Day 208
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37; Romans 10:14-11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; Proverbs 20:4-6
Judging in the Fear of the Lord
The Chronicler tells us that King Jehoshaphat of Judah, having been warned by a prophet not to “…help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord…”, set his heart to seek God and went on to rule wisely. As he sought to bring his people back to the Lord, Jehoshaphat appointed judges in all the fortified cities of Judah. His charge to the judges contains a message of wisdom that echoes down to the present time:
“Consider what you are doing, for you judge not on behalf of human beings but on the Lord’s behalf; he is with you in giving judgment. Now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking of bribes.” – 2 Chr. 19:6 & 7
Let it be our goal, insofar as we are able, to encourage and establish this perspective of judgment in our courts and as we carry on the process of making judgments in the course of our daily lives. May God help us to avoid corruption and the perversion of justice.
The Rev. Janice Miller – Deacon