In this episode we continue studying the Book of Exodus. In this episode, God continues to give guidelines and judgments to the judges.

He told them not to show favoritism to the poor. They were not supposed to render judgment in favor of a poor person just because he or she was poor.

Nor were they to show favoritism to the rich, who are often seen as the mighty or powerful ones in the land. Additional guidelines for such cases are noted in the book of Leviticus.

Here’s the text:

Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

We note that judges were physical representatives of God on earth and were supposed to represent Him when deciding cases.

They were to render judgment as He would, so He reminds them that He is not a respecter of persons, nor does He take rewards, meaning He can’t be bribed.

Here’s the text:

Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

Judges were also advised not to take gifts. Not that they wouldn’t be offered gifts but they should not take gifts because taking gifts leads to injustice and the destruction of the land, as noted in Proverbs Chapter 29 verse 4.

Proverbs 29:4 The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
To overthrow means, the breaking or bringing down of something by throwing or pulling it down, to ruin or destroy.

God also addressed the people and warned them against bowing down to the gods in the land. If they obeyed his commands and refused to bow down to other gods, He would bless their bread and their water and would take sickness away from their midst.

This command is also mentioned in Deuteronomy chapter 28 in more detail.

Here’s the text:

Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Deuteronomy 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Deuteronomy 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Deuteronomy 28:6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Deuteronmy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

We note that God had given the people the land but they would have to drive the current inhabitants out. He wanted them to possess the land and warned them that if they did not drive out the current occupants, they would be a snare to them and cause them to sin against Him.

So He warned them not to make a covenant with the people in the land nor their gods. Although this would be tempting, it was to be avoided because if they made a covenant with the people in the land, the people in the land would vex them.

In this context vex means to suppress, oppress or cause to mourn. Not only would their enemies vex them but He would do to them, what he planned to do to their enemies. God’s instructions were very clear, direct and to the point.

They did not have to guess about what he expected of them and what they could expect from Him.

Through the text we discover that He loves them and wants them to love Him and each other.

That He longs to do good to them but He can’t do good to them, if they choose to abandon Him to serve other Gods.