Praise for God’s Justice

August 5, 2012 Background Scripture: Psalm 146; Exodus 21 – 23; Isaiah 58 Lesson Passage: Psalm 146 Psalm 146 is the first of five Hallelujah psalms that close out the Psalter. It anchors a fitting conclusion to a book written with the express purpose of recognizing and praising God through the channels of human emotions. Like the other four psalms in the group, its author remains anonymous. Likewise, it begins and ends with the exhortation to praise the Lord. Here, contrast is drawn between man’s ultimate failure and God’s unfailing support for the righteous. True happiness is found through relying completely on God for one’s help. Those who have been marginalized and perhaps “kicked to the curb” by society have God as their refuge and deliverer. The oppressed, hungry, imprisoned, blind, and all who are depressed can fully depend on the Lord. This is precisely the group that Jesus targeted as he began his ministry in Nazareth with his declaration of purpose: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” God’s justice is always based on His righteousness—especially as it relates to those who are looked upon as the weakest in society. God is the defender of the defenseless. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak as a reflection of God’s righteousness in us. The weak should be lovingly upheld by the strong and not merely endured or put up with. Jesus set forth himself as the example of how that is to be done. God’s justice cannot be manifest in us where selfishness rules and sets our priorities. God’s justice is first demonstrated through loving actions and then and only then will the weak be edified through benefitting from our actions. Again, Jesus’ actions caused us to understand and then believe. And others can be brought to the same truth when we allow God to use us to demonstrate His form of justice. It is God’s justice in our lives and on our behalf that causes us to rejoice in the God of our salvation. Our rejoicing is punctuated with praises to God. God will always rule over His creation. There will never be a time when God is not in control of the works of His hands. When we come into a loving relationship with God, we can rest assured that He will never change. He loves righteousness and punishes wickedness. The underdog need never despair with God as their help. When we are weak, His strength is made perfect in us. When we become arrogant and depend on our own strength, He will bring to naught whatever we trusted in that was not of Him. When we think we are at our best, God will turn our world upside down to show us our need for Him. When one considers who God is and the relationship He calls us into with Him, then surely we should join the resounding echo of hallelujah. Praise ye the Lord! Robert C. Hudson July 26, 2012

Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

July 29, 2012 Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 18, 19 Lesson Passage: 2 Chronicles 19:4 – 11 Jehoshaphat is listed among the great kings of Judah. Most notably, it is recorded that he walked in the ways of his ancestor, King David, in the fear of the Lord. Before he made judicial reform in Judah, he made ethical and moral reform throughout Judah. He had the places of idol worship destroyed and he sent Levites throughout the land to teach the word of God to the people. He showed great respect unto the Lord and to the prophet of God. Even when he visited Ahab in Samaria, before they were about to make a major decision involving a war, Jehoshaphat insisted that they inquire of the Lord through the prophet for directions. What is recorded about his life during his reign as king of Judah is a good example of one seeking God and His kingdom as first priority. God blessed Jehoshaphat in that he provided him an abundance of wealth and honor. After Jehoshaphat returned to Judah from visiting Ahab in Israel, he set up a judicial system throughout Judah. This system consisted of lower courts throughout Judah and a higher court in Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat gave instructions and warnings to all of the judges that he appointed. He reminded the judges that they were sitting in God’s stead and therefore they had to maintain a high standard of ethics in the execution of their duties. He also reminded them that God was present with them as they judged God’s people. When cases were remanded to Jerusalem, the court there was staffed with Levites, priests, and some of the elders of the people of Israel. This panel represented a group of Israel’s finest. It consisted of those who were familiar with the Law of God, those who were familiar with the sacrificial system of the Law, and those who should have been some of the wisest from among the people. Even these were instructed by Jehoshaphat to be faithful and judge with their hearts. They were instructed to give ample warning to the people to avoid having them trespass against the commandments of God. The chief justice over this court was the chief priest of Israel. The Levites, keepers and instructors of the Law, were at the court’s disposal to assist the judges. All were commanded of the king to be courageous and know that the Lord would be with those who were good. As one reflects on this periscope of history involving Jehoshaphat, it is easy to be impressed with his record of being a great leader of God’s people. But one can also see that Jehoshaphat had qualities that should be admired in any leader. He treated the people that he ruled over as being precious and he demanded that others in authority in the kingdom do likewise. That he would admonish the judges to judge with their hearts and not their heads is an example of his care and concern for the citizenry. He gave the citizens every advantage by organizing a way for them to be taught the Law of God by those who were charged with knowing the Law. To know the Law is the first step in keeping it. If a lower court failed to render a judgment that was considered satisfactory, the people had the opportunity to appeal the ruling to the higher court in Jerusalem. This gave the people the benefit of doubt rather than leave their welfare at the mercy of a few leaders. The judicial branch of the United States resembles to some extent the judicial system Jehoshaphat put in place. Such leeway in executing justice surely must have been a reformation compared to what existed at that time (and even now) among other nations in the region. All of this is thanks to the leadership of Jehoshaphat. Robert C. Hudson July 9, 2012

Solomon Judges with Wisdom and Justice (07/15/2012)

Background Scripture: 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 9:8 Lesson Passage: 1 Kings 3:16 – 28; 2 Chronicles 9:8 Solomon, the son of King David, served as Israel’s third king and he was the last of the monarchs to serve as king over all Israel. He was the second child born to David and Bathsheba. God did not allow the first child to live because he was conceived in an adulterous affair between King David and Bathsheba, the wife of one of the soldiers in David’s army. Although Solomon was not the oldest of David’s living sons, Bathsheba, at Nathan’s prompting, had convinced King David to ensure that Solomon would succeed him as king of Israel rather than David’s older son. Solomon’s youth proved to be a handicap to him and it showed early in his reign. Solomon followed the behavior of others in Israel and worshipped by using some of the practices of the Canaanites who God had displaced from the land. Furthermore, Solomon had begun to make alliances with some of the other kings to gain political clout rather than depend on the God of Israel. Perhaps this is why God chose to reveal Himself to Solomon one night. Solomon received one of the greatest gifts that a leader can receive. He received the blessings of God during his term of office as king of Israel. This did not come about as the answer to a prayer Solomon prayed. Rather, God appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him to make his request known unto Him. Solomon showed a lot of humility and selflessness in his request. He did not request something for himself but instead he requested understanding, or wisdom, to lead God’s people properly. Solomon showed great esteem for the people of God. Perhaps Solomon understood that his youth and inexperience limited his ability to rule well. Solomon also reflected on the manner in which God had been kind to his father David. Although he was young, Solomon wanted to do a good job of leading the people of God. God commended him for not being selfish in his request and asking for things that would only benefit himself such as long life, victory over his enemies, or wealth. But because Solomon’s desire was to serve the people of God with wisdom even at a young age (probably about 20 years old), God promised to honor his request and to also give him the other things that he did not request. As the text makes clear, the wisdom that God had given Solomon was put to the test soon after he received it. God had given Solomon the ability to discern the hearts of others by observing them in a dire situation. The word of Solomon’s God-given wisdom quickly spread. The people of Israel held Solomon in high regard because they could see the evidence of God’s hand upon Solomon. God also gave Solomon a good reputation as a wise ruler. This reputation extended far beyond the territorial boundaries of Israel as Solomon became known for his wisdom and justice. Robert C. Hudson July 6, 2012