{"id":8253,"date":"2017-12-14T07:23:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T12:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=8253"},"modified":"2017-12-14T07:27:25","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T12:27:25","slug":"error-in-the-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=8253","title":{"rendered":"error in the court"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love the below early judicial system. I love it because it makes sense. (Note: it\u2019s typically good when life makes sense.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Moses was struggling with all that was on his plate. He had boldly stood up to rulers of the day, sharing their awaited fate should they refuse to release those in captivity. Moses saw swarms of locusts and frogs and flies from afar, and he even witnessed the total separation of the Red Sea, a miracle so massive we sometimes forget it was real.<\/p>\n

Moses was then involved when his community totally changed up their nutritional needs. He followed the clouds, so-to-speak. He also led his soldiers into battle when he seemed at the very least physically drained and exhausted, with his brother and friend actually having to hold up his arms. Moses was indeed a busy man.<\/p>\n

And so knowing his plate was full and he thus had great potential for distraction, Moses\u2019s father-in-law came to see him and gently speak truth. When we are so busy \u2014 so filled up with either emotion or task \u2014 sometimes it\u2019s hard for us to see what\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

Moses bowed and welcomed his father-in-law; each asked the other how things had been with him. Jethro was delighted in all the good that God had done in the community. He first paused intentionally, just to thank God \u2014 noting that we often get so busy, we forget to thank he who makes the world go round. Sometimes we think we deserve the credit for all we do.<\/p>\n

So the next day Moses took his place to judge the people \u2014 to execute the legal system \u2014 as was his practice and responsibility at the time, as the people knew they needed something organized, compassionate, and fair put in place.. Yet the people would stand before Moses all day long. When Moses\u2019 father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Moses told his father-in-law this was his job. \u201cThe people come to me,\u201d so he answered their questions about what was good and who is God, and he also settled all of their judicial disputes.<\/p>\n

Quickly, his wise father-in-law said, \u201cThat is not good.\u201d It was too much, and one person can\u2019t do this alone. \u201cYou need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men \u2014 men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible \u2014 and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They\u2019ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They\u2019ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they\u2019ll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you\u2019ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.\u201d<\/p>\n

I love a couple of things here. First, I love how Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did what he said.<\/p>\n

I then love how Moses picked competent people \u2014 people with unquestionable integrity. Integrity is so important. There is some correlation between integrity and flourishing.<\/p>\n

It reminds me what a fair judicial system is\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 and is not.<\/p>\n

A fair judicial system is governed by one or some who listen to all relevant accounts\u2026<\/p>\n

It is one which has the goal of justice for all\u2026 not only for some\u2026 and allows for appropriate consequence, absent revenge.<\/p>\n

The reason Moses could not do it all on his own is because he was stretched too far; he couldn\u2019t listen to all relevant accounts. And thus his potential for error would have been higher.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I see current culture also making errors in what counts as our courts\u2026<\/p>\n

We sometimes don\u2019t listen to all relevant accounts. We sometimes are biased to particular bents, because of how we feel about a person or based on our own experience, which we can\u2019t seem to separate.<\/p>\n

Sadly, sometimes our judicial system plays on a different court.<\/p>\n

We have allowed social media to often decide innocence or guilt, forgetting that social media is not exclusive to competent persons \u2014 persons who respect God, are of solid integrity, and who are incorruptible. We listen to what we want, discounting perspective that could be deemed as far more than inconvenient truth.<\/p>\n

When we allow social media then to be the decider of justice, we should be the ones to say, \u201cthis is not good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Respectfully\u2026
\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love the below early judicial system. I love it because it makes sense. (Note: it\u2019s typically good when life makes sense.) Moses was struggling with all that was on his plate. He had boldly stood up to rulers of the day, sharing their awaited fate should they refuse to release those in captivity. Moses … <\/p>\n

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