Judicial Reform

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

2 Chronicles 19:4-11

The Message (MSG)

 ⁴ Jehoshaphat kept his residence in Jerusalem but made a regular round of visits among the people, from Beersheba in the south to Mount Ephraim in the north, urging them to return to God, the God of their ancestors.
 ^5-7 And he was diligent in appointing judges in the land—each of the fortress cities had its judge. He charged the judges: "This is serious work; do it carefully. You are not merely judging between men and women; these are God's judgments that you are passing on. Live in the fear of God—be most careful, for God hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery."
 ^8-10 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites, priests, and family heads to decide on matters that had to do with worship and mediating local differences. He charged them: "Do your work in the fear of God; be dependable and honest in your duties. When a case comes before you involving any of your fellow citizens, whether it seems large (like murder) or small (like matters of interpretation of the law), you are responsible for warning them that they are dealing with God. Make that explicit, otherwise both you and they are going to be dealing with God's wrath. Do your work well or you'll end up being as guilty as they are.
 ¹¹ "Amariah the chief priest is in charge of all cases regarding the worship of God; Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, is in charge of all civil cases; the Levites will keep order in the courts. Be bold and diligent. And God be with you as you do your best."

For Reflection

 What price do we pay for success?  Israel and Judah under King Jehoshaphat grew in wealth and the standards for living were elevated for all.  At the same time, injustice and brutality increased for those who were considered of lesser status.  Sound familiar?  Well, it should,  As the standards of living for our world's population increased and life became easier for most, those who are lucky enough to enjoy the "good life"  tend to feel elite, entitled to their success.  King Jehoshaphat understood that wealth lead to abuses.  He created and institutionalized paths to justice for those who fell victim to prejudice, bribery, and favoritism,  He tried to restore purity to the systems which regulated justice.

In all he established and through all the effort we try to legislate and adjudicate justly, we achieve only modest success.  All the systems for justice that can ever be devised can never be as effective as simply each of us remaining obedient to God's call to loving and just relationships in all our interactions. 

 

Pray

for forgiveness for the unjust things to which you become an accomplice.  Pray that you will hope for justice and stay obedient to God's call for right relationships.