…and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”
2 Chronicles 19:6-7
This was the reform work in Judah led by king Jehoshaphat. He drew the people back to the true worship of Yahweh, eradicated idol worship wherever it popped up in Judah, and made sure that the Law of the Lord was instructed to the people as the Law of the land. He appointed local district judges who also were firmly committed to the worship of the Lord, reminding them that they should only make their judgments in God’s wisdom and character.
In many ways his work, though done by a flawed sinner (Jehoshaphat had an unhealthy friendship with wicked king Ahab of Israel that caused him much trouble), was a model of the way God had intended His people to thrive under His rule and Law. Jehoshaphat took the Word of God and obedience to its social instructions very seriously. He demonstrated that God was the hope, the wisdom, and the true Ruler in Judah by His royal actions, decrees, appointments, and commitments.
The best that Jehoshaphat could do was to obey God and instruct other leaders to do the same. But sadly, within a generation, his reforms would fizzle as other kings appointed judges who did not commit to the same love of God’s truth. This pointed to a greater reality… for the need of a True Righteous Judge, still to come, to remedy all flawed human justice systems. The Lord Jesus is that righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8). Jesus is the One Who ultimately judges with absolutely NO injustice or partiality. He is the One fit to judge both saints at His judgement seat, and sinners at the Great White Throne. Earthly justice will eventually fall short. But Jesus, the True, Holy, and Perfect Judge will never be wrong!
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