Your Daily Slice

Tammuz 21

Judgement Call

“Now I call upon you, brothers, watch out for those who cause divisions and stumbling, contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such ones do not serve our Master יהושע Messiah, but their own stomach, and by smooth words and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent.” (Rom 16:17-18 ISR)

I have watched social media go through cycles, or seasons, if you will, where for a period of time there will be extreme attacks of the ‘Torah Terrorists’, engaging in what I have labeled the ‘ministry of critique’ – which, by the way, is not even scriptural.  What it basically amounts to is a group of individuals that have appointed themselves to be investigators, judge and jury, examining the lives and ministries of others.  My first question to people of this persuasion is “Who appointed you, and what are your qualifications?”

For all of us who claim to be children of the Living Elohim, there will always be something that we might not agree on, simply because we all have our own opinions of what exactly the Scriptures say.  However, this does not mean that the one is right and the other is wrong; it is, simply put, a difference of opinion.  The most important thing we are all called to agree on is in whom we believe, which is the first commandment:

“I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery. You have no other mighty ones against My face. You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth, you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, יהוה your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.” (Ex 20:2-6)

It is not up to us – the ordinary believer – to make judgment calls concerning the beliefs (or doctrinal statements) of other individuals or ministries.  According to Ancient Hebrew wisdom (dispensed from the Talmud), this is the concern of the Levitical priesthood.  Just as there were priests trained to do nothing but investigate, examine, and rule concerning possible leprosy, there were those who specialized in investigating other Torah violations.  Should a situation arise that required further ruling, individuals were then brought before a Beit Din, or House of Judgment.  Members of a Beit Din are never, ever novices, but are mature seasoned Torah scholars, those who have devoted their entire lives to the study and application of Torah.  Most of us, I would venture to say, are still babes in diapers when compared to these people.  As a FYI, there are still Beit Din’s in operation today; this is not something that has been done away with, because it is ‘Old Testament”, or ‘under the law’.

We are called to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the belief (1Cor 13:5), and not our neighbor, or anyone else whose post on Facebook we disagreed with.  We are also called to examine and investigate fruit, most especially our own (see John 15).  Is the fruit that I am bearing lining up with the Word of our Elohim, as found in Gal 5:22-23?  Am I walking in the love of my Creator, and am I showing those around me how much love I have for Him?  Is my life filled with joy and shalom?  Am I kind and gentle with others, treating them with the respect they deserve as one that is created in the image of Elohim?  Am I faithful, and especially faithful in my attempts at self-control? 

Brethren, be careful of what you say, and about whom.  Is our Elohim honored in all of the ‘smack’ that is being said about this one, or of that one’s ministry?  It is far better to say nothing, and to leave the judgment call to the One who is the Judge.  He does not need or desire our assistance in exposing those who minister in hypocrisy, those who are part of the ministry strictly for ‘gain’, or even those whose doctrinal statement may be different from ours.  The day will come when all that is “hidden shall be revealed, and whatever is secret shall be known and come to light.” (Luke 8:17)

“Brothers, do not speak against one another. He that speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against Torah and judges Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not a doer of Torah but a judge. There is one Lawgiver and Judge, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:11-12 ISR)

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