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Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) said, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30 NASB). But how do we learn the will of the Father by which Yeshua judges?
As Yeshua lived by “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deut. 8:3), so can we. The Torah passage שֹׁפְטִים Shoftim (“judges,” Deut. 16:18–21:9) is all about how judges and officers of justice should conduct themselves.
God’s design for Israel was that every city have its own judges and officers, which were separate from the six cities of refuge run by the Levites for manslaughter suspects.
Each of the local judges had a certain authority, but there were limitations to their authority. There were no despots of absolute dictators in Israel.
“’Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you.’” (Deuteronomy 16:20 NASB)
Every tribe had to have their own justice system but they were all held by the same standard. The Torah is Israel’s original constitution, the basis of all judgment. There was to be no “judge shopping” in Israel.
When ‘pillar of the community’ turns from good to bad
“Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning.” —Benjamin Disraeli
One section of Shoftim seems to be a little out of place, but it’s not.
“’You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make for yourself. You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the LORD your God hates.’” (Deuteronomy 16:21–22 NASB)
The Torah was “added because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19). There is something I want you to notice in Deut. 16:22. The phrase that is commonly translated as “sacred pillar” is called a matzevah or matzerah in Hebrew. This word is found in a couple of other places as well.
In Gen. 31:45–54 we see that these markers is not merely a boundary marker. Jacob and Laban had asked God to verify their covenant.
Does God care about the object, the function of the object, or both? Let’s look at another example, also from the life of Jacob (Gen. 28:16–22).
This pillar is not a witness between two men but between Jacob and God Himself. Where did God say His name was? Is this the place where God will place His name? God is the one who decides where His name will be placed, not man. God says He hates these sort of pillars. Why?
Jacob later returns to his sacred pillar in Bethel, on God’s direct request as recorded in Gen. 35:1-15. In these examples, I want you think about what this means. Jacob is setting up pillars that God says here in Deuteronomy 16 that he “hates.”
There are markers in our lives, good and bad over the years of our lives. We are to follow God where He is, not where He was. God lives, as we live, and God doesn’t change Himself but He lives with us. Humans have repeatedly set up pillars and monuments with good intentions and motives but future generations place a disproportionate meaning and these places become idols and centers of worship rather then mere memorials. Humans often impart a value to these items, greater than the value they place on their relationship with HaShem.
What God hates about these pillars is what we do with them and how we use them. Human nature doesn’t change, just as God doesn’t change.
Righteous judgment
“’Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.’” (John 7:24 NASB)
“Hear everything and judge for yourself” —George Eliot
It is crucial that there be multiple witnesses to an event, particular when one is investigating a crime for which the death penalty can be applied. The witnesses are the ones who are interrogated, not the defendant. Why? Because if the witness is lying, the penalty they were wanting inflicted on the defendant is inflicted on them instead.
There were several layers of courts and judges in the land of Israel. They had the equivalent of municipal courts, superior courts and a even a supreme court, which was officiated by the High Priest (Deuteronomy 17:8–13). There’s no further appeal beyond the High Priest.
Judges are not to take bribes, which pervert justice. If you know a judge is taking bribes and he judges against you, you still have to obey that judgement, even if the judge is throughly corrupt. It’s not our place to correct it. Let God handle the corrections. The judge was put over you, not the other way around. We need to be careful about holding on to perceptions that may be wrong. The evil judgement of an evil judge is something for God to resolve, not for us.
It’s good to be king?
The TaNaK teaches that a king’s judgment can be overruled by the high priest. How do I know? 2Samuel 16 and 19 record an example when King David changed his own judgment. We can look to Mephibosheth as an example of one who accepted an evil judgment that did not go his way. Mephibosheth was willing to accept the original judgment, even though it meant that his evil servant was awarded his entire estate.
The American judicial system is largely based on the system established in Shoftim. The Supreme Court can overrule their previous decisions, although it rarely happens.
Who is a prophet?
God speaks to His people but He doesn’t speak through necromancers, witches or druids. He speaks to us through the Prophets. We have their writings for us to help us. The prophets who are recorded in the TaNaK were tested by the standards of Torah and found to be valid.
We are not called to accept prophets just because they call themselves a prophet. We are to test their words by what is written. We don’t seek answers to life from other people, but from scripture. People can lead us astray but God’s word never leads us astray. We have to trust what God has already said and use these words to help us understand and interpret what others try to teach us today. You actually have to reach Torah to be reminded of it when put in a position to apply in different parts of our lives.
Summary: Tammy