BIBLICAL OATH FOR JUDGES –

King Jehoshaphat was one of Judah’s most dedicated kings. After starting his reign he traveled around the country, going as far north as Ephraim and then south to Beersheba. He saw so much idolatry; graft and corruption that he decided to cleanse the land of these ungodly abominations. So he appointed judges and warned them against accepting bribes or being afraid of rulings that require courage. The sons of Asaph were so impressed that they wrote this song to be sung as a stark reminder to the judges to honor Jehoshaphat’s commitment to truth and fairness.

“Our One True God is present in each courtroom; He wants to administer justice through good judges. Therefore, stop letting your biases and favoritism to lawbreakers become a pattern. Rule in favor of victims who are poor and alone; it’s your duty to protect those who are abused and abandoned. Don’t let the guilty get away with crimes against helpless and destitute people. Some judges just don’t get it; they refuse to accept evidence presented in the case. They seem out of touch with reality, and their rulings are causing our society to collapse. We call you judges, ‘Your Honor,’ because we expect you to have the highest qualities. But remember, you’re human too, and the day will come when you give up the bench like all those before you. So we call on our One True God, ‘Exert Yourself in our judicial system, because everyone on earth is depending on You’.” Psalm 82:1-8

Reflection: In the opening lines of the American Declaration of Independence we find this resolution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In the original draft, the words actually read, “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.” While we humans may find this concept impossible to enforce in every situation, it does reflect the way God sees and handles man’s affairs. God set out His legal system in Ezekiel 18:1-23, telling us He will treat everyone according to their own actions and responsibilities. Although God stated that the person who knowingly sins will pay the price for their actions, He also says that if they turn from their evil ways and start living according to His ways they can be saved. This promise was given to everyone regardless of their wealth, influence, fame, or heritage. Surely God is just! The psalmist presented a strong argument that is just as valid and legal in our day as it was back then. Therefore we join the psalmist in calling on God to intervene and straighten out the crooked ways permeating our present judicial system. But we do not have to wait for some divine intervention in the judiciary, we can begin with ourselves, and how we treat each other.