True Judgment

TRUE JUDGMENT

OBSERVATION: ZECHARIAH (THE LORD REMEMBERS) WAS A LEVITE PRIEST AND PROPHET IN THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C. HE WAS ONE OF THE TWELVE MINOR PROPHETS OF HEBREW SCRIPTURE. HIS VISIONS CONCERN THE RETURN OF THE JEWS TO JERUSALEM AFTER THE BABYLONIAN EXILE AND REBUILDING THE JEWISH TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. OTHER VISIONS RELATED TO THE END OF TIME. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES UNACCEPTABLE COURT RULINGS.

INTERPRETATION: ZECHARIAH 7: 8-10 (NASB) AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ZECHARIAH SAYING, THUS HAS THE LORD OF HOSTS SAID, DISPENSE TRUE JUSTICE AND PRACTICE KINDNESS AND COMPASSION EACH TO HIS BROTHER; AND DO NOT OPPRESS THE WIDOW OR THE ORPHAN, THE STRANGER OR THE POOR; AND DO NOT DEVISE EVIL IN YOUR HEARTS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

POINTS TO PONDER:

GOD COMMISSIONED ZACHARIAH TO RECTIFY UNJUST RULINGS IN ISRAEL’S COURTS. THE SYSTEM WAS BROKEN, PATHETIC AND UNJUST. THE COURTS OPPRESSED THE WEAK AND VULNERABLE. ZACHARIAH ADDRESSED UNJUST RULING IN THE COURTS.

“SWEARING FALSELY” WAS RAMPANT IN THE COURTS (ZECHARIAH 5:4). HE SPOKE AGAINST THIS CONTINUAL PRACTICE KNOWING SOCIETY COULD NOT PROSPER UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

BELIEVERS MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE BUT DO SO WITH COMPASSION. TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE LESS FORTUNATE EVEN WHEN CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NEEDED. THIS REALITY SPEAKS TO WIDOWS, THE FATHERLESS, A HOMELESS STRANGER AND THE POOR. TRUTH, JUSTICE, KIND LOVE AND PITY MUST BE A BELIEVER’S VOCABULARY!

APPLICATION: GOD HAS NOT CHANGED HIS STANDARDS. HE STILL DEMANDS OBEDIENCE!