Make Us a King. Part [4] 07/23/2024 (Morning thought)

2nd Chronicles 19: 4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers. 5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city. 6 And said to the judges, take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

For instance, under a two-tiered system of justice, a Hebrew who dared to commit adultery could pay a very high price even with his life, but the king would not be subjected to the same system of justice, and thus, the prospect of impunity and immunity would most likely serve to lessen the sinfulness of evils in the king’s mind.

This is the fatal philosophy with which king David had been brainwashed, for he came to believe that he was above the law, and therefore could commit adultery and slay persons as he saw fit, because, in his mind, there will be no accountability, since the buck stopped with him, as the head of the justice system.

Another critical spin off that would certainly accrue is that the king’s underlings could also be rendered immune from prosecution, if they did wrongs at the request of the king, for if justice stops with the king, David would then be able to blanket pardon persons who were instructed to do wrong by himself.

2nd Chronicles 19: 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

Make Us a King. Part [3] 07/23/2024 (Evening thought)

Leviticus 19: 15 You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

And the instructions on the justice system do not stop here, for God also addressed the tendency and the practice of judges taking bribes, for wherever it is to be found, the ruling of such judges will almost certainly be perverted. It’s actually a no-brainer, for if a judge’s hand is greased with gifts, the judgment coming from him will also be greased.

In other words, if in his capacity as a judge, a person takes gifts of cars, money, trips, vacations, houses or any other favors from a person, if and whenever the same person has a case pending before the judge in question, they will naturally expect a ruling in their favor. It’s called pay to play in our day.

Deuteronomy 1: 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. 17 You shall not respect persons in judgment; but you shall hear the small as well as the great; you 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.

Deuteronomy 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!