Law&Spirit

The Apostle Paul walked in revelation from the Lord, and preached the Gospel of salvation in synagogues and among the Gentiles in various nations. His writings comprise most of the New Testament. He was trained in the Law of Moses under one of the most respected and honored rabbis of his time, Gamaliel the elder, who was a Pharisee as Paul was, and who also held a chief position in the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish Council during the first century. Gamaliel is still known today as one of Israel's greatest teachers of scripture. Gamaliel is mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 5:33-42. Early in the history of the Church, the apostles were brought before the Council for judgment, and Gamaliel, one who was respected by all, said of their forbidden preaching: "...I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it - lest you even be found to fight against God." This advice was accepted by the Council, and the apostles were ultimately released. Later in time, Paul would have an encounter with Christ in His glory speaking to him from heaven, and Paul would become a dedicated believer and then teacher to the churches he founded. Paul said of his own Torah background before he personally encountered the glorified Jesus: "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city (Jerusalem) at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictures of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today..." (Acts 22:3). The high priest and Council of elders of Jerusalem could attest to Paul's zealousness for the law (v. 5). With these credentials, as well as having been a student of Gamaliel, Paul was welcomed to teach in any synagogue. If someone was looking for a Torah expert, one probably could not find a greater expert than Paul. Yet Paul said of himself: "...I was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and an insolent man...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (1 Tim. 1:13, 15). Paul said that he found mercy with the Lord, because the persecution that he did, he did in the ignorance of unbelief (v. 13). Even as an apostle, Paul acknowledged in a letter to the Church in Rome what many of us would have difficulty admitting: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice....For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (rom. 7:18-25). Because of his very personal understanding of this struggle, and his deep study of the Word of God, Paul never lost his great gratitude and zeal for what Christ had mercifully achieved for him. Paul is an example of someone who studied the Law and the Prophets, but still missed God in the time of His visitation (Lk. 19:41-44), and severely persecuted those who did receive Him. How did Paul account for this duality? He marked the difference between those who worship God in the Spirit, and those who worship God in the flesh (in which dwells no good thing -Rom. 7:18 above). This is what Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi in Greece: "For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things (of fleshly identity and accomplishment) were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." (Phil. 3:3-7). Jesus also spoke of the time when true worshippers would worship God, not according to their natural circumstances and characteristics or religious dogmas, but "in spirit and truth", because God is Spirit. Jesus spoke this revelation to a Samaritan woman of immoral reputation, the last kind of person with which the religious Jews would discuss spiritual matters (Jn. 4:23-24). However Jesus waited alone at a well just for the purpose of encountering her in order to reveal this life-changing truth. Paul said that all of his ethnic and "religious" identity and strict observance really meant nothing when contrasted with his faith and life in Christ. Yet we may argue that our flesh keeps us alive, moves us through work and life. However, the Word of God disagrees: "...they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being..." (Acts 17:27-28). We do not live because of our flesh, but we live in Him, the Lord God, who is Spirit. Our minds fight against this idea, but even our minds need to be washed and regenerated in the Word of God (Rom. 12:1-2, Eph. 5:25-27). Even this must be a work of Word and Spirit together. What does all of this have to do with this week's Sabbath reading portion? Hopefully, we will see! This week's portion is a double portion titled Nitzvarim (meaning "are standing", from Deut. 29:10) - Va yelech (meaning "Then he went out", from Deut. 31:1). In this Sabbath reading portion, Moses speaks with great concern about the Israelites understanding of God: "Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: 'You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes...Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive (yada - see below) and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day." (Deut. 29:2-4, excerpt). They were eyewitnesses, and had experienced the miracles of God, but spiritually, they didn't have a clue as to who God was because the LORD had withheld this from them. Moses knew that he would die soon, and he dreaded what would become of the people of the LORD because they were without this spiritual revelation of God. Moses as a prophet even saw the time, almost a thousand years in the future, when the Israelites would go into captivity because they had turned away from the LORD. (Deut. 30:1-4). After returning the Israelites from this prophesied captivity: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your (aleph-tav [same as Alpha and Omega Jesus in Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13]) heart and the (vaw [nail]-aleph-tav) heart of your descendants, to love the (aleph-tav) LORD (YHWH - yod, he, vaw, he - "Behold the hand, behold the nail") your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live (hay/haya/hava - life, live, revival, renewed, sustenance/live, save, revive, quicken, restored to life and health, revive from death/to breathe, to show, declare)." (Deut. 30:6). This is a work of transformation by the Spirit , as we see the Hebrew word for "life", accomplished by the aleph-tav LORD, not by man's determination or flesh. The end result is a circumcised aleph-tav heart of love for the LORD, rather than a religious observance of the flesh. This is what leads to life, a life revived from the dead. Moses said to them: "...for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death?" (Deut. 31:27). He wanted to impress upon the Israelites that the Word of God is not just words written on a tablet or page, to read and know with the head, "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it...I command you today to love the (aleph-tav) LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land...that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and your length of days..."" (Deut. 30:11-20, excerpt). When Moses referred to the Word being in their mouths, which is profession and confession, and in their hearts, which is faith or belief, it brings to my mind the way of personal salvation that Paul wrote of in Romans 10:8-11: "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This is directly from the command of Moses to the people of God. The transforming Word resides in our hearts and mouths because we love the LORD God, as Moses said. Jesus also said that this is the great commandment of the law (Lk. 10:25-28, Mt. 22:35-40). Moses stressed that the LORD Himself was with them, and would cross over before them into the Promised Land to defeat the nations inhabiting it: "The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you...He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you...do not fear nor be dismayed." (Deut. 31:3, 6,8, see also Mt. 28:18-20). The people had already seen the LORD and His mighty miracles, and Moses told them that the LORD went with them, but He was still far from their hearts. Moses wanted the people to know God by the Spirit, as he knew God. How could he communicate this vital thing to a people who had declared that they did not want to hear directly from God? (Ex. 20:18-21, Deut. 5:23-27). Yet, it was knowledge that was necessary for them to understand if they were to live, and Moses was running out of time. In another reading portion from this Sabbath in Isaiah 61, the prophet wrote: "The Spirit of the LORD God is upon Me..." (v. 1). We know that Jesus proclaimed this same prophecy fulfilled as He read it in the synagogue (see Lk. 4:16-21). It is by the Spirit of the LORD that miraculous transformation occurs in this chapter of Isaiah. There is, by the Spirit of the LORD, a relationship between the LORD Messiah and His people, who are made priests and ministers of God, that is compared to a Bridegroom and a Bride (v. 10). It also says: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in My God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness." (v. 10). The earth and the nations will witness this revival and transformation in God's people by the Spirit of God (v. 11). We can see that we do not clothe ourselves, according to Isaiah's prophecy, with these spiritual garments, but the LORD clothes us as He pardons our sins. It is a spiritual transformation, not achieved by the flesh. In a similar example from scripture, the prophet Zechariah records a vision in which the High Priest Joshua has his filthy garments removed from him as the Angel of the LORD says: "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes." And then the Angel of the LORD tells Joshua to keep the LORD's commands, and walk in His ways. (Zech. 3:1-10). In Isaiah 63, another Sabbath reading for this week, regarding mention of the love, lovingkindnesses and mercies by which the LORD redeemed His children who had turned from him, the (aleph-tav) Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of the LORD, is mentioned three times, including, "But they (Israel) rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit" (v. 10). It is interesting to note that Isaiah also prophesied in this chapter of a people who call God their "Father", but of whom Abraham was ignorant, and Israel does not acknowledge, yet the LORD their Father from everlasting redeemed them (v. 16). The term "everlasting" is connected to the Father" in only one other place in scripture. It is found in the prophecy of the birth of the Messiah, the Savior (Jesus) and His titles and names in Isa. 9:6-7. The concept that Paul taught regarding the importance of the Spirit of the Lord in the life of the believer has its roots in Moses and the Prophets. It is by the Spirit of God that the people of God are revived and restored. The Word of God (Jesus: Jn. 1:1-3) and the Spirit of God were never meant to be separated from each other. Jesus, the Word, is in fact the Baptizer or Sender of the Holy Spirit upon man (Mt. 3:11, Jn. 15:26). Scripture was not written by men's beliefs, but is given by inspiration of God (theopneustos/pneo - divinely breathed in/to breathe, to blow, breeze) (2 Tim. 3:16). Scripture is not subject to man's (flesh) interpretation, but must be joined with the same Holy Spirit breath by which it was created: "...knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private (idios - his own, part, pertaining to self) interpretation (epilysis/epilyo/lyo - unloosing, interpretation, application, explanation/unloose, untie,/to loose, break, destroy, dissolve, break down, to do away with), for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Pet. 1:20). In another reading portion from this Sabbath, Jeremiah wrote the Word of the LORD concerning the true and ultimate disposition of His Word, and it just happens to repeat what Moses had told the people of Israel that they must understand: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the (aleph-tav) house of Israel and the (vaw-aleph-tav) house of Judah - not according to the (aleph-tav) covenant that I made with their (aleph-tav) fathers...My covenant which they broke (see Deut. 29:25), though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the (aleph-tav) house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My (aleph-tav) law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his (aleph-tav) neighbor and every man his (aleph-tav) brother, saying, 'Know (yada - know, perceive, distinguish, confess (see Rom. 10:8-10), admit, acknowledge, revealed, know by experience) the (aleph-tav) LORD', for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer. 31:31-34). This, the LORD said, He promised with love out of His everlasting love, and loving kindness (v. 3). If you would like to learn more about the work of the Spirit of the LORD in our obeying, and living by the Word of God, and His essential transformational work in us, you can pray with me: "Dear Everlasting Father, I ask that You show me the work of truth by Your Spirit in my life, and by Your Spirit, put Your Word in my heart, mind, and mouth, so that I can be changed by it, and conformed to it. Help me not to rely on my flesh or my own understanding in order to walk with You and in Your ways, but guide me by Your Spirit. Deliver me from false confidence in my own righteousness, and clothe me with the salvation and righteousness of my Savior, Jesus. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

Exceptions

There are rules, and then there are the exceptions to those rules. We don't often think that such a thing may be true of God's Law, and His commandments, but I would like to give some examples that were proven to be exceptions to the rule. Those examples come from this week's Sabbath reading titled "Pinchas" from Numbers 25-27. Pinchas is the Hebrew form of the name that we are more familiar with, Phinehas. Although he was Aaron's grandson by Aaron's son, Eleazar, Phinehas was not yet a priest himself at the time we read about him. Most of us are familiar with the situation that had developed within the camp of Israel during this time. The Midianites (meaning "strife") had schemed, with the advice of the soothsayer Balaam (see Num. 31:16 and Rev. 2:14), to corrupt the Israelites from the inside. Midianite women were sent to seduce the Israelite men into turning from the worship of the God of Israel, to the god of the Midianites, Ba'al: "So Israel was joined to Ba'al of Peor (meaning "gap, gaping wide open like the mouth of a ravenous beast"), and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel." (Num. 25:3). The LORD commanded Moses that all of the offenders who had joined themselves to Midianite women, and consequently to their god, were to be killed. One man named Zimri (meaning "my music") presented his Midianite wife, Cozbi (meaning "my lie, liar") before Moses and all the congregation who were weeping and repenting at the door of the tabernacle. When Phinehas saw this man and woman present themselves before the tabernacle, he chased them with a javelin into their tent and thrust the javelin with such force, that it went through both Zimri and Cozbi, killing them. This act of Phinehas stopped the plague that had been killing the children of Israel, although 24,000 had already died (v. 8-9). This is what the LORD said to Moses: "Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel." (Num. 25:10-13). Aaron had already died at this point, and Eleazar was now the priest, yet it was Phinehas who burned with the same jealousy as God has for His people (the Hebrew word "qana/qina"), and made the atonement that broke the plague. Phinehas acted as a high priest, although he was not the high priest. The nature of the priesthood prophesied by God for Phinehas would be different from Aaron's or Eleazar's priesthood, because it was to be an everlasting (olam- from antiquity into an unending future) priesthood. From Phinehas' line of descendants would eventually come the Zadok priesthood as well. So our exception to the rule in this case was a man who was not a priest yet by the Law, but was accepted by God in a priestly role. Others, like Korah, who had tried the same thing for selfish reasons in rebellion against God, were judged by God and killed. The exception for Phinehas was created because of his motivation, which was like God's. Another exception to the rule occurred when Moses and Eleazar were told to take a census of all the children of Israel by their father's houses, who were twenty years old and above, and able to go to war (Num. 26:1-4). This would pertain to the males of the camp old enough to fight. Even the sons of the rebels who did not die themselves in the rebellion were included in the census. After the census, the LORD said to Moses: "To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, acording to the number of names...each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them." (Num. 26:53-54). When the children of Israel came into the new land, the land would be allotted according to the men counted in this census. The rule stated by God to Moses was very specific about the future allotment of the land, and very specific regarding who was to be counted to be part of the allotment. We've got a rule, and here comes the exception. Five daughters came forward to stand before Moses, Eleazar the priest, before the leaders, and all the congregation of Israel, by the doorway of the tabernacle saying: "Our father (Zelophehad, meaning "first-born"; root meaning: "wounded" + "first-born") died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD...and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from among his faamily because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers." (Num. 27:3-4). This was an incredible demand to make of Moses, the man who spoke by and for God, especially in front of everyone else. Moses could have easily told them that this rule of allotment was the command of the LORD, and not to be contested. However, Moses did not say that. Scripture says, "So Moses brought their case before the LORD." (v. 5). Moses, the leader and intercessor of God's people, brought the issue before the LORD, rather than making the decision himself, even though the commandment of God was clear. From this thoughtful intercession, we get a groundbreaking exception to the Law: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father's brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: "If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers." (v. 6-9). Not only could daughters inherit, but they were to inherit before their father's brothers. Not only was the exception made for these five daughters, but their argument changed the Law commanded by God regarding inheritance for all daughters in that generation and the generations to come. Who were these five daughters who drew near in unity before Moses and the congregation to argue their case? The number five involved here gives us a clue. Many say that the number five (5) represents "grace". Jewish sources agree saying that the number five means "to be saved, to be rescued; to be saved from out of the world". The names of some of the five daughters seem to create a picture of the Church of Believers: Mahlah means to be pierced, wounded, to pray, to travail. Milcah means the wife of a king, a royal wife. Tirzah means favorable, accepted, delight, approved, pardon, reconcile self, satisfy a debt. If these five daughters do represent the Church, then this is a prophetic picture of what we learn in the New Testament: the Church, who previously had no inheritance, was made to inherit through Christ. That makes me very happy for the exception that was made for the five daughters! Jesus often had to give the experts in the Law of Moses correction as to how they viewed and taught the Law. These experts were always accusing Him of violating the Law, especially regarding the Sabbath. In one case, when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and came under accusation because of it, He answered: "Which of you having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" (Lk. 14:5). Jesus cited an exception to the rule. In another answer He said, "My Father has been working up till now, and I have been working." (Jn. 5:17). If the Father is working, that becomes an exception to the rules of the Sabbath! He concluded by saying, "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (v. 8). Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and He is also the Lord of the Word, because He IS the Word. He reminded the crowd: "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice', you would not have condemned the guiltless." (v. 7). In another example, Jesus taught about the exception of David and his men eating the shewbread of the tabernacle, which was not lawful for them to eat (Mt. 12:2-4). In all of these things, Jesus reminded us of the true essence of all the Law and the prophets, which is also exhibited by the examples in this week's Sabbath reading: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mt. 22:37-40). We love the Word and the commandments of God, but we also love the exceptions, because they teach us precious principles in knowing God. If you would like to grow in the knowledge of God, and His Son, Jesus, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, You have fulfilled all of the Law and the prophets. Not one word from them will pass away, until all has been fulfilled. You became the sacrifice that saved me out of the world, pardoned me from my sins, and gave me Your favor before God. You rose from the dead to fulfill the prophesied exception from death, so that I could be an exception from the power of sin and death also. Fill me with the Holy Spirit of truth and righteousness, to teach me Your ways and Your Word. I ask these things in Jesus' name. AMEN."

Judging

Judges and courtrooms are serious business, not to be taken lightly. When looking at the history of the use of the gavel by a judge, the beginnings are murky. It is suggested that the word "gavel" comes from the old English word, gafol, meaning the demand by the lord of the land for the rent due, or the tribute owed by the tenant for the use of his land. The law makes a demand, and the demand must be satisfied.
It used to be that if a debt was owed and not paid, the debtor would be placed in the debtor's prison until someone was willing to come forward to pay the debt for him, or until he or she earned enough while living in the prison to pay the debt themselves-an almost impossible task. Some debtors spent the rest of their lives in debtor's prison. Charles Dickens wrote a novel about such a situation called, "Little Dorrit". The story is about a little girl, born and raised in a debtor's prison, where her family had been sentenced. Charles Dickens' own father was sentenced to debtor's prison, and he wrote the story to bring attention to the injustice of the system.
Some who owed a debt became indentured servants to the one who held the debt. The one who held the debt could "sell" the debt of the indentured servant to a third party, and then the indentured servant would have to work for the new debt holder until the debt was paid. The system was called debt bondage. This debt bondage system was banned by the United Nations in 1948 in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but that declaration is not legally binding, of course. Some countries have included the principles of the Declaration in their treaties and trade agreements with other nations, but it is not compulsory.
Even though we have been trying for thousands of years, with input from the greatest legal minds past and present, our system of justice is still far from perfect today, perhaps because man is imperfect.
All of these facts are mentioned to illustrate the point that judgment, while meant to establish justice, is always joined to consequence or punishment. For every guilty verdict, the judge must also impose a sentence. Sometimes a judge has leeway in what kind of sentence is imposed, but he or she is bound by law to sentence the guilty according to the parameters dictated by the law.
When the judges are corrupt, so are their judgments, and then also the resulting punishments. For the judges must not forget that they are subject to the same law by which they judge others.
Scripture brings us deeper into the subject of judging and judgments. The godly king Jehoshaphat ("Jehovah has judged"), one of the most pious and prosperous kings of Judah, appointed judges to all the cities of Judah. When he appointed them, the king instructed them:
"Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge (shaphat-judge, govern, vindicate, punish, execute judgment, condemning and punishing, plead, defend, deliver) for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, no taking of bribes."  2 Chron. 19:6-7
The responsibility of the judge is very great. As good king Jehoshaphat decreed, whatever judgment the one who judges makes, the LORD is in the judgment. How the matter is judged brings either execution of punishment, and/or achieves vindication, defense, and deliverance. Remember, a person judged guilty of the law, must suffer the penalty of the law, also, because the law is a covenant that has an "if/then" foundation. The judge, himself, must be without iniquity (injustice, unrighteousness, violent deeds of injustice, injustice of speech, deal unjustly), because iniquity will corrupt judgment. Those judging must treat self, friends, enemies, strangers, family members, rich, or poor the same under the law. Judges cannot be influenced by benevolent and advantageous acts towards himself by the one being judged.
Good king Jehoshaphat's father, Asa, was also a good king of Judah. Because the LORD had delivered him and his army from the hands of an overwhelming enemy (2 Chron. 14:8-13), he and his people entered into a covenant promise. They took an oath that they would seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul (2 Chron. 15:12). That sounds awesome! However, they also vowed that whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Here is where King Asa goes wrong. His own mother, Maachah (oppression, emasculation, castration), the dowager queen, established a particularly obscene image (NKJV) of a blood-thirsty goddess (Asherah/grove). While the king destroyed the idol, he did not kill his mother in accordance with the oath sworn, but deposed her from her position (v. 16). He showed partiality. I'm sure he was partial because she was his mother, but also because she was royal, and that was hitting too close to home!
Asa did not hold himself to the oath either, relying on foreign alliances rather than the LORD, for his security. As a result of not seeking the LORD, his kingdom would suffer wars. Asa oppressed the prophet who brought him this sentence of the LORD, putting the prophet in prison. Out of this anger, Asa also began oppressing some of the people (2 Chron. 16:7-10). By this behavior, he was acting in the definition of iniquity. Asa also did not seek the LORD when he became dangerously ill, but relied upon men, instead. Therefore, this illness resulted in his death (v. 12-13). The judge is also subject to the law by which he judges others.
Asa's name means "healer, physician", but it can also mean "injurious, harming". How he established law, and carried out the consequences that were to follow the law, made all the difference as to whether he would be a healer, or harming. I can see why his son, Jehoshaphat, made it a point to establish righteous judges. Judging can be a v-e-r-y tricky business.
We can easily fall into the same trap. We can be very quick to judge others, but when doing so, we may just as easily fall into the mouth of judgment ourselves.
Jesus, as usual, had very deep wisdom and advice concerning judging. In light of some of the above information, that advice sounds even wiser than ever:
"Judge (to esteem, approve, prefer, deem, think, determine, resolve, decree, pronounce, opinion regarding right or wrong, pronounce judgment, to subject to censure, condemn, punish, avenge, conclude, damn, decree, ordain, sentence to) not that you be not judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you...Condemn (to give judgment against, to pronounce guilty, sentence of condemnation) not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you...A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye", when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? First, remove the plank from your own eye...For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit...A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   Mt. 7:1-2, Lk. 6:37-45 (excerpt)
Do these words of Christ's mean that we are not to teach, or stand for righteousness? I don't think it means that. Jesus brought the truth about the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). Jesus corrected His own disciples when they were in error, so His statements were not about correcting error. Paul taught about the connection between the kingdom of God and righteousness (Rom. 14:17). The righteousness we stand for is the gift of righteousness to us through Christ, and not of our own making. Scripture says that if we will confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). As Jesus said, however, that conviction and confession of sin begins with ourselves. To do otherwise, I am thinking, causes us to be partial in judging like King Asa, and like him, doing harm instead of producing healing (2 Chron. 7:14). 

Our Father is a King Who is looking for just judges.
 

Panel entitled "The Just Judges", part of the group of panels called, "Adoration of the Mystical Lamb" by Jan van Eyck, painted 1430-32. "The Just Judges" panel was stolen in 1934, and has never been recovered, even though the thief was known. In 1945, a copy was commissioned to fill the empty space.

Sin

There is a great debate in these End Times about sin. The scriptures prophesy about this very thing, and we are seeing it come to pass. There are many across the globe who want particular things to no longer be considered as sin. Many are demanding that society, and even the Church and synagogues, no longer label certain activities as sin. Their argument is that times have changed, and the insistence of faiths in labeling these activities as sin must change also. Some faiths have acquiesced to these demands, although it was not the institution, but God, who set the standard to begin with.
Contrary to how we sometimes think, sin is not an A-Z list, starting with, say, "Adultery", and ending with "Zoroastrianism", with many things listed in between. It is not a matter of man arrogantly or ignorantly shifting an item from the "Sin" column, to the "No Longer a Sin Because Times Have Changed" column, or the "No Longer a Sin Because Everybody Does It" column. Sin is not a list of words and behaviors about which we can debate. It is also not a list of items of which some are considered minor, and others are considered major offenses. All sin results in the same consequence-death: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual death.
So what is sin then? Are there specific things mentioned in scripture as sin? Oh yes, but the definition of sin in both Greek and Hebrew is: to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, to be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to wander from or violate God's law, a violation of divine law by thought or deed, to miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, to bear loss, to lose one's self, to wander from the way, etc. The definitions point to the imagery of an archery target where any arrow that does not strike dead center, or the bull's eye, is "missing the mark". Any archer will tell you that hitting that bull's eye dead center is a difficult feat.
What is that mark or standard that we must reach or hit? Scripture says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23, 5:12).
The standard that the Law of God demands is to the holiness, perfection, and glory of God, Himself (Lev. 20:7, 1 Pet. 1:15-16, Gen. 17:1, Mt. 5:44-48). This is the center of the target, the bull's eye, that we are required to hit. No amount of debate, changing times, offence, or insistence can change this absolute and eternal standard. Even if we just miss this mark, this bull's eye, by a slight margin, it is as if we have missed the whole target entirely.
If we do not know the whole Law of God, Jesus gave us this guideline when asked what the most important commandment was:
"...you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets."
                                                                   Mt. 22:37-40
So we have already reduced a very long A-Z list of items to two. The question is, how many of us fulfill even these two commandments? No, we don't get partial credit for just knowing our neighbor's name!  In case any of us have successfully met this standard, which is very doubtful, Jesus continues His point as a wonderful young man comes up to Jesus and asks Him sincerely, what "good thing" is required of him that he may have eternal life. Jesus tells him to keep the Law, the commandments. The young man assures Him that he does this, and has done it from his youth. Jesus then tells the young man that if he wants to be perfect (this is our standard mentioned above), he must sell all that he has, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow Jesus. Jesus assures him he will have treasure in heaven, but the young man turns away heartbroken, because he knows he can never do it. He is very rich. (Mt. 19:16-26). Does Jesus ask him to do this because we should not own anything? No. Jesus saw in the young man's heart that there was something more important to him than God, something the young man loved more, needed more. It was so important to his life that he could not walk away from it, even for the benefit of gaining eternal life.
According to the guideline Jesus gave us, we are supposed to love God above all else, and with everything within us. Nothing is to be more important to us than our love of God. We may think that we could give up anything if God required it of us, but as God searches our hearts, He can always find something that we love more than Him, even if we don't want to admit it. He could easily show us our shortcomings by pinpointing those things, and asking us to walk away from them. If He were to ask this of us, it would break our hearts, because we wouldn't be able do it in many cases. So we can't really say that we keep even the two commandments Jesus mentioned above.
Jesus also tells us that if we have an A-Z sin list, we must remember that there are subcategories of categories, because even just our thoughts and feelings have the same consequence, and carry the same guilt, as if we actually commit the act. (Mt. 5:21-22, 1 Jn. 3:15). For this reason, if for no other, the law cannot save us, because we cannot keep it. Hebrews 7:19 tells us that the law made nothing perfect.
Does this mean that Jesus didn't think sin was important? No. He would tell those to whom He ministered to go, and sin no more. Sin means death, and Jesus came to destroy the power of death over us. The Good News, however, isn't about keeping the list of sins. Heated debates about changing the definition of sin will come and go, and we get very upset, even angry, by these debates. It is very sad to our hearts to see men's disregard for God, and for His word. We despair as we see the laws of our land changed as a result of this disregard, but we will see the real fruit of righteousness come when we change. We must change. I must change. I am looking for the world to change, but the world is groaning, looking and waiting for me to change. I am looking to manifest to the world the miracles of Jesus, but I must also manifest the greatest miracle of all, the miracle of salvation and renewal and change in my own life.
Our Good News is that even though we all fall short of God's holiness, perfection, and glory, Jesus offered Himself as our only hope and remedy. That is our message, and that is the truth we offer. As far as the sins of others are concerned, Jesus instructed us that if we forgive others' sins, they are forgiven, and if we retain the sins of others, they are retained (Jn. 20:22-23). So concerning the sins of others, that is our commandment. The Torah agrees when it instructs in 1 Chron. 7:14 that we are to humble ourselves, as the people of God, turn from our own wicked ways, and repent, seeking the face of God. If we are willing to do this, our whole land can see revival and healing. So why hasn't our land seen this revival and healing? Perhaps because we, God's people, are not following this instruction. If we are going to measure guilt and failure, what greater failure can there be than to keep revival from our land because we, the people of God, cannot, or will not, humble ourselves individually in repentance?
Jesus asked how we can see to remove the mote in our brother's eye, when we have a beam in our own eye. First, we must remove the beam from our own eye. Otherwise, He used the term we all dread to hear: "Hypocrites". Once our hypocrisy is revealed, our whole testimony, our whole message, becomes worthless and ineffective to others.
Jesus was challenged by the religious folk with the accusation that He did not keep the law. On one occasion, He was asked about the stoning of an adulterous woman, caught in her guilt. As the encounter ends, Jesus says to let the one among them who is without sin cast the first stone.  As her accusers leave, he instructs the woman to go and sin no more. (Jn. 8:4-11). What do I do about these sayings of Jesus? Do I read past them as quickly as possible, and go on to the next scripture? I had better not.  What is He telling us? Is He saying that it doesn't matter if we sin? No. When He says, "Judge not, that you be not judged." (Mt. 7:1), how do I incorporate this into my thoughts on sin? Jesus said it is the one who was forgiven much, who loves the most (Lk. 7:47).
My real condition is this: sadly, while I quickly gloss over my own shortcomings and sins, I am very quick to see and condemn in my heart the sins of others. While my own mind and heart are full of destructive thoughts and feelings, I ignore them to focus on the failings of others. All the while, I have the key to revival and healing in my very hand, not just for myself, but for my nation, but I do not use it. How will I face God with this reality? I had it in my hand the whole time, yet I would not use it.
Our whole nation, and even the nations of the world, are being destroyed not by an enemy from without, but by an enemy from within, which is our own sin and rebellion. The Word tells me that the remedy begins with me, and my own repentance for my sins, my own salvation. This is the beginning point, the spiritual turning point. No, I will not compromise what I know is the truth of God's Word, no matter what society may demand. However, that truth needs to not just come out of my mouth, but through my life, as well. In fact, that truth will be most powerfully exhibited when it comes through my life.
The Apostle Paul mourned and wrestled with the fact that he was a wretched man because, even though he tried his hardest, and desired it with his whole heart, he could not be perfect (Rom. 7:19-25). If the Apostle Paul examined himself in this manner, then I think the rest of us should have plenty to keep ourselves occupied. He urged his own churches to examine ourselves (1 Cor. 11:28).
For this very reason, which is our own failing unto death, our Father sent His only Son, who allowed wicked men (all of us) to open His body, and His veins, so that His blood could cover us, cover our sins, cover our shortcomings, and bring us to the mark of the holiness, perfection, and glory of God, and to give us life instead of death if we will accept His provision for us (Jn. 3:16-18, Jn. 17:22).
Does that mean that any effort to avoid sin is hopeless, and therefore should not be even attempted? Does it mean that those who demand that certain things now be removed from the "Sin" column are right after all, because it is impossible to accomplish? No, our knowledge and awareness of our sin, even in list form, can be the first step to change, even as that same knowledge of it condemns us. When we are aware that we fall short, and our hearts' desire is to please God, and to be free from the calamities and death from sin, God can do a changing work in us. Paul said that many in the church had been guilty of certain sins, but were now cleansed (1 Cor. 6:9-11). However, while we are flesh, this conflict will be in us, and with us daily in some form. That A-Z sin list reminds us of how far short we fall, and how widely we miss the mark. It reminds us daily of how very thankful we are that Jesus became our righteousness to make up for the lack of righteousness within each one of us. He is the One who becomes the holiness, perfection and glory of God in our place, and on our behalf, as we continually miss the mark. Changing the sin list will not change the reality, as some might hope or contend, but God can change the reality:
Who then can be saved? "Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Mt. 19:26).

Our Father has given His Son for our sin.

"How Can It Be?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ben2wwGyOk

"Nothing But the Blood of Jesus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYjhGeAIG6k

"Lord, I Need You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

"Because He Lives (AMEN)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBvU7arNhQs

"Redeemed"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU