The Judge

 

    The judge is supposed to be an honorable person that does not get caught up in the drama of people.  He is to be fair and just.  The judge is a person that holds authority in administration.  It can be as simple as a minor case to the complexity of making decisions in war.  This means that they are not always popular, but they should be respected.

    The judge from the very beginning was assigned to handle disputes to keep the peace within the community or nation.  He is the one that decides the punishment.  It could have been as simple as a reprimand to the severity of a flogging to the seriousness of the death penalty.  I don't think any decision is easy for a judge unless they do see things in black and while with zero shadows.

    Moses, the first judge, decided that a widow had to marry within the family of her deceased husband.  The new groom became the kinsman-redeemer.  That means that if the first husband and widow did not have any children then the new groom would produce an heir for the deceased man, so that his name would not be blotted out of history.  The first son would be named as the child of the deceased husband.  It feels very complicated, so you can understand that it was not always desired.  I the kinsman-redeemer could refuse the role.  He had to take his sandal off in front of the judge and deny his role.  

    The judge had to decide what was appropriate and inappropriate behavior.  For an example, it is not acceptable for a woman to attack a man's privates in any circumstance. If she did, then that hand would be cut off. 

    The judge has to ensure that they uphold the law in his personal life to have any standing with the people.  He has to be honest and transparent in his everyday life.  If not, then he taints the position and makes it where the people do not trust people in authority.  It is serious.  The best judges fear God.  If they do that, then it goes a long way with the people trusting him because he understands fairness and mercy.

Deuteronomy 25