RPG Adults
CONTROVERSY AND RIGHT JUDGMENT
LORD’S DAY, NOVEMBER 14
Deuteronomy 25
1 Corinthians 2:12-16
“But he that is spiritual judgeth
all things, yet he himself
is judged of no man.”
CONTROVERSY AND RIGHT JUDGMENT
Israel needed many instructions regarding their sojourn in the land. Good family relations were needed to sustain peace and harmony in the nation. The people lived in communities and were not isolated from others. The laws given in Deuteronomy 25 had to do with matters of controversy and right judgment, treatment of domestic animals, inheritance of widows, right measures on commerce and vengeance on the enemies of Israel.
When the Lord gave these laws to Moses, He anticipated different scenarios. It is a given fact that judges need clear laws to guide them in reaching the right judgment in any case. They were commanded to “justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked” (Deut 25:1). That is the meaning of justice. When they passed a sentence and a wicked person was worthy to be beaten, then the judge should cause him to lie down and be beaten before his face according to his transgression.
The maximum number of strokes of a cane that one could be beaten with was forty and not more. It was thus a rule of practice that one would be beaten up to thirty-nine strokes, thus playing safe in case there was an error in counting. In 2 Corinthians 11:24, Paul said that he was beaten forty strokes less one. When he was converted, the Jews accused him of heresy and this was part of his “punishment.” The case of Paul was like that of the Lord Jesus because the Jews did not understand the truth of the gospel and they termed it heresy. It was in such instances that the prescribed penalty was not to exceed the given limit.
Regardless of instances of misuse of the law, it was put in place to ensure that everybody received a just judgment in any matter of controversy. It was a simple and logical law that the judges needed to guide them in arbitrating between man and man.
THOUGHT: The judgment seat of Christ will give perfect justice.
PRAYER: Father, help me to exercise fairness in dealing with others.