I Samuel 24:12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee
How do you want to be judged this summer? All of us make judgments and all of us are being judged. We don’t know anyone’s heart, and we are forbidden from judging in that sense. But we can judge between right and wrong, and the Bible gives us the ethic by which to do that. The truth is, whether people are judging you by that ethic or some other, you know you are being judged every day. Everyone is looking at you and thinking, “What am I seeing here?”
I remember years ago being a camper at the Bill Rice Ranch and being part of a music contest among various churches. I was very nervous. There were a lot of people in the contest and there was a row of judges who were judging my performance as part of a trumpet trio. It doesn’t take long to figure out that people can be manipulated. If people are judging you, you find out what it takes to make them happy if you care to.
In I Samuel 24, a story of David being pursued by Saul, we learn that we live better when God is the judge. In David’s case, David actually got the drop on King Saul who was pursuing him like a wild animal. David could have killed Saul, and some of his men even said, “This is the day God has given you to kill your enemy.” But David responded in verse 12, “The LORD judge between me and thee [Saul], and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.”
We live better when we let God be the judge, not when our friends are the judge. In David’s case, his men said, “The day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand.” This was David’s chance. Did God say, “David, go out and murder Saul”? No, but David had good, well-meaning people who just assumed that God had given him this open door and he should take it. You live better when God is the judge, not when your friends are.
You live better when God is the judge, not when your enemies are. In verse 9 David said to Saul, “Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?” David was being antagonized by his men and Saul was being antagonized by his men. Saul’s men said to Saul,” Hey, go get David. He is a threat to you.” That was not the case.
You live better when God is the judge, not your competition. In verse 17 Saul acknowledged to David, “Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.” That is fine, but my enemies aren’t my judge, my friends aren’t my judge, and my competition is not my judge. We live better when we let God be what God actually is. Whether I acknowledge it or not, God is the judge, the righteous judge.
Why should I let God be judge? First, He liberates us. David said to Saul, “The LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.” David was relieved from having to be the judge, the jury, the justice seeker, and the avenger. He let God do that. It is a more peaceful life when God is the judge. “Behold, I judge,” says God, “I will avenge. Vengeance is mine.” God liberates us from the burden of having to make everything right on our own behalf.
God defends us. In verse 15 David says, “The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand,” David wasn’t relying upon Saul to have a sane mindset or for his advisers to give him good advice. He was doing what he could but trusting God to do what he couldn’t, to defend him.
God sees. Verse 15 says, “The LORD…see, and plead my cause.” God sees what I can’t see. God discerns what is right from what is wrong because He sees everything. I see a whole picture of only what is in my bandwidth, what I can see visually. Maybe my judgements are consistent with all I can see, but what if there is something I can’t see that would change the picture? God sees that.
Years ago, my cousin went to a church ice cream social. He brought frozen mashed potatoes and paired that with some chocolate syrup. What a lot of people thought was a mouthful of vanilla ended up being a mouthful of frozen mashed potatoes. That is because people saw this frozen something with chocolate syrup and assumed it was vanilla ice cream when it was mashed potatoes. People can’t always discern by what they see, but God sees everything and can discern clearly. We live better when God is judge. He liberates, defends, and sees.
He also delivers. David said, “God, deliver me. God, plead my cause and deliver me out of Saul’s hand.” That was based on God’s purpose. Saul himself acknowledged that purpose when he said in verse 20, “Behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.” He later changed his mind because he was mercurial, going up and down like the mercury in an old-fashioned thermometer. He changed all the time, but God doesn’t change. God had a purpose for David and was going to see him through. He delivers.
Ultimately, God rewards. Saul said in verse 19, “Wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.” There is no need to manipulate people. When I let God be judge and live in faith, it affects my motives. Let God be judge. Live for His smile today and you will live better than you would otherwise.