Today's Bible Study Lesson
“Justice,
Judges
and Priest”
Aim: Discover
why
God
established
the roles
of judges, officials, and priest and what those roles entailed;
Value
people
who make decisions based on God’s justice;
and Practice
justice
in our roles as leaders.
Background:
Deuteronomy
16:18-20; 17:8-13; 19:15-21
Bible Lesson:
Deuteronomy
16:18-20; 17:8-13
Memory
Verse:
“Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy
gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and
they shall judge the people with just judgment.” Deuteronomy
16:18 KJV
Some
Highlights:
-
The
Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible and
belongs
to the set of books known as the Pentateuch or the five books of
Moses. Moses
is credited as the God -inspired author. The
first five Books of the Bible are also
classified
as the Books of Law. Deuteronomy restates the laws given by God to
Moses for the Israelites. This restatement is needed
because the
generation
that was
delivered from
Egyptian
bondage
died during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The
descendants of
the delivered Israelites were
preparing to enter the Promised Land and it
i\was
imperative that they adhered
to God’s Laws
to live
peacefully
and to
prosperous
in
Canaan.
The
section of Deuteronomy for our study deals with the
details
of God’s civil
law for
the Israelites.
-
The
role of judges during the writing of Deuteronomy is much like that
of modern
day judges who preside over cases of civil law. The officials
referenced in our study were involved in the support of
the
judges in the writing of the law and its enforcement. The priest
dealt with spiritual matters and were descendants of the tribe of
Levi. God’s purpose for such
structure
was to provide an orderly resolution of disputes using His divine
justice.
-
Deuteronomy
16:1 continues the restatement of the Ceremonial Laws which began in
12:1. 12:18 begins the statement
of details of Civil
Laws to govern the Israelites. Each town is to
appoint
judges and officials which will
be selected from
the people of the town. The judges were
to
render righteous (morally right and justifiable) judgements in all
cases. They were
specifically commanded to not pervert or alter justice. The judges
and officials were
prohibited from accepting gifts or bribes. Such
gifts and bribes could
hamper their view in
rendering
true justice and could
influence
their judgements. Life
as intended by God in the Promised Land
was
based on righteous judgements. The
judges and the officials were responsible for compliance of God’s
civil
laws.
-
Next,
God’s Law addressed how to
handle difficult
cases
or
cases which required a higher level of judgement or wisdom than
possessed by the judges.
These cases of murder, difficult civil lawsuits, and of assaults and
property damage were to be taken to the
location
designated by God and be
adjudicated by
the Levitical Priests. The
descendants of the
tribe of Levi
would hear
the
cases
and seek direction from God, who discerns
truth from untruth, and
true
motive from stated reasons. The verdicts from the Levitical Priests
were to be
carried
out exactly as prescribed. Anyone rejecting the verdict would be
subject to the
penalty
of death. Such a penalty would discourage others from disregarding
the divine judgement rendered by the Levitical Priest.
Take
Aways:
-
God’s
wisdom when accepted, provides an environment of a peace and a
fair
way of life for His people.
-
God
is truly no respect of persons
and expects justice and fairness to
be applied
to
all
regardless of social or financial status.
-
When
in a position of leadership, God expects a leader to exercise
fairness and impartiality to all.
Bible
Verses to Keep in Mind:
“The
days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of
strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour
and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the
power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, [so is] thy wrath.
So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto
wisdom.” Psalm
90:10-12 KJV
“Wisdom
[is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy
getting get understanding.” Proverbs
4:7 KJV
“The
fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of
the holy [is] understanding.” Proverbs
9:10 KJV
“He
hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?” Micah
6:8 KJV
“But
the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the
height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD
seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel
16:7 KJV
“There
is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are]
the ways of death.” Proverbs
14:12 KJV
“For
my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways,
saith the LORD.” Isaiah
55:8 KJV
“LORD,
my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern
myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.”
Psalm
131:1 NLT
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