MAKE A RIGHT JUDGMENT
John 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."
First what is a judgment: The ability to perceive and distinguish relationships or alternatives; discernment. The capacity to make reasonable decisions. An estimation. An idea or opinion. Criticize or censure.
How do we make judgments? We make them based upon what see, hear, feel, taste and touch. John says some special things in I John.
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We write this to make our joy complete.
In reference to Jesus they had made judgements based upon their senses. They had seen him, they had looked at him, they heard him, and they touched him. Thus they made judgments and based on that they proclaimed, they testified, they were willing to die for him.
We all make judgments. Some are easy. Ex. You see a dress or suit. I like it or you don’t. No big deal.
Some are more difficult. You see a couple of police officers beating a man on TV. Your first response could be “I can’t believe those officers beating that man.” What you didn’t see was that moments before that same man had shot a third police officer and tried to shoot the other two but ran out of bullets.
Or what about Steven Covey example in his book 7 habits of highly successful people. Where he shares:
One Sunday morning on a subway in N.Y. People were sitting quietly-some reading newspapers some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene. Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed. The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things even grabbing peoples papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing. It was difficult not to feel irritated. I could not believe that he could be so insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too. So finally, with what I felt was unusual patience and restraint. I turned to him and said “Sir your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more. The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly “Oh you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where there mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what to think and I guess I don’t know how to handle it either.
Sometimes it very difficult to make a right judgment when you don’t have the facts. The man wasn’t being insensitive maybe just overwhelmed.
Today we’re going to look at a passage of scripture that clues us into the danger of making judgments to quickly even by godly humble men.
Exo 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him." Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ’These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ’It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ’I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’"
Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."
Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear."
When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?" "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil.
They said to me, ’Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ’Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ’Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’"The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.
PT 1: STOP JUDGING BY MERE APPEARANCES
First those making judgments were the people, God, Moses, Aaron and Joshua. Let’s focus on a few scriptures.
Exo 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron.
Exo 32:5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD."
Exo 32:9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.
Moses asked questions starting with why? Why should your anger, Exo 32:12 Why should the Egyptians say?
Exo 32:17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."
Exo 32:18 Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear."
Exo 32:19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands.
There’s a lot of seeing and hearing going on and judgments being made.
First what do we learn? The people made a judgment about Moses because they saw he was taking so long in coming back. So they took matters into their own hands.
Second we learn some things about Aaron. 1. The people gathered around Aaron and he gave into their desires. You can just hear them saying, now you’re the man Aaron (as for this fellow Moses well we don’t know what’s happen to him!) They didn’t seem to care either. 2. Also Aaron was quick to turn from Gods commands and he was God’s priest! 3. He never did take full responsibility for his actions (out came this calf?!)
Third God made a judgment based on what he knew, not just what he’d seen. God has all the facts and thus his judgments are always right on target. On the day of judgment when all come before God and are judged God will be completely right in His judgments because He has all the facts on everyone. If someone gets sent to hell its because of the choices they made. In this case God said the people were stiff-necked. Is Gods judgment of destroying the people right? Yes it is.
We also learn that Moses is not on the same page as God. Why? Though God has told him what has happened he hasn’t seen anything yet. Well God maybe you should relent and not do this thing. Why should you do that? Why do this? Why? He’s about to see why?
Joshua heard what was going on in the camp and made a judgment. War! Joshua’s point of reference. He’s a soldier. Hey there’s war down there.
Moses heard something’s too but he’s not a soldier he heard singing.
However when Moses does see what’s going on he quickly gets on the same page as God. What do we learn from all this?
Don’t make judgments based on just what you hear and see. Mere appearances. As we are working, fellowshipping with one another and things happen we need to start off with a spirit of getting understanding. There’s a difference between a spirit of understanding and a spirit of judgment.
A spirit of judgment is sometimes characterized by it’s definition; criticism or censure. Censure meaning blame or disapproval. It can mean to criticize severely which we can do in our hearts and temper when it comes out or sometimes it just comes out.
A spirit of understanding is altogether different. Take the word understanding which involves. The quality of comprehension, discernment. To be tolerant of sympathetic towards, even compassionate.
Now if your fears or emotions drives your judgement then the person on the receiving end will feel accused, attacked maybe even condemned. Their response will likely be to attack back or be defensive or at the minimum shut down.
What should drive us to have a spirit of understanding? The Holy Spirit and God’s words.
Prov 2:1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Living by the Spirit of God, keeping in step with the Spirit, leaning not on our own understanding this is where we need to live.
I’m sure there are those situations that we need to make a judgement based upon what we see ( a serious situation i.e. someone harming your family etc.) but I’m trying to communicate generally how we live. How we interact with one another.
PT 2: GET UNDERSTANDING
Prov 4:7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Question is How do we get it?
HERE ARE THE PRACTICALS:
Something disturbs you begin by praying and asking God for what you need.
Second, if you’re needing to have a conversation with someone “You might start with “Help me understand, why did you do that? Think that etc.
You ask why to get the facts.
Again don’t ask why with an accusatory type spirit. Ask why to understand. Our objective should be to get the facts so we can make a right judgment.
People are innocent until proven guilty. Not guilty as charged before we begin.
NOT TO DO THIS CAN RESULT IN LIVES BEING DESTROYED
Consider the following story as we close.
The two-dollar bill
Returning from a trip to Washington, D.C. I arrived in Anchorage at about 2:00 a.m. on a Monday morning in the middle of May. At 9:00 a.m. I was scheduled to talk at a local high school to students in a program designed to keep pregnant teens and troubled kids in school. The school is highly secured because most of the kids are troublemakers who become involved with the law. I found it very difficult to address this multicultural group and talk about things that could motivate them for the future. I wasn’t making and headway until I started talking about what I do so well, helping people with money. I took out a stack of 2 bills and I started giving them out. People started coming up and taking them. The kids started to wake up because it was free money. The only thing I asked them after they took the money was not to spend it on themselves. I told them that they each had children that are unborn and maybe, if there is anything in this world that could help move them forward, it is the fact that someone cares enough to do this. Some of the kids asked for my autograph some did not. I think I honestly touch some of them. I started exchanging the dollar bills for a copy of the book I had written. This went on for five or six minutes and I finally closed with telling them about my grandfather who had motivated me to go forward. I told them that no matter what happens to remember that whether it is a teacher or themselves, someone out there really cares about them and is pulling for their success. This is not the end of the stor. When I left the classroom, I told them to call me if they ever had problems or if they were ever in trouble. I couldn’t promise that I could help, but I was willing to listen and willing to try to do anything in the world. I also told them if they wanted a copy of my book to call my office. I would be happy to send one t them. Three days later, I received a crumpled piece of paper in the mail. It was from a girl who heard my talk.
Dear Floyd,
Thank you very much for taking time to come and talk to my class. Thank you for giving me the crisp new 2-dollar bill. I will cherish this forever and I have written my child’s name on it and it will never be used for anything else, but something that she wants or she needs. The reason I am writing you is because the day that you talked to our class, I had made a decision that morning. I had cleaned out my desk, paid whatever bills I owed the school, and I was going t take mine and my unborn child’s life because I really didn’t think anyone cared. When you told the story, it brought tears to my eyes, about someone pulling for you, that life was not ready to be terminated. The fact is I will probably stick around awhile, because there are people like you that care about people like me, that don’t even know me. Thanks for caring.
This girl was making judgments that could cost her, her life.
My points:
Don’t judge by mere appearances.
Though it cost all you have get understanding.
Get the whys and whats; get the facts.
May God help us all to make a right judgment.
