Our Righteous Judge

(Prov 20:8 NLT) When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.

Here Solomon teaches us about the importance of righteous judgment. Similar to our court system today - which allows for a case to be elevated to different levels - the court system in Solomon's day was hierarchal. If the case warranted it, it could actually be tried before the king himself (e.g., Solomon, 1 Kings 3:16-28). While a sitting king definitely had many matters of state to deal with, he still took it upon himself to personally oversee the administration of the law. And this was not just a practice during Biblical times. I am not sure if the court it is still exercised, but the British constitution does reserve a court for the king (or queen), called the King's Bench, where a sitting king (or queen) can hear a case.

Solomon tells us that when a king gets involved in a case he weighs all the evidence and he has a knack for distinguishing the bad (exaggerated, overstated, embellished) from the good. The English Standard Version translation of this verse brings the out; it reads: "A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes." A just king could detect (or winnow / sift out; cross ref. Prov 20:26) evil motives and actions.

The point here is that a king's involvement brought fear to the guilty, because kings did not arrive at the throne by mistake and they were not easily fooled. This reminds me of the selection of David. When the Lord sent Samuel to Jesse's house to anoint one of his son's as the next king of Israel Jesse lined up seven of his eight boys before the prophet. David, Jesse's youngest, was still out tending to sheep. The prophet Samuel did not know that one of the boys was missing and while he was a prophet, he did not hear from God about the selection. Samuel's natural man took over and the prophet attempted to make the selection with his head and not his spirit. Samuel saw Jesse's eldest boy and since he was the oldest, handsome, and strong, he thought, "Surely this is the one." However, the Lord Himself stepped in and said to Samuel, "Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart" (1st Sam 16:7). The Lord has a way of looking past our outward façade and seeing deep down into our heart; into whom we really are.

So what does this mean to you? A few things:
1. You serve a King - actually, the Kings of Kings - who is a righteous judge that personally gets involved in the cases of your life.
2. Your heavenly Father has a way of winnowing (sifting through) your outward façade and seeing the truth, whether you want to present it or not.
3. You may be able to fool others, but you will NEVER be able to fool God.
4. Bow before God (your King) today, ask Him for forgiveness and grace, and enter this day with the confidence of knowing that He is on you, in you, with you, and for you. God is not only there to judge you, but He will also judge every person that comes against you. He is on your side, so get excited about today!

Father, I thank You for being my righteous judge. You sift through my external façade, the person I portray to others, and You know who I really am. I thank You for judging me, but for also applying the Blood of Jesus, Your Son, to my life. Because of Jesus You forgive me, cleanse me, and grace me daily. As I enter this day I do so with the confidence that You are on me, in me, with me, and for me. You are on my side, who can be against me? You correct me when I am wrong and protect me when I am right. Your involvement in my life is comforting and it gives me confidence. I am excited about today! Let's go make a difference together! In Jesus' name. Amen!