THIS begins a new subject; the last part of the sixteenth chapter should be read with the seventeenth.
There are those who think people are all naturally good; God evidently did not consider this to be true, for judges and officers had to be appointed in all the cities of the country; and they needed to be told to judge rightly too. What a reader of men’s hearts He is, as we may see from verse 19: “Thou shalt not wrest judgment” (turn away from the right, or force a wrong judgment); “thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift.” There is no respect of persons with God, (Romans 2:1111For there is no respect of persons with God. (Romans 2:11); Ephesians 6:99And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. (Ephesians 6:9); and Colossians 3:2525But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. (Colossians 3:25)), but it has ever been found among men (1 Samuel 8:1-31And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. 3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. (1 Samuel 8:1‑3); Luke 18:2-62Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. (Luke 18:2‑6); James 2).
There was great danger of idol-worship coming in; the nations of the world in general worshiped idols, and the ways of the world very easily become the Christian’s ways. Accordingly, no groves of trees might be planted near the altar of the Lord their God. These groves were not simple rows of trees; they are thought by some to have been not trees at all, but images or pillars, or were stems of trees set in the ground. They were places for idolatry and other wrong things.
Was it possible that the people would offer to God animals that were not sound and good? Yes, the last book of the Old Testament records (Malachi 1:88And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:8)) that blind, lame and sick animals were offered in sacrifices. The sacrifices of the Old Testament all pointed on to the sacrifice of the holy, spotless Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us on Calvary’s cross.
Anyone who served the false gods of the nations was to be stoned to death, if it were known to be true by the word of two or three witnesses.
To think that men and women who knew of the true God, could really bow down to the sun, or the moon, or the stars, which have no life, and can neither hear nor speak! Yet everyone has an object that his heart is set upon, and if it be not the Lord Jesus, it is an idol in God’s sight. Perhaps it is one’s self; sometimes it is money, or power, but there are many things that are idols.
The presence of God was the place to seek an answer in matters too hard for man (verse 8), and that word was final (verse 11); whoever refused to abide by the sentence spoken there, should be put to death. This should lead Christians to consider the importance of attending closely to the Word of God, the only safe guide, for man cannot be trusted.
The people would demand a king, that they might be like the godless world around them; he should be king whom God would choose for them.
God chose David to be king, but his son Solomon, when he came to reign. did the very things that were forbidden in verses 16 and 17. What a record the Bible is, of the blessed God, and of poor failing, untrustworthy man!
The Word of God is again brought in, at the close of the chapter, as the rule of life to be followed always.
ML 12/28/1924