Feeling Judged?

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9, Shoftim, “Judges”

This section of scripture covers a wide range of the laws given to the children of Israel through Moses.  Included in this section of scripture is an outline on the appointment of the Judges, Priests, and Kings.  There is a section on the evil of divination and occult practices followed by a section on honoring the words of THE prophet of God.  The laws surrounding the cities of refuge are recounted and there is a section that discusses the evils of murder, false witness, and the moving of land markers.  The final section addresses some interesting laws surrounding war and who could be excused from participation.

I think the term “Judges” really does a GREAT job summarizing this section of scripture.  In this blog, I am going to share a personal perspective.  In doing so, I will present both sides of the discussion.  As a starting point, it is important for me to point out that, sadly, this is rarely the case when it comes to theological discussion.  In most cases, people present their views as “truth” and avoid sharing the rational understanding of their counterpart.  Sometimes I may present this way but please hear that my heart when I say that I understand that what I share is “how I see it”.

In Deuteronomy 16:18-17:13 Moses outlines the responsibilities of the Judges.  In 17:9-13 he outlines our responsibility to accepting and living by what is passed down by the judges and priests.  These are the verses that some people would use to support the argument that we should not only strive to live lives in harmony with the Laws, statutes, and ordinances outlined in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, but even to live in harmony with the more expanded “Torah”.  The expanded Torah includes additional writings and even oral traditions passed down through the ages.  Within this interpretation, according to Deuteronomy 17:12-13 someone who does not embrace this expanded Torah is acting presumptuously and is evil in the sight of the Lord.

That all sounds fairly straight forward doesn’t it?  So, how is it that I believe that it is biblical to not honor the expanded Torah while believing that I am not acting presumptuously or in a way that God would see as evil?

Let’s start with Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

From my view, I see the written laws, status, and ordinances as the perfect foundation for a life devoted to a relationship with God and others.  What I believe to be true in what God is saying here is that if we add to what He has given it will become a burden that oppresses the people and no longer encourages the development of the relationship.  At the same time, if we remove anything the foundation becomes too weak and does not support us in all the areas that we need to be pressed in our desire to grow in the most intimate relationships possible.

The argument from those who hold the theology that we should honor the more expanded Torah is that these things that I see as being added are not actually being added but more so greater clarifications to what has already been given.  As noted, they see that the judges and priests were given this latitude through this section of Deuteronomy.

So, what gives?

In Deuteronomy 18:16-19 God uses Moses to remind the people that when He came to them on Mount Zion, they became fearful and stopped God after the first ten commandments.  God agreed that what they had requested was wise and led Moses to the top of the mountain where He gave them the balance of the commandments, statues, and ordinances.  I believe that the Prophet God is referring to in Deuteronomy 18 is Jesus.  In John 15-16 we hear of Jesus sharing with his disciples that it would be better for Him to leave them then to stay because in His absence, He would send from the father, the spirit of truth.  I believe that this “spirit of truth” was given to move us out from under the same religious fear as the children of Israel and into the one on relationship that God has always desired for us.

In Romans 8:15 we hear Paul speaking to us in regard to this “fear” of the truth and how this “fear” of truth stems from a “slave” mentality that leads to religion and a works-based relationship with God.  What Paul is saying in Romans 8:15 is that we no longer have to live like the children of Israel in fear of hearing the entire truth or sending a mediator to talk to God for us.

Where Paul is going with this is that there is “no condemnation in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) and as such, we do not have to worry about hearing the ENTIRE TRUTH because this is NOT a works based relationship with God and any shortcoming on our part will NOT lead to our eternal damnation and separation from Him.  Paul is emphasizing that this awareness is foundational to a faith-based walk with Yeshua and that only in this faith-based walk do we move out from a flesh-based mindset into a spirit-based approach to life.  I will dig into this more next week as we look at the next section of Deuteronomy, Hebrews, Galatians, and Ephesians.  But for now, what I am trying to convey is that by the time God sent Jesus, things had gone very astray.

By the time God had sent Jesus, the Jewish people were looking at Gentiles as hopelessly unclean beings created that way by God.  They had also set up a complex religious system and had tied that religious system to salvation.  I am not going to get into all of the things that God used Jesus to set straight, but will address a few.  First off, Gentiles were not made unclean.  This is the point of Peter’s vision with the sheet and what God DID make unclean.  Jesus came to tear down the wall between Jew and Gentile and to create a one new man.  He also came to teach and demonstrate that salvation is through faith and not through works.  He also came to stand against the hypocrisy of the teachers and to help move the people away from a burdensome religious system back into a faith-based relationship with Torah.  In so doing, He walked with mankind providing us with a clear understanding of many things.

Where I really want to go with this is in looking at how Jesus responded to people and discuss some of his teachings.  Based on the approach to Deuteronomy 16-17 outlined above, Jesus as our high priest and the prophet sent by God, would have “expanded” Torah to include lust and hate into legally binding laws (from the sermon on the mount).  Furthermore, He would have imposed that all people sell all of their possessions and give them to the poor if they want to inherit the kingdom of God (as He instructed the rich young man).  I could go on and on but I think I have made the point.  The reality is, Jesus relied on God the Father to give Him the spiritual insight to respond to each person based on what they needed to hear based on their own personal walk with Him.  Paul summarizes this when he tells us that if eating meat or drink alcohol is a sin conviction to someone, then it is sin for them.  At the same time that does not make it sin to others.

What I see so deeply engrained in what Jesus provided and what we have been given in the New Testament writings is the breaking of this religious yoke.  I believe God has a desire to move us into a personal one on one relationship with Him.  In this personal relationship we are living by faith that we WILL receive the promises of the covenant and as such are free to embrace all the Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances outlined in the basic Torah.   In this relationship we are no longer slaves to this foundation but bondservants of faith.  In and through this God will use the foundation to speak to us just as Jesus did when He spoke to those we read about.  In so doing, we will grow in our insight and understanding leading us toward ultimate truth in and through our relationship with the Holy Spirit.  We will be able to look at this truth without fear of loosing the promises and as such forever be pushed into greater growth and freedom.

This is all great, but, if it is not in harmony with the commandments of God as provided by Moses, I have a problem.  

So, let’s go back and look at what Moses actually says in this section of scripture.  What I am seeing in my heart of hearts is that this entire section of scripture is devoted to civil issues.  From what I see, the judges, with the help of the priests, were given authority over rulings between people.  Moses is telling us that we are to abide by the “terms of the verdict” with respect to their rulings.  There is a substantial difference between spiritual matters between people and God and civil disputes between people and people.  

For the most part, the rulings on the interactions between people can be used to create case law because the issues are all about justice.  At the same time, the rulings that would be applicable to a discussion between a person and the Holy Spirit are not.  Each person has a unique relationship with God.  We each have our own idols, fears, hurts, attitudes, habits, and patterns of life.  Jesus responded to each person based on their own personal issues.  Similarly, Yeshua, through the Holy Spirit is there for each of us in the same way today.  We simply cannot take what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us and impose that onto another person.  Holy Spirit revelation is simply not of the context to use for “case law” and this is what I believe the heart of God is in Deuteronomy 4 and why He tells us not to add to His perfect law.

In Deuteronomy 17:6 we are told that a person is found guilty on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  In the case of a civil infraction that becomes the judicial system.  In my opinion, man cannot determine what is in the heart of another man and as such the judicial system fails at expanding Torah in such a way to facilitate growth and relationship.  In the case of spiritual matters, the two primary witnesses come down to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.  Often God will lead another person into our lives to confirm what He is already attempting to communicate.  These people, teachers, friends, or relatives become the third witness.  

As spirit filled disciples of Jesus Christ, we are free to move out from under a fear of loosing the promises of God and into believing that we can hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  We are free to receive the deeper understandings of the law, statutes, and ordinances as we mediate upon them, and we are free to allow the foundation that He provided to become all that He provided it for.  As we progress through this faith relationship with the truth, we are free to become free as we live out our days in service to Him.  I pray that this has been a blessing to you.  Amen.