You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 16:19-20)
Judges and officers are clearly sanctioned in the Scripture because, frankly, there are situations when judgment is absolutely necessary. The Torah delegates such authority to qualified men in order to settle controversies and make decisions for how the people were to walk out the commandments given them. In certain situations, even the priests were to administer judgment (see Ezekiel 44:24). However, along with the authority to judge is the warning to not “pervert justice.” Obviously, they were not to take bribes or show partiality nor were they to reinterpret the Scripture to accommodate their personal convictions. In all matters, they were duty-bound to make judgments harmonious with Torah.
How then do we reconcile this with the words of Messiah who said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)? I pose the question because some people will use this passage to suggest that we are never to judge any situation that arises. Obviously, that is not what He meant because, without proper judgment, chaos would ensue. In reality, Yeshua was warning us not to rush to judgment and make rash and unjust conclusions. To underscore the point, the Greek word translated as “judge” is the same word from which we get the English word “critic.” In other words, we are not to condemn others with a critical view and especially if we do not possess all the facts. In short, there is a proper way to judge matters and an improper way.
So then, let us consider this as matters arise in life: it is only a matter of time before an issue will arise in our family or congregation that will require us to make certain decisions. In all matters, it is important that we do not rush to judgment and especially when emotions are charged — it is never a good idea to make any decision, verbally or otherwise, when we are angry or upset. It is always important not to address things in a critical manner but in judicial manner, meaning first gather the facts and then consult the Word of God to see what the Supreme Judge has already decreed. If we are to judge a situation, let us make certain we do so in a just and righteous way and thus bring honor to His Name and to His people.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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