January 18, 2014 - Saturday

Start Time: 3:57 A.M.

End Time: 4:41 A.M.

Title: Example of Legal Cases

Scripture: Deuteronomy 17:1 – 20

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ Moses taught the people how to present their offerings to God, ensuring that the people know that no offerings (ox, sheep, etc) which has a mark on it or is damaged in any way may be offered to the Lord their God for that is disgusting to the Lord their God.  If anyone does sin against the Lord, sinning against his/her agreement, by becoming a servant of other gods and worshipping them or the sun or the moon or all the stars of heaven, against His orders; if word of this comes to their ears, then they are lot looked into this with care.  And if there is no doubt that it is true, and such evil has been done in Israel, then they are to take the man or woman who has done the evil to the public place of their town and they are to be stopped with stones till they are dead.  On the word of two or three witnesses, a man may be given the punishment of death; but he is not to be put to death on the word of one witness.  The hands of the witnesses will be the first to put him to death, and after them the hands of all the people.  So they are to put away the evil from among you.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who is a truth-finder!  God does not tolerate people who are servants of other gods yet when there’s news about this happening to a man or woman, He made sure that the people will not just listen to rumors but will investigate to find the truth.  He made sure that there are more than one witnesses to account for the sin made by the accused and that a man will not be punished with just one witness.  God is a God who understands that the truth is in plain sight.  At times you need to find it but when you truly seek it, it will be revealed to you.  So let us be truth-finders ourselves and not jump into conclusions!  God despite that He is all-knowing and His words is true,  He wants His people to act in finding the truth and not just give it to them.  He wants us to voluntarily seek and find the truth for there is much accomplishment when there’s the effort of finding rather than handing the truth to you in plain sight.  The adventure lies in the seeking and the reward is greater when what was sought is found!  I am blessed to have a God who is a truth-finder who doesn’t execute His judgment on just what is seen in the human eye but seeks to find the truth of the whole circumstance.  Thank You Lord!

→ If they are not able to give a decision as to who is responsible for a death, or who is right in a cause, or who gave the first blow in a fight, and there is a division of opinion about it in their town; then they are to go to the place marked out by the Lord their God and come before the priests, the Levites, or before him who is judge at the time: and they will go into the question and give them a decision.  And they are to be guided by the decision they give in the place named by the Lord, and do whatever they say, acting in agreement with their teaching and the decision they give; not turning to one side or the other from the word they have given them.  And any man who, in his pride, will not give ear to the priest whose place is there before the Lord their God, or to the judge, is to be put to death; they are to put away the evil from Israel.  And all the people hearing of it, will be full of fear and put away their pride.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who reveals truth naturally and, supernaturally when there’s a need to!  When the truth is not found, God intended for men to come to Him to reveal the truth to them in ways that is not natural for they are to come to a priest, a Levite or a judge from a place marked by their Lord God and this person will reveal the truth to them; this person chosen by God but is nowhere in the scene of the incident so we are to trust in his words that it is words from the Lord Himself.  So God clearly shows the truth to us naturally (with us seeking for it and finding clues to get to the truth) and when all else fails, God reveals His truth in ways our natural mind cannot comprehend (thru God’s chosen priest, Levite or judge).  And note that when the truth is revealed supernaturally and we do not believe then death comes.  Unbelief to God’s words, promises, identity, actions, etc is equal to spiritual death.  Every time we don’t believe in God, our spirit ends up dying.  So choose life and believe!

→When they have come into the land which the Lord their God gives them, and have taken it for a heritage and are living in it, if it is their desire to have a king over them, like the other nations round about them; then they are to ensure that they take as their king the man named by the Lord their God; let their king be one of their countrymen, not a man of another nation who is not one of themselves.  And he is not to get together a great army of horses for himself, or make the people go back to Egypt to get horses for him; because the Lord has said, “You will never go back that way!”  And the king is not to have a great number of wives for fear that his heart may be turned away or great wealth of silver and gold and when he has taken his place on the seat of his kingdom, he is to make in a book a copy of this law, from that which the priests, the Levites, have in their care; And it is to be with him for his reading all the days of his life, so that he may be trained in the fear of the Lord his God to keep and do all the words of this teaching and these laws; so that his heart may not be lifted up over his countrymen, and he may not be turned away from the orders to one side or the other; but that his life and the lives of his children may be long in his kingdom in Israel.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who sees and knows the needs and wants of His people!  God knows that his people will want to be like other nations that have a king and so He said that they can have their king, even though God should be their One and TRUE KING, so He gave them their heart desire and will choose the king for them. 

Ø God is a God who wants to be in complete involvement in our leadership role to others! God made a law that the king must have his words with him and must be part of his readings every day that the king may be trained in the fear of the Lord (fear here means revere, worship and adoration).  His words keep our hearts towards His people and keeps us grounded to the truth and so in return the person who is grounded to God’s truth lives long in God’s kingdom together with his children.

Application / Realization:

Ø God is a truth-finder!  He doesn’t listen to rumors and even if He sees everything, HE wants us to find the truth ourselves.  He wants us to seek for it and know the truth by heart!

Ø God reveals the truth to us both naturally and supernaturally!  As we seek for the truth, He reveals it to us like droplets of rain from the sky so we can handle it.  For our minds are so unlike His that can contain the whole power and majestic of the truth.  So He ensures we find it one truth after another; depending on how hungry we are for it.

Ø God sees our needs and wants for a “leader-figure” in our lives or a role model, or a person in authority.  Many times we seek to be the person in authority but we are born with the need to have someone over us.  Because we are created beings (means we know that we have a creator), we are servants (means we know we have masters), we are His children (means we know we have parents), we are His sheep (means we have a Shepherd), and so much more.  In every aspect, it is in us to seek for someone higher or above us so ultimately our goal is to realize that He is the ultimate higher or superior Being in our lives and we are His subordinates.

Ø God wants to be involved in the leadership roles He gives us as we fix our eyes on Him.  His main advice is to keep His words in our hearts and minds; read it daily so we will be grounded in His truth and live long in His kingdom together with our children.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, God of truth!  The Father of everything right and just.  Thank You for give me the chance to call You my Lord.  Thank You for You are a truth finder and You want me to be the same.  Holy Spirit I pray that You help me become one.  I can easily be swayed by rumors or words of men but let me be reminded every time that the Truth is what I must seek and not depend on deceitful words.  Let me remember that the truth only comes from You and You reveal it to me naturally and supernaturally.  Help me to realize always that when I am confuse or doubting or shaken or feeling overwhelmed by so many questions in life, all I could do is come to You for You hold the truth.  Lord thank You that You have designed me to always seek for the truth and to look up to someone in authority or leadership role in my life.  Thank You for the people You gave and brought into my life to fill in that role.  Father let me looked up to You always and see that in whatever times in my life, all I can count in is You.  And Lord as I journey to unveiling Your truth day after day, let me possess the qualities and characters You want to become a good leader to others.  Help me to always meditate and read Your words daily and never miss on it.  Help me to remember that it is in Your words that I can find the truth.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!