JUDGES: Godly or Ghastly – Part 1

Good Day to each and all of you reading this column—I do hope that this day finds you well and that you are refreshed in the Lord.

I am moved by the Holy Spirit to speak on Judges—not the book—but on many Judges in our time who administer the laws as well as provide decisions presented in their courts.

Before delving into the heart of the title, let’s provide some background information:

We must remember that God doth all things for his glory and this includes placing judges over man to administer his laws. God hath placed his laws throughout the Old Testament as a perfect constitution to be followed and executed by his people.

Turn with me and begin reading Deuteronomy 1: 1-17 (KJV) Moses, from verses 1-7 was leading the Israelite people to the land that was sworn unto his fathers, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob to which the Israelite people had multiplied – now look at verse 11 (KJV) (The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he promised you!) As you read this verse as well as verse 10, you will note that God had made the Israelite people as numerous as the stars of heaven—You must agree that this is a lot of people.

Moses asked God in verse 12 on how he could hear all their complaints, judge them correctly, and try them according to the law given to him from God. Take a moment and think of the strife or stress that Moses had when dealing with case after case and decision after decision day by day.

God knows our burdens and will never place more upon us that we can’t handle, and God provides the perfect example by verse 13: (KJV) Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you. Here is Ferrar Fenton verse 13: Go! Choose for yourselves skillful, clear-sighted, and educated men to control you, and I will appoint them your chiefs.

Moses replied in verse 14 by saying it is good for us to do and put God’s plan in motion in verses 15, 16 and 17. Here Moses received the law, began appointing wise & understanding men to hear, judge and administer a verdict in accordance with the laws set forth from God.

Deuteronomy 1:17: (KJV) Ye shall not respect persons in judgment: but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. Here is what the NIV says in verse 17: Do not show partiality in judging: hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.

As you can see from the above verses that Moses got bogged down with complaints (both great and small) and found out that he could not do it himself. Have you ever felt that way? This is the perfect storm for stress and when it hits, always remember that we have our almighty God to seek and pray and call upon him to help us and we will do this—we are not alone, and he is always there to assist us and will never abandon us.

God put his perfect plan in motion by relieving Moses of much of the burden and appointing men under him who will hear their small and great cases in person and ruling based on the word of God unless the case was too hard for them and that Moses was to hear it and rule upon the case.

Isn’t this interesting that the United States judicial system is based the same way with local, district, state, federal and the Supreme Court. So here is the question? Are the United States Courts ruling with God’s laws in mind or Man’s laws in mind? Do we have judges who are men and women of God and who follow God’s commandments, laws and statutes or not?

After reading Deuteronomy 1, I think the Israelite people were in a mess and needed Moses to get them out of the mess that they created and since there was a lot cases, Moses needed help, so he called upon God and God gave him the solution.

Folks, if you look at the United States Judicial System today, you will agree that we have a man-made mess and that many judges in our land do not follow God’s laws. We are bombarded with laws from a local to a national front and yet the Ten Commandments are nowhere to be publicized or used. Why did the USA court system do away with the Ten Commandments? Are these outdated laws in today’s society?

Let us close this part and begin with Part two to answer some of these questions and its relevance.

May God Bless you and Keep you in his safety.

Jeff