We should not hesitate to bring about justice regardless of who the perpetrator is – especially if we have been called to the ministry of prophecy.

• 2 Samuel 12:7 HCSB Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

Job’s “friends” kept insisting that his tragic circumstances were evidence that Yahweh Shaphat had judged him. Job invited God our Judge to openly accuse him and show him where his sin lay if that was indeed the case.

• Job 31:35 HCSB If only I had someone to hear my case! Here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me. Let my Opponent compose His indictment.

Babylon prided itself on its power and its ability to mold and make its environment to please its whims. God responded that the cities themselves would bring accusation against the Babylonians for their perfidy.

• Habakkuk 2:11 HCSB For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer them from the woodwork.

Nicodemus, a righteous man, was apparently the only one with a high view of the law because very shortly after he said the following, the Pharisees did indeed accuse Jesus without adequate substantiation, going so far as to perjure themselves and to hire false witnesses.

• John 7:51 HCSB "Our law doesn't judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he's doing, does it?"

The Pericope Adulterae (the story of the Adulterous Woman), whether it belongs in the Canon of Scripture or not, yet teaches a principle that does not contradict the rest of Scripture. That principle is that before we accuse others of sin, we must first be certain of our own spiritual condition.

• John 8:7, 10 HCSB When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, "The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her." When Jesus stood up, He said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

When the religious leaders brought Jesus to court to seek His death, their accusations were glaringly unsubstantiated. Like most false accusers, the religious leaders tried to overcome their lack of evidence by appealing to their personal integrity – which of course, as we know, was also amazingly absent.

• John 18:23, 30 HCSB "If I have spoken wrongly," Jesus answered him, "give evidence about the wrong; but if rightly, why do you hit Me?" They answered him, "If this man weren't a criminal, we wouldn't have handed Him over to you."

Pilate probably intended this to be an accusation but it actually turned out to be the single greatest statement about Jesus that any of those cowards made. “Here is the man!” indeed! Here is the man Who is about to save us from our sins. Here is the man about to make the single greatest sacrifice known to humanity. And here is the man who will someday return, with another crown and another robe.

• John 19:5 HCSB Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"