judging Archives – Page 2 of 3

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023

The Wheels of Justice

Deut 17-20 Our US system of justice follows these patterns that Moses gave the Israelites. Just like then, so today, we must not judge a person based on the evidence of one witness but rather have at least two. This is impartial judging and brings forth truth rather than what is false.

Any death is a tragedy, but those that occur without a witness are even more so. At that time, just as now, a person was presumed innocent until proven guilty. That is why Moses set aside several cities of refuge where a person could flee in those times when there were no witnesses. How gracious is our God to provide these places where one could flee and live unharmed until the truth could be revealed. Those cities were also a place where even a true murderer could flee, but if and when the truth revealed that this person was certainly guilty, then the avenger could go and get him with a “posse” and bring him to justice.

God is concerned about a person’s life and reputation. God is honored when we listen and obey our judicial system.

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023

Choose your words wisely

Job 33-35 Elihu Speaks

Elihu has been silent up to this point. Now he is “full of words,” and angry. In fact, that character quality is mentioned four times. He was angry because Job saw himself as innocent and God as the aggressor. In hindsight, it would have been better for Elihu to have been quiet. Instead, he adds to Job’s condemnation with vigor and harshness.

How quick we are to condemn another’s situation. Interestingly, none of Job’s “miserable” comforters sought to place the blame where it squarely belonged: on Satan. Instead, they blamed Job and continued to berate him. How quick am I/are we to make judgments regarding another’s situation? Why are we so quick to make judgments?

A word to the wise: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver,” (Proverbs 25:11).

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022

Honest or Hypocrite?

Zechariah 7-8 God and People Notice
When others hear my voice or see my actions, what does it tell them about my Christian walk and talk? The leaders in Bethel came to inquire about their practices of fasting. They expected to hear that all they were doing was righteous and pleasing to God, but they were in for a rude awakening! God responded not with words of affirmation but words that questioned their hearts and motives. Were you really fasting for me, or was it just for show? Did others see a genuinely repentant heart? Did your actions show that you were truly doing it for God? “OUCH!” 🙁 God revealed that they were hypocrites in heart and actions. How about me? Do I go to church, read my Bible, and speak words of kindness to get my “ticket punched” with God, or do I do it because the Holy Spirit has spoken and I have responded willingly and with a true heart?

When our heart is pure and righteous, we do that which God loves, and others take note! They want to know why God is blessing us. They want to know the secret of our peace. They say, “let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” [Zech 8:23] Are others asking those questions of you and me? Are we ready to answer anyone who asks us about the hope we possess? [1Pet 3:15]

September 25, 2022September 25, 2022

Do NOT judge?

Hosea 8 to 10 If you listen carefully, you will hear many saying: “do not judge.” Jesus used that verse to remind us of the standard of judgment and that the standards we apply to others, God applies to us. Jesus is teaching that we are not God and we don’t know the motives behind a person’s heart. So what does that have to do with Hosea chapters 8 to 10? God is saying I am the ultimate judge, and I alone can judge the heart.

When God looked at the northern tribes, he saw sin and judged it. Outwardly the people were saying, “God, we acknowledge you!” But, God says, let’s look at the evidence. I found you and raised you only to see that your eyes drifted to man-made idols. This should not be! What you have sown, you will also reap. I spelled out my law for you in great detail, but you regard it as nothing. I sent you wise prophets, but you called them fools. My prophet was sent to you as a watchman to remind you of where you have fallen. Like the Ephesians, they had lost their first love. God reminds them to seek Him early while He may be found! Repent and return to the Lord

This is a wake-up call to us as well. Where have we taken our eyes off God and looked to the world for its man-made idols and structures? Have we lost our first love?

August 19, 2022August 19, 2022

The God I serve!

Jeremiah 5/Gen 18 Have you ever felt the deepness of a heart’s sadness? The world seems shattered, and the residents see death all around them. At times like this, our words lay fallow in our prayers—or so we think. We wonder, as Jeremiah did, Is there any good news, or Is it all bad news? But step aside and listen: God asks Jeremiah to go and “See if you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city.” [Jer 5:1] Does this ring a bell about another story with a similar thread? In Gen 18, Abraham and the Lord God conversed about Sodom and Gomorrah. Our merciful God had quietly shared with Abraham: “I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests; if NOT, I want to know.” [Gen 18:20-21]

By definition, we say one of God’s characteristics is His omniscience. God is “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” [Ps 145:8] Because He is that and more and not an arbitrary idol god, He always thoroughly investigates a situation before passing judgment and sending calamity. He judges the evidence just as a judge does in a courtroom. God does the same for each of us. Are you thankful today that God judges righteously and not capriciously?

How grateful I am to serve God with these character qualities; How about you?

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021

Which path will you choose?

Luke 14 and James 2 “Pride and Prejudice.”

Jesus and James show us the effects of both prideful and prejudicial choices. Luke recorded a story told by Jesus about how we view ourselves and demonstrate it in our options at a wedding feast, and the second story in James shows us how others view us when at church. In both, the contrast of pride and prejudice is the telling factor. We pride ourselves on our “position.” Jesus says, look at your choices before you, and that reveals your heart. Those who choose the best seats think of themselves ahead of others. James says, look at how you speak and act towards others. You reject the lowly stranger but give accolades to the rich and pompous. That should not be. In both cases, we should act and respond as God would. Perhaps that is why David wrote in Ps 139: examine me and see if there is any wicked way in me.

Today be humble and let others be ahead of you and when you are at a function, observe how the hosts seat others. Be discerning about them for their behavior reveals what they think and how they respond to their understanding of God and His priorities.

August 8, 2021August 8, 2021

Jeremiah 5 Is our Heart like God’s?

Jeremiah began to wonder, is there any good news? Is it all bad news?

Like Ezekiel whom God told to look for a man who would stand in the gap, [Ezekiel 22:30] God told Jeremiah, “See if you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city.” [Jer 5:1] In Gen 18 the Lord and Abraham had one of those “hard conversations.” Abraham asked God if he would kill the godly with the wicked. [Gen 18:25] In His mercy, God had quietly shared with Abraham; if I find 50 godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

One of the marvelous things we can count on is that God always thoroughly investigates a situation before passing judgment. He cannot nor will He arbitrarily destroy because He is a fair and judge. As He did with Sodom, He does with us.

We can count on the fact that the God we serve is “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” It is because His “lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.” [Lam 3:22]

Do we have these same character qualities? Do we judge before we have evidence? God’s heart is clear: He is fair and just and He expects us to be the same.

April 6, 2021April 6, 2021

Sodom & Gomorrah Repeated

Judges 19-21 How do we handle stories like the one God left for us in these last chapters? God wants us to see how patient He is with our sinful natures. God is also challenging us to recognize why we need to evangelize the world with the gospel message, which is the only path to redeeming hearts that are “deceitful above all things and desperately sick.” [Jer 17:9] A third lesson we can glean from this is to see how deep the depth of sin leads even men of the cloth to be callous, irreverent, deceitful, selfish, and liars—they need Jesus too. In summary, God has saved this story to help us see the depravity and reality of Romans 1:18-31.

There are some questions we need to be asking. Are we spreading the good news that can alter the hard hearts, whether they are men of the cloth or just people like you and me? Are we standing up for those like the concubine and whose voice is never heard? Are we outraged at self-righteousness and hypocrisy? Are we compassionate for those who fall beneath the cracks of society? Take time today to pray for those who are caught up in this depravity. Pray for a heart change. Pray for boldness to speak words of God’s love. Pray for God’s eyes to see and His ears to hear the cry of those who need defending.

February 25, 2021February 25, 2021

The Proof Tests

Numbers 5 &6: Why so much given to the innocence or guilt of the woman and not the man? Is this not one-sided? But to help us see the bigger picture we must recall the warning in Prov 6:34. Men are more prone to retaliation than women. Second, her womb must be preserved; unlike today. Thirdly, God has put into place that which will protect her from the accusations from her husband. Lastly, is the warning from Eccl 5: if you make a vow, be sure to keep it otherwise you are seen as a fool. [Eccl 5:4]

Fast forward to the NT and we see how Jesus used this law to protect the Samaritan woman [John 4] who had been used by unscrupulous men, even up to 5 of them! Then the woman caught in adultery [John 8:10] and the Pharisees in their self-righteousness are exposed because they too were “jealous” and their sin exposed as Jesus wrote on the sand. Did he write this passage? We don’t know but one by one they left beginning with the eldest to the youngest. Jesus asked her where are your accusers and she said there is no one. In his most gracious and loving way he said, neither do I condemn you, but go and sin no more. He acknowledged her sin but forgave her.

So what is our takeaway? Purity is held to a high standard in God’s eyes. Be ye pure so God can bless you. We are cleansed by Jesus. It is interesting that Numbers 6 includes the Aaronic Blessing which is in summary form was what Jesus offered to the woman caught in adultery.

October 30, 2020

“The Scoundrel and the Scam Artist”

Luke 18 Yesterday Luke introduced us to the “freak, geek and the seek(er).” Today Luke shares another group of citizens: the “scoundrel and the scam artist.” First we meet a widow who encounters the “scoundrel” who is an unjust judge who cared little about God or man. She also is taken in by the “scam artist” who has bilked her out of her savings. The world is full of these unsavory characters. The judge understands his own character yet sees no need or desire to change and the scam artist thinks he has gotten away with the widow’s pension. But, it is the widow’s persistence that wins out in the end. She gets her reprieve and the scam artist gets his due.

So what is the point? The last line in the parable asks: Will the Son of Man find faith when He returns? God is looking for those who will come to He who can change circumstances and people to help His chosen ones. The key is faith. God is looking for those who will be like Joseph, faithful in and out of circumstances, EVEN when the answer is no, sometimes wait, and sometimes yes.

You may be facing scoundrels or even scam artists. First be shrewd and patient. Secondly, persist in prayer. Thirdly, trust God even if His answering machine seems to be cluttered! He will answer in His perfect time with His perfect response.