Last week we spoke about God’s ideas and commands for administering a new government for the Israelites who were hoping to be forming a new and Godly nation in the land of promise.
Could any of these same thoughts and patterns be applied to any of the nations of today?
In this setting of our story of the formation of the nation of Israel, God is still preparing the People of Israel to be ready for the things that are yet to come in their new nation’s future.
SETTING THE PROPER PATTERN
Since Israel was initially formed to set the pattern for the rest of the world to follow; there was much to be discussed.
Certain things were being set up and carefully spelled out ahead of time; even before the people entered the land where they would eventually live.
The concepts were being discussed ahead of any troubles so that they would not get confused or go astray whenever they arrived and it was time to act on God’s standards. Because of this preparation ahead of time; they would know the right thing to do. It is similar in nature to the writing of a constitution for a new nation.
GOVERNMENT IN A TIME OF TRANSITION
As God gave him the standards, it appeared to Moses that all was coming into order with Israel at this point of the game. He was planning on leaving Israel in the good leadership of Joshua and the Levitical priesthood that had survived from Aaron. These standards that were being clarified in this passage of time were a confirmation for how they should lead and govern the people.
A time would come, much later in the future, when the everyday people and population of Israel would need to be strong and take a firm stand in order to rise up and be the people that God was commanding them to be.
UNDERSTANDING THE TRANSITIONS
Right now was a time that signified the passing from one place to another; a time of transition.
It was one of the most important page-turning moments of history.
Does anything about that feel familiar?
Moses was repeating whatever God told him to repeat to the people; he was spelling it all out in black and white as they were patiently waiting to cross over into another life. People who knew the importance of discerning the times were listening carefully.
Do you listen carefully in order to discern the times of today?
Discernment of God’s will is critical in such situations. The fate of a nation depends on how God’s people react to what is going on around them.
WHAT MATTERS MOST IN TIMES OF CHANGE?
Today we will continue in that same line of thought and discuss the importance of some of the meaning of the words we find in Deuteronomy 16:19-20; which are:
Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.
This passage makes it crystal clear and very obvious that God desires that men do not pervert justice.
Has God changed his mind on this point over time? Has he ever decided that in justice the end justifies the means?
There is a scripture found in Hebrews 13:8 that tells us that God never changes.
Hebrews 13:8; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
WHEN YOU SERVE AN UNCHANGABLE GOD
We could also speak of Malachi 3:6 – which says: For I The LORD do not change; therefore, you O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
Or we could consider the words of James 17:1; Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
The God who led the Israelites across the Jordan into the Promised Land is the same unchangeable God that we follow and obey today.
We can be assured that the attributes our God and Savior had in the days of Moses are the same attributes that He will pull out and use whenever dealing with us in the face of modern history.
Wait a second though; what exactly does it mean to “pervert justice”?
Exactly how does that play out in the world of today?
HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE PERVERSION WHEN IT OCCURS?
Should we be paying closer attention to these things as America steps past the familiar concept of a republican democracy and moves into a totally different, more progressive, socialistic point-of-view with a new regiment of governing power in charge?
I would again point out that God preferred the concept of nations over world domination; and He advised Moses on letting the leadership start at the bottom in the small towns and work its way up to the top of the national scale; local to national; as needed.
Or let’s just get to the deeper question; should this new power really be in charge yet?
If no one asks the question does that mean that justice has been done?
NO!
Have we become a nation full of luke-warm beievers?
I WILL SPEW YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH
In Revelation 3:16 God gives the church a warning: So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
If no one asks the question as to whether or not we have true justice it means just the opposite; that God’s people have become luke-warm, not wanting to make waves or cause any conflict with the powers that be. Nothing should just magically happen because certain parties desire to see them come to fruition. A good government is accountable to its people. Good people also hold their government accountable.
We must continue to stand as “we the people.”
There is a higher power though.
A great government is accountable to God.
Let’s go ahead and ask the question and face the elephant in the room.
Was justice perverted in the recent presidential election for President in America?
If so; what should we (as Christians desiring a godly government) do about it?
OBSERVING THE PROPER DEFINITIONS
In light of Deuteronomy 16:19-20; Mr. Webster describes a “perversion of justice” as this: “to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right. To corrupt the truth. To cause to turn aside or away from what is generally done or accepted. A misdirection. To divert to a wrong end or purpose; misuse; to twist the meaning or sense of something; to misinterpret.
Was the previous form of government led by Donald Trump misinterpreted by many?
Probably there was more of a difference in ideology than misinterpretation; but this difference in ideology was used as a reason for misinterpretation and twisting of of the truth in several situations and circumstances. This is not true justice. There is great evidence in several instances that justice was perverted.
GOD’S PEOPLE ARE NOT HATERS
The main goal of God’s Kingdom (and a Christian’s heart) is love.
Yet; are there other people out there who hate this man and what he stands for so much that they would stoop to injustice in order to see him out of the way?
Is true justice being perverted as a new president tries to move in and take office even before he has been sworn in, or even before it has been proven that all of the voting procedures used in this election were morally fair and right?
PERCEPTION IS NOT ALWAYS REALITY
The news and the media overlooked the fact that there were suitcases of ballots hidden under the tables at certain voting stations. They didn’t pay attention to the fact that one whole truckload of votes disappeared completely while in route to the voting station.
No one seemed to notice that for the very first time in history someone who was winning by a huge margin in certain places suddenly got defeated in only a few last minutes of the early morning for no logical explanation (as only the flip of a computer switch could have accomplished.) The votes for the other candidate suddenly peaked like never before in a time when everyone would normally be home asleep and finished voting and not even paying attention to the results.
A BRIBE BINDS THE EYES OF THE WISE
What about the fact that the voting machines used in many locations were the same ones owned by a company that helped Venezuela to have a government coup by pulling off a false election?
How many votes were cast by those of another country (non-citizens.) Some women voted with their maiden names as well as their married names. Many of the voters were either over 120 years old or dead.
FOLLOW JUSTICE ALONE
The poles did not allow the legal use of pole watchers and they implemented ridiculous procedures for those that were allowed to follow. They could not accurately verify anything because of the unnecessary emergency procedures they were forced to follow.
So many questionable facts have come forth in examining the election processes that I can’t help but refer us back to this passage in Deuteronomy where we hear God stating that justice should never be perverted.
Why has no one questioned these criminal events that have overturned the election?
A QUESTION OF GOOD AND EVIL
How should a Christian be able to determine what is good and true and morally right in such situations anyway?
The evidence is very clear; but how should we go about presenting it and defending it?
So often only God truly knows all the details and all the perspectives. I think of the beautiful story of Joseph and how everything went against him constantly; but he realized that God was working out a plan for the good.
What do we do?
We continue to trust God.
We can pray for His help. That was what Joseph did.
Most humans though definitely have a tendency to see-saw back and forth when it comes to the subject of good and evil. One person is perfectly capable of possessing both traits and using them at different times in totally opposite ways; so how do we know what really happened?
The truth must be proven. Pray for the truth to prevail.
A PLACE TO START
We can start by weighing whatever the matter in question is against the Holy Word of God.
Also; we can ask how the scriptures determine true justice.
Obviously, when looking at the scriptures, this subject has a lot to do with what is “good” and what is “evil.” We are speaking of justice; not salvation.
But what makes someone or something “good”?
DEFINITION OF “GOOD”
Some say that one who is “good” does not practice being self-centered or narcissistic; but cares passionately about the needs of others.
The “good” are not just trying to please others for the sake of being pleasing; but they are practicing what they believe to be righteousness and truthful. Such “good” leaders want to put the needs of others before their own.
Many perceived, noticed and called out the narcistic tendencies in the personality of Donald Trump from the past. He hasn’t always exhibited the perfect character that the public expects of its leaders.
If you study him closer though; you will be able to see that he is working on improvements in this direction. There was a time when he wasn’t so pro-life. We also know of other dingy faults that we could use to judge him, such as the fact that he has a very arrogant personality. I won’t go into other sorted details; because that would be a waste of time. Honestly; I don’t care. I care about what the man achieved while he was in office.
But on the scales of “good” and “evil” where does he really stand as a president?
WHERE IS THE PASSION PLACED?
It is amazing that he seems to have overcome those things of the past and put them aside in order to restore something that he is very passionate about – America.
The scriptures often note God’s appreciation of an “overcomer.”
A very narcistic, arrogant personality for once put a country that he loved far above himself and ahead of everything else in his life. This man tried very hard to make a way to save a nation from falling victim to a world of selfish greed, murder and immorality.
For the first time in a long time America had a leader that truly believed that the American way was the right way, and he laid everything that he had built into his own personal empire down to help its success.
PASSIONATE BUT NOT SELF-SERVING
I would NEVER define such a move as those mentioned above as selfish or self-serving.
A truly selfish man would have long ago turned away from having to deal with the constant criticism and lies from his opponents day-in and out. His whole presidency felt like a trial. A less noble man would have said “Take your old White House and do what you want with it; I’m going back to my penthouse in New York and live in the luxury I’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
He did not do this.
Donald Trump put America and its people first every day that he served in office.
Daily he stood in the face of adversity and kept checking off all of his campaign promises that he made to and for the people who still love America and The American Dream; those who do not desire to live globally, but peacefully with the rest of the globe under their own government, which they hope is also limited in power, but mighty in the things that matter most; a nation that desires individual freedom above all else; in order that they may worship God and live in a godly manner before Him with respect and dignity given to all.
These were the things that Donald Trump fought for. He did not cave or follow the easy road; he stood. It takes courage to stand alone for what you think is right. He did that.
IN A PERFECT WORLD
If the “good” of the people were truly being served; both parties would be willing to submit to a determination of a court after all the evidence has been brought forth and proven.
Perhaps that will happen; but from all appearances the world wants to keep living the lie and not even look at the real truth; as long as the wealthy and powerful stay in charge and those dividends just keep growing and growing.
And of course, they just keep handing out our country’s wealth in order to buy their way into all those powerful positions. (Never mind Deuteronomy 16:19-20; they continue to pervert justice, bribe, twist the truth and wonder away from the ways of God. As a matter of fact; they never want to be reminded of the fact that there is a God.
Out in the marketplaces we continue to see the opposite of this kind of “good” taking place in the days after the election.
LOOKING AT THE MARKETPLACE
People with power and money all across the globe seem willing to do or say just about anything in order to get what pleases them; no matter how the people of this country truly voted.
There is a large crowd of people denying that anything went wrong; they refuse to hear or look at the evidence. This seems to be because they do not desire what would happen if this truth actually came forth and prevailed. They realize that they might lose and they all seem to be about winning at any cost.
I wouldn’t call that having empathy for others; it would be more like putting one’s self above others no matter what the authorities or the law proves out to be accurate.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
So what do we do?
Keep looking at Jesus.
Follow Him.
Worship Him and honor Him with all of your ways.
Pray to Him.
We can see this quality of “good” in the life of Jesus. He clearly had empathy for others. To be good you must show empathy for others as well as the rules and laws that govern others. A “good” person learns when and how to show mercy and forgiveness.
KEEPING THE BALANCE
The opposite of” good” is “evil.”
Evil is psychopathic in nature in that it is unreasonable and unfair and shows no concern whatsoever for others; which would be the extreme opposite of “good.”
From the days of Adam and Eve; we have had the balancing act of “good” and “evil” in this world.
Until Jesus returns again; we must learn how to cope.
Israel had to learn the secrets to defining and carrying out true national justice.
So too must every godly country that exists today.
America must also learn the same lesson.