Judges: Our Judge and Lawgiver

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In this study today, we will not so much be looking at a passage of scripture, but rather we will be looking at the Hebrew word for judge, Shophet. This word has two separate meanings:
1. Judge and Ruler, and
2. Deliverer and Savior

In this period of Israel’s history, which lasted about 350 years, the people of Israel had seven separate cycles. These cycles had four parts: 1) sin, 2) slavery, 3) sorrow, and 4) salvation

Sin: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).”

Slavery: “And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies (Judges 2:14).”

Sorrow: “Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord 
was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed (Judges 2:15).”

Salvation: “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them (Judges 2:16).”

After delivering the people, the judge would then serve as the people’s ruler, giving judgment on behalf of God. And as each one came onto the scene, God was essentially saying to Israel that just as He was delivering them out of slavery now, He was going to send a Judge, a Ruler, a Deliverer, a Savior, who would bring them out of slavery forever.

This is one of the main reasons that the people of Israel rejected Christ when He first came. They were looking for and Ehud (Judges 3:12-30), a Gideon (Judges 6:1-8:32), a Samuel (I Samuel 7:1-17), someone who would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, the Romans. They did not realize that the “Son of man came… to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).”

Christ already fulfilled one part of the Hebrew definition of judge, deliverer and savior, when He died on the cross 2,000 years ago. So when will Christ fulfill the second part of being a judge? Well, this will come at the end of the tribulation period. It will begin on the day of His second coming, the first time He will have set foot on this earth since His ascension. In the battle of Armageddon, which is really several battles throughout all of the area around Israel, He will begin by judging the armies of Antichrist by killing them with just the words coming out of His mouth. He will then judge the Antichrist and his False Prophet and cast them into the lake of fire. 

His judgment then continues with the judgment of the nations, which is recorded in Joel 3 and Matthew 25:31-46. The remaining nations of the world will be gathered in the valley of Jehoshaphat, which will be created when Christ sets foot on the Mount of Olives. There, He will separate the nations into three groups: His brothers (Israelites who have turned to Him) and the sheep (Tribulation saints who have survived to this point) on His right side, and the goats (Those who didn’t take the mark of Antichrist, but also didn’t choose Christ) on His left side. Those on His left side will be sent to eternal punishment. Those on His right, will be with Him for 1,000 years on this earth and then for eternity in Heaven. 

The next judgment we will look at is the Judgment Seat of Christ. We do not know when exactly this will take place, but we do know that at this judgment, all saved people will be rewarded for their works, whether they were good or bad (II Corinthians 5:10). This is just one of many motivations for us to live for Christ on this earth. Another motivation is to rescue people from the final judgment of all time: the Great White Throne Judgment. At the Great White Throne Judgment, the souls of all who have died at any point in history will be reunited with their bodies. They will be judged by God, and any person whose name is not written in the book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire. 

Christ is coming. And when He comes, He will judge all who have ever lived. It is our job as Christians to live in such a way that will show others that we are different, that we have something special. We must then tell others how they can avoid this righteous judgment of God.

Be ready for next time when we will study Christ in the book of Ruth as our Kinsman Redeemer.