Righteous Judges Are A Moral Imperative For America!

If you've been paying attention to the lawlessness in our nation, then it can't have escaped your notice that those who have been elected or appointed to govern us have betrayed our trust. The list is long, but today I'm talking specifically about Judges who have broken laws and oaths; committed immoral misconduct; sidestepped the law for political biases; or behaved as activist judges while pursuing judicial overreach. Any or all of these indiscretions undermine the foundation of our national governance, unity, and security. 

As a Christian, I would like to think that our judicial system, comprised of judges and courts, are modeled after God's decision to appoint Judges over Israel in the Old Testament. But a closer look at the history in the Bible and the founding of our nation shows a lack of congruence. In the Old Testament, God sought after and appointed individuals who could be righteous leaders; rightly guiding their people through chaotic and volatile times. They were spiritual intercessors and deliverers of His messages to the people, leading them through their cycles of disobedience and rebellion, repentance and victory. They were oftentimes military commanders and intermediaries for peace. They prayed for the people and sought God's will in all decisions. These judicial appointees had to be men of truth who feared YHWH and hated coveting; champions of God's Law and Justice. 

One aspect of Old Testament judges that fascinates me is their role as military commanders. Whether Israel faced threats from external forces or internal chaos, their leadership role was to provide unity among the citizens and victory against oppressors. Their decisions often-times required courage, moral backbone, and Divine strategies that determined the fate of Israel and other nations, as well. The Bible Analysis website drives home the fact that the Judges of ancient Israel possessed a unique aspect in their governance style -- they intertwined faith [resulting in spiritual restoration] with their military actions for national survival. 

While Old Testament Judges were required to have faith in YHWH and His promises, while praying and seeking God's will for the common good of the people, there are no such stipulations or qualification required for our judges according to the U.S. Constitution. In fact, our recent history of judges who have violated their oaths of office [and the laws of this land!] through personal or political bias has been astoundingly obvious. 

Modern day judges take an oath whereby they "do solemnly swear (or affirm) they will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that they will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon them as [the office they were appointed or elected to] under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God." I think it has become glaringly apparent that they fear no repercussions if they choose to follow their own conscience [or that of powerful influences]. 

If only they contended for God like King Jehoshaphat in appointing judges in the nation of Judah. He placed all the judges in office, city by city, and said to them: Take heed what you do: for you judge not for man, but for YHWH, who is with you in the judgment... And he charged them, saying, This you shall do in the fear of YHWH, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. 

As much as we like to say that our government is based on Christian principles, how can we believe that, when God's law requires judges to fear Him, while the Constitution bans the same qualification? Under Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution, the only requirement seems to be that judges are to be men and women of good behavior. But what is the Constitution's definition of "good behavior". If left up to men, the lack of a definitive guide for what good behavior is, it simply becomes a term left up to the discretion of the individual. Can we agree that Good Behavior can [and should] be defined only from the boundaries of God and His established morality? 

So, that brings me to this salient point ... We, as Americans, need to demand that our elected and appointed judges be kept to a standard of the law that meets God's moral guidelines and criteria. That means, as a society, we should no longer tolerate the circus we've seen over the last few years of prejudice, partiality, political discrimination, and flagrant misrule and mayhem in our legal system. We're better than this! Or, at least, we need to recognize that the direction we've come from and where we're headed indicates how far off the [narrow] path we are!

Who could have imagined, just 20 or 30 years ago, that our country would be experiencing a flood of millions of criminal and illegal people, resulting in innocent citizens being murdered and terrorized; many of whom are arrested but allowed to go free by activist judges?  And as writer, Jack Hibbs, has pointed out in his article on Harbinger's Daily, the state of Texas is the target of a scary Islamic movement that would see the creation of an Islamic city in which to establish Sharia law. Will this become a reality; two completely diametric models of governance? One in which King Jehoshaphat would be appalled? YHWH will definitely not be with this city in their judgments! As Hibbs writes, "Make no mistake, this is equivalent to the Old Testament establishment of "high places" of pagan worship centers".

So, if we consider ourselves a Christian nation, where are the Churches and the pastors? We've already seen the degradation of our nation through the laws that offend our God, having allowed abortion; marriages between same-sex partners; changing the genders of His created children; the creeping tolerance and excuses that leads to the acceptance of pedophilia [Hibbs reports that "yet again, California has lessened the laws against pedophilia"]. Where does it end? I'm afraid in judgment of America!

There are millions of Americans that are riding high on our recent political elections and appointments. But a political revival doesn't equal a moral and spiritual restoration, which is what we desperately need. In summary, I'd like to refer us to a study at biblehub.com regarding King Jehoshaphat's reign. After forming an unrighteous alliance with wicked King Ahab, Jehoshaphat is confronted by Jehu, the seer, for helping the wicked and loving those who hate God; actions that would invoke God's wrath and judgment. He travels throughout the kingdom of Judah, with the express purpose of bringing the people back to God through repentance. He appoints judges who will act with justice and the fear of God, without partiality or bribery, and emphasizing his commitment to righteousness, justice, and God's law.

It was his leadership and devotion to God that rescued Judah from God's judgment. He knew that repentance was necessary for his appointed judges to restore Israel back into God's grace. This nation needs that same understanding. But it's going to take a national embrace of repentance -- not just from the righteous citizens, but from the political leaders and the elected and appointed judges, as well. This nation may still be in the glow of what they perceive a political victory, but that's not enough to avoid God's wrath. 

We citizens must pray and cry out with intercession for the hearts of all Americans! Pray that God will raise up leaders who are willing to forego their personal power, influence, and wealth to return us to a nation that fears and reveres Jesus Christ! Pray that the pastors in the Churches are willing to be courageous in the pulpit, putting aside their reputations and luke-warm sermons, to confront the leaders as Jehu did to Jehoshophat. Let them be more concerned about offending God than offending the people in the pews. 

When we lack repentance as a nation, we worship ourselves, rather than our God who, I believe, founded this nation as a beacon of His love, moral character, and justice. We've got to re-establish God's moral laws, and it begins with moral judges dedicated to manifesting His righteous judgment. When, we as a nation, can rule from God's moral character, we need not fear God's wrath. Rather, like in 2 Chronicles 20, we will see our enemies destroy themselves.

2 Chronicles 19:5-7.     He [Jehoshaphat] appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and he said to the judges, "Be careful what you do, for you do not judge for man, but for the LORD who is with you in the matter of judgment. So now let the fear [reverent awe] of the Lord be on you [to keep you from making unjust decisions]; be careful in what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality, or acceptance of a bribe".

 

No Righteous Judges = No Rule of Law = No Nation

Today's headlines are full of impending court cases that are unquestionably going to affect our nation; everything from personal freedoms, to the right to life, to the next presidential election. It should go without saying that our judicial system was designed to protect us from lawlessness and provide a system of restraint and control against the unrighteous acts of ungodly men.

Notice that I used the term "unrighteous" acts. It is imperative to understand that the origin of our judicial system in this country comes from the Bible. [Just one more reason why I continually write that it is important to have a Biblical worldview, so that we have a baseline by which to develop our standard of laws, morality, and faith]. 

Do you know where God first shows us His model for a judicial system in the Bible? Take a look at Exodus 18. Moses has led the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt and finds himself overwhelmed with maintaining security, law and order, plus  tranquility among the people, which numbered at least 600,000 men! Enter his father-in-law, Jethro, who notices the strain and pressure upon Moses, who is one man trying to hold it all together, settling all the disputes of this mass of people. Moses tells Jethro, "I make them know the statutes of God and His laws". Jethro responds, "What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times.... if you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace". (Exodus 18:13-23) 

The long and short of this judicial system among the Israelites is that it must be occupied by righteous men! And we need to understand what that term means to God, who instituted this system by which men could rule among themselves. Here's the definition of righteousness that I adhere to: it is God's standard of purity; the perfect consistency between His nature and His actions. God is Holy, therefore He cannot tolerate sin, and His Righteousness demands Judgment. Only through Jesus can we obtain righteousness that is acceptable to God. Righteousness is Jesus's purity that God sees in us.

Now let's apply this definition and the historical context from the Bible to today's Justice System in our country. Moses chose men [from among the people] who were able to govern and judge in righteousness. And when they judged in righteousness, it strengthened the nation of Israel, providing a foundation that led to prosperity and good will among all the people. So, I want to posit this question: How do our judges measure up to that standard? How many of our judges hold their offices with the goal of upholding God's statutes and His righteous laws? How many of them fear God? How many are trustworthy and hate a bribe? How many receive their office as a political payoff? If our Judges are not righteous according to God's definition, then there will be no righteous Rule of Law, and chaos and evil will abound. There will be no peace in the land, and crime will run rampant. And when there is no righteous Rule of Law, then a nation will not survive. If the respect for law begins to erode, or the law becomes unrighteous, then the citizens will go unchecked and sin will go unpunished. Autocracy and corruption become the standard and a free society collapses, and the nation is ripe for destruction.

But I am not writing this post to announce defeat. I believe God still wants to redeem our nation. And I see Him giving us signs of hope; clear signs that He is still in the midst of us. Let me give you a couple of examples ... An article in Harbinger's Daily, reports that Alabama Supreme Court has recently ruled that frozen human embryos are defined and identified as persons. More specifically, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker declared the embryos to be "Extrauterine children", and they're protected by Alabama law. Contradicting the false report that in vitro fertilization treatments are now banned, it is expected that there will be forthcoming legislation that clarifies there is no ban on anything other than the willful and illegal destruction of human life.  

And I was extremely happy to read that Chief Justice Parker's 131 page decision contained 41 references to God, including his belief that faith and religious belief were foundational to the documents that shape and inform our nation's laws. He boldly wrote: In summary, the theologically based view of the sanctity of life adopted by the People of Alabama encompasses the following: 1. God made every person in His image; 2. each person therefore has a value that far exceeds the ability of human beings to calculate; and 3. human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself .... The People of Alabama have declared the public policy of this State to be that unborn human life is sacred. We believe that each human being, from the moment of conception, is made in the image of God, created by Him to reflect His likeness. It is as if the People of Alabama took what was spoken of the prophet Jeremiah and applied it to every unborn person in this state: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Before you were born I sanctified you" (Jeremiah 1:5).   

Of course, critics of Alabama's Supreme Court decision are blaming Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, whose majority opinion reversed Roe v. Wade, and returned the issue of abortion laws back to the states. And now Justice Alito is back in the news for warning of ongoing efforts to exclude Christians from serving on juries due to their biblical beliefs. Those who do not hold to a Christian or Biblical belief system insist that Christians will not be able to fairly apply the law, and should be dismissed from the jury pool, effectively denying their right to fulfill their civic duty. That threatens our fundamental rights as American citizens.

Writer Ben Johnson wrote about the Alito concerns, further citing our Founding Fathers. "In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson listed freedom of religion, freedom of the press ... and trial by juries impartially selected as part of 'the bright constellation' of 'essential functions of our government". He continued in his article, "Jefferson's predecessor and political rival, John Adams, agreed. "Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle and fed and clothed like swine and hounds," said Adams".

And that, my fellow citizens, is what the beginning of a nation being destroyed from within looks like. I am so thankful that there are still righteous men and women who are safeguarding our Biblical values and our fundamental rights, both as children of God and Constitutionally-protected Americans. Our upcoming elections must result in elected officials that serve in righteousness and and biblical truths. Without that, our future as a nation is going to be highly compromised. Ancient Israel prospered or suffered, depending on the men that either ruled in righteousness or corruption and wickedness. Their judges were appointed by God, in order to lead an erring and repentant people to a restoration of a righteous relationship with Him and to victory over their enemies. What will history say about us?

Judges 10:15.   But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now".