The Investigative Judge
Here’s a sermon on this topic to listen to. Sermon starts at 1:02:51
Read Time: 12 mins
“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, then both the accuser and accused must appear before the Lord by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you.”
Deuteronomy 19:16-19 NLT
I’ve been talking about how the Bible should be read as a Where’s Waldo book. Each page has fun and interesting narratives to follow, but the goal is to find the star of the show. The goal is not to get caught up in the details and discourse surrounding the other characters, but to see how they each point to and promote one person: Waldo. In the same way, the Bible is somewhat of a Where’s Jesus book. Each page, passage, and person is to point to Him in some way. Some stories give a glimpse of His forgiveness, covering, and atoning work. Some stories show how He relates to people like us. Some stories show how we can now respond because of His action. This passage is no different.
While the laws of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are often breezed through or brushed over when trying to complete a Bible reading plan, they still can't help but declare the glory of God and reveal the face of the Savior. In the simplicity of reassuring the Israelites that punishments won't be passed out haphazardly, we have a picture of good news that should bring joy and a sigh of relief to modern hearers.
This law for the ancient Israelite people goes on to say that when someone makes an accusation against someone else, the situation must be thoroughly investigated before a punishment can be given. Both the accuser and the accused must appear before God through the mediating priests and judges, and if the priests and judges find that the accusation is false, the accuser is to receive the punishment that they intended for the accused to receive.
This simple legal note can tell us a lot about the character of God and our call moving forward. The first thing it teaches us is that even in the promised land there will be problems. The people of God, in the will of God, will still experience hardship. This is important for us to grasp.
Problems in Paradise
While God has saved you and brought you out, there will still be conflict and controversy. Like the Israelites who were brought out of Egypt and led to the promised land, we are still to be prepared for problems when we are on the other side of our promise. Even in the promised land, there would be accusations that needed to be investigated.
Sometimes we believe that finding rest in Jesus or being a follower of God on earth means there will be no more problems on earth. We think there will be no conflict or issues with each other on earth because we’ve received our tickets to heaven through Jesus. That couldn't be further from the case. Jesus said that in this life you can count on having storms. There will be challenges. There will be issues. There will still be conflict. The devil is like a roaring lion, seeing who he can devour. He is trying everything in his arsenal to distract, derail, and destroy God’s people. He is the accuser of accusers and is seeking to use every opportunity to sow discord into your life. Why? Not because God hasn't won, but because He has. He is jealous that you get to walk into what he forfeited. He knows he is destined for destruction and wants to take as many people with him as possible. He is trying to ruin as much as possible before he meets his end.
The devil would even sow discord amongst God's people to attempt to derail and distract God’s people. Even the Israelites would have conflicts and make heinous accusations against each other. I pause to point this out because many of us leave church or avoid church because we believe church people should never have problems. I’m sorry to pop your bubble, but conflict is only possible with connection. A church without challenges isn't a caring church. A church that doesn't experience defense from the devil isn't scoring. A community of broken people will still have issues in spite of being spirit-filled and mission-oriented. The best hospitals have the sickest people. It's kinda the point. Acts chapter 6 opens by showing us that in the early church, in spite of mission, multiplication, and the power of the Holy Spirit, there was still conflict among the church people. Why do we expect anything different?
So Jesus doesn’t tell us to avoid issues or expect there to be none. Instead, He tells us how to confront them and brings us comfort in spite of them. Like Matthew 18, this passage points out a process that should be used to bring comfort and reconciliation in the face of expected conflict. The accuser doesn't get the final say. Facts must be laid out, and a process must be undergone so that truth can come to the forefront.
This is good news because it shows us that God doesn't want our accusers to get the final say. Maybe you've been on the side of the accused or the side of the accuser. Maybe you’ve seen the damage that can be caused when people talk about you without talking to you. Maybe you’ve experienced the hurt of people criticizing your character without coming to hear the full story. Maybe you know what it’s like for others to believe a negative narrative about you without investigating or having grace for themselves. The good news is that God doesn't simply condemn; He confronts for the purpose of bringing clarity, truth, and liberation. He wants to make things right. Like in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned, He isn't coming to condemn; He is coming to comfort and cover. The same is true when He asks us to bring our conflicts to Him. He wants all wrongs to be right and all parties to leave better than they came.
The law says that when an accusation is made, you must take it to God through the mediators in the person of the priests and judges. If you are trying to read the text like a Where’s Waldo book and find the star of the show, Jesus, then you are probably already picking up on what this means practically. When accusations are made, when conflict is erupting, Jesus is saying to come to Him before you do anything else. Then I believe you won't just experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding; you'll experience clarity and liberation because you brought your issues to Him.
Confront the conflict by coming to Christ. And the mediator, our judge and high priest, will find a way of escape and offer comfort. He won't take the accuser's word for it as others have. Instead, He will function as our lawyer, acquitting us from the charges brought against us.
But I’m Guilty
This idea of Jesus, our judge and priest, not taking the negative notions people make about us as fact sounds like good news to the falsely charged and innocent. But if we’re being honest, many of us can admit that after an investigation, we should not be proven innocent.
I mean, we did do it. We did say it. Many of us would compete with Paul for his title of the chief of sinners. We know the damage we’ve caused and the people we’ve hurt. We know that we’ve gone against God and His law. We know that the devil isn't totally incorrect when he calls us sinners and claims that we must receive our penalty of death.
But can I tell you what had me running around my house and shouting hallelujah when I read this? While the Bible says that the wages of sin are still death, it goes on to say that the gift of God is eternal life. While we committed the crime, Jesus stepped in and paid the price so that we don't have to do the time. He paid the penalty for the sins we were being accused of and wiped our slate clean in forgiveness. That's the good news of the gospel.
Why does this matter? Because in our case, when the devil brings accusations our way, and we present the case to our high priest and judge, He will rewind the tape, review the books, and investigate the case. But He won't come away learning that we deserve death. No, He will come away seeing proof that the price has been paid. He will confirm for the cosmos that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. The priest and judge will look at our records and see a perfect score. When our test is graded, it will come back as an A+, not because we did anything right but because the star student covered us. The priest and judge will look at our books and see that prices have been paid, as blood has washed all past indebtedness.
I want to be clear. The investigation isn't proving that you were perfect; you never can be. It wasn't to say you did everything right. It wasn't to prove that you could last or accomplish much of anything without Jesus. It wasn't there to prove that you were perfect but that He was. When your life is reviewed, the judge will shout with cheerfulness that you have been covered! You've placed your faith in Jesus, and because of that, you are perfect.
Imagine how this situation plays out. The devil thinks he has you. The devil will try to accuse us of an unpaid debt of sin, but when Jesus checks the records, He will confirm for all to see that the price has already been paid! The devil will try to bring up past faults. He’ll bring up mistakes and missteps. He will have a list of your worst moments and problematic past. But the Bible says that Jesus not only covered us and paid for us but forgot our faults! He threw them into the depths of the sea and remembers them no more. The case is closed. The devil can't even convince the Judge to reconsider because the Judge willingly forgot the evidence. All He sees and remembers is that you are covered because you’ve accepted His finished work. Case closed.
One song says, “The story that You wrote and the story that I know are not the same. You righted every wrong; mercy is my only song, so I give you praise.” What does that mean? While you may remember your past, Jesus doesn't. He is willingly ignorant of your iniquity. Imagine the devil losing his mind trying to show photos of your sin and bring up receipts, but every picture he pulls up is blanked out. It’s covered in blood. There's no evidence of your guilt. Your record has been expunged. The devil is desperately trying to remind Jesus that you deserve the same death as him, but Jesus calmly says, “I don't remember. All I wrote in his record was ‘paid in full’.” This is the good news of investigation. This is the good news of judgment. It's not about condemnation; it's about covering.
It is often hard for many of us to be like David in Psalm 139, where he asks Jesus, our priest and judge, to search him and investigate his heart because we think we know what He will find if He sought out ours. We know our lust, our greed, our selfishness, our laziness, and our anger. We know our fear and doubt. We know how unloving our hearts can be. Some of us would rather just skip the investigation and turn ourselves in, but maybe David knew something we keep forgetting.
I mean, read through the Bible. David was just as wild as us. David was crazy. Flip to a random page of his story, and it’s probably him creatively killing someone. Most famously, or infamously, he murdered his innocent employee so that he could have a better chance of getting away with rapping his wife. If that’s what David did, imagine what he thought about. Imagine what he was tempted to do? Imagine what was in the dark corners and crevices of his mind that he is asking God to search. But this is the same David who is cool with saying God, you can see whatever you need to see so that you can judge me accordingly? How? Is he just stupid, or does he know something we don’t?
Maybe David understood judgment differently than we do. Maybe he knew it was confirmation of his salvation and not condemnation for his sin. I believe He did. I mean, look at Psalm 96.
I imagine David screaming with a smile on his face as He says, Sing a new song! Let the whole earth praise Him; proclaim the good news that He saves every day! Publish His glorious deeds around the world! Tell everyone! Tell everything! David continues for the entire chapter, calling others to join him in celebrating God. He says that even the heavens and earth, the sea and everything that is in them should shout for praise. Why? Because God is coming to judge. Woah. Is judgment something worth celebrating? Is it a good thing?
David's Psalm reminds me of the angels in Revelation 14. The Bible depicts an angel excitedly flying around heaven proclaiming the good news of the gospel to everyone who will listen. This is the everlasting gospel. The same good news about Jesus’ love we’ve built our lives on. Nothing changes about God’s work and character from the gospels to Revelation. This is the same good news Jesus said would bring sight to the blind and nourishment to the hungry. The good news that would set the captives free. But the angel gives us more context of why this is good news, as he calls us to celebrate and give God glory because of it. What is it this time? Why are we shouting? Why are we singing a new song? Why is heaven rejoicing and inviting others to join in? Because the hour of our good God’s judgment has come. It’s time for investigation. It's time for judgment, and it's the best news heaven has heard all day. Judgment is worth celebrating! Why? Because it's a celebration of my covering! It's a celebration that Christ's sacrifice for my salvation worked! It's a celebration that I am free! The three angels' messages can be summarized as saying God won, the devil lost, and you should choose God. If you already have, Hallelujah! Death has been defeated! We are free!
But it gets even better. Judgment is to cover the called; that's you. But liberty for the oppressed also calls for the oppressors to be dealt with.
How The Story Ends
Remember, if someone accuses you and the judges and priests determine that they're wrong — for example, if they said you were guilty, but it was determined that you were covered — the accuser is then condemned to the same fate they expected you to meet.
I don't want to spoil the end of the story for those who haven't finished their Bible reading plan, but the accuser of the brethren is destroyed. The one who wanted you to be destroyed is thrown into the fate he suggested for you. Like Haman building a guillotine for Esther's uncle to be hanged on, but then being hanged on it himself, the devil is digging his own grave.
Here's the good news of the gospel we see in this text. God is mediating for you in spite of accusations. If you have placed your hope in Jesus, you are covered and need to fear not condemnation. And at the end of the day, the devil gets what he desired: your destruction. Now we can understand why David and the angel of Revelation 14 were so excited. Hallelujah. Come, Lord Jesus. I can imagine the look on the devil's face when the books are opened, and he argues for my death, but my high priest and judge argues for my covering. Thank you, God.
If you want the same peace that comes with knowing that you are covered, I invite you to accept the gift of Jesus. His price paid your penalty, and that's the good news. He’s given you a robe of His righteousness and not your own filthy rags. But like any good gift, you have to put it on. Turn from doing life in your own strength and accept the good news of God’s grace. Believe that He is enough to cover you.
Questions to Consider:
When viewing God as a judge, do you get excited or anxious? Why?
What reaction does the knowledge of being covered by God spur?
If this ministry has blessed you, donate here.
