WFT: judge (shaphat) IT'S YOUR TIME TO TAKE THE STAND

Ezekiel 21: 30

“’Let the sword return to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your ancestry, I will judge you.”

Judge Mathis, Judy, Joe Brown, Judge Faith, Hot Bench, The People’s Court… —there at least 28 “court-related” reality shows on air and counting. Few people like to be judged, but we sure like to watch the process. Truth be told, no day goes by that you are not faced with having to stand before a judge. Who’s sitting behind the bench and their judicial  authority matters, especially when that judge is God. 

EXPOSITION: The word judge has four possible meanings in Hebrew. And like any sound meaning, meaning depends on its surrounding context or usage.

1. To judge is to make a pronouncement. Example: Judge Judy made her judgment on the case of the dead dog: “You are guilty of killing the puppy.”

2. To judge is also a judgement, the result of judging, the positive and negative consequences of an action. Example:  The judgment for killing the puppy was to pay the cost to replace the k-nine plus a fine for animal abuse.

3. To judge is also to govern—the natural outgrowth of judging. Example: The Old Testament Judge Deborah, sat under the town square tree, governed the nation through her rulings and judgments of the day-to-day civil cases.

4. To judge also means to literally or figuratively bring to a court of law a legal issue. Example: In the court of heaven, God sat on His throne judging the nations for violating His law.

ILLUSTRATION:

Someone is always judging like the waitress and the veteran. Here’s one example of “daily judgment that may not make primetime television but is sure good theology:

 “Two years ago, I started working at Captain D's. We had an elderly customer, a veteran who became a regular; someone we counted on to brighten our days. He was always a nice and funny man; someone who knew how to make us laugh. We grew close to him. We learned he served over 20 years in the military, and his wife had recently died from cancer. His son is active in the Marines as well. He always asked us how life was; what our plans were. This man wasn’t simply kind; he was supportive for all of us. I graduated Friday night. He surprised me and showed up in a suit, all dressed up! He stood there and got so proud when they called my name. I'm leaving for college in a few days, and we said our goodbyes, and he handed me one hundred dollars and refused to take any back. So, I guess the moral of my story is this: no matter how big or how small your job is, there is always someone watching. Someone who will care. Someone who will support you. Or listen. Always be nice. Always be kind. You never know.”

APPLICATION: Trust, obey and be prepared to stand. Everything you do will have its day in court. Everyone and EVERYTHING.