Deuteronomy 17: 8 – 13 “If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose. You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you, according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.
But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel. Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.”
Acting on the advice of his father – in – law, Jethro, Moses had organized the Israelites into groups for settling disputes. There were mediators over tens, hundreds, and thousands. These judges were capable of handling the vast majority of the disputes. Really major problems such as bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults were referred to the Levitical priests and the judge presiding at that time. The idea behind this panel of judges was that they would come to a just and righteous decision. All those involved in the legal matter were to follow any instructions completely.
But what happened if someone refused to abide by the verdict? Anyone refusing to follow the instructions laid down by the judge and the priests was to be put to death. Why was God so harsh? God knew the hearts of the Israelites and He knew that given any opportunity at all, they would argue and attempt compromises. Such people might even engage in magic in an effort to sway the judges, to overturn their verdict, or even to retaliate in some way.
APPLICATION: When God ordained the priests and Levites and judges, He intended for them to give fair and righteous decisions. The threat of death was necessary because the Israelites wouldn’t have respected the courts otherwise. God knew that without a major penalty, the Israelites would have developed selective hearing; they would have listened if a decision seemed favorable and ignored anything that didn’t suit them. God wanted His people to respect His Words, even when those words were coming from humans.
How carefully do we listen to God? How many times do we try to bend or manipulate circumstances or people to fit our own desires? How many times do we tell ourselves half – truths? I had a fascinating experience in a Sunday School class in Ghana recently. We were discussing corruption and how Christians should handle the temptations to cheat, steal, tell half – truths, etc. One young woman gave a perfect example as she described one of her school mates who was fond of “borrowing” pencils, pens, food, etc. The class agreed that those who began in this fashion would simply become worse as they grew older and entered the work force.
Those who failed to follow the instructions of the priests and judges were to be put to death. Blessedly, we don’t have to worry about such things, but the question remains: Do we take God and His Word seriously or do we pick and choose the parts we like and ignore the rest? When we begin choosing only those things that are pleasant, we are fooling ourselves. Disobedience and witchcraft are still two sides of the same coin.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to study Your Word and to follow it, even when it seems difficult or unpleasant. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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