Judges-Then and Now

⁹What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 New International Version

If we live long enough, we see some of the same problems more than once. Anyone who studies American History knows some of the same problems occurred more than once, perhaps in different generations. “Here we go again!” is a phrase most of us have used at least once.

I have a “Mayo Clinic Family Health Book” published in 1990 that Eva bought many years ago. It weighs 7 lbs. and is too big to fit in your back pocket. It is filled with a tremendous amount of information dealing with health conditions. Today, anyone can search the internet and get huge amounts of information, so why would anyone need the book? Many more articles have been written during the last 35 years. Over the past 35 years, “Big Pharma” has had a huge influence over the med schools, research, and doctors’ practices. It is now clear that the “science” we allowed to control our ability to do or say anything.

Having a resource that has not changed during the last 35 years gives us a look at the same symptoms with possible different solutions. Every problem and great event that we have experienced during our lifetime has occurred before and been recorded in the Bible. No, you will not find a “blue screen” on your PC in the Bible; however, you can find examples of real-life issues, what brought them about, and solutions. Some of the solutions chosen were not those led by God and brought more grief. Those bad choices are there to learn from them, rather than making the same mistakes in our lives.

During the previous four years, we have seen many traditional values replaced by values we were told had greater “moral” authority. Many people were happy with the new freedoms to do things in public that the majority felt were harmful to traditional family structure. Those new changes were included in many churches and schools. Children’s programs on TV and in schools became indoctrination programs. Doctors and hospitals provided procedures to transition children to the opposite gender using medications and surgeries.

In Jeremiah 23, the Bible tells us about the harm caused by wicked prophets, priests, and other leaders. It tells how many profane people openly ridiculed God’s prophets and followers. Jerusalem was on the path to utter ruin. In Jeremiah 24, God encourages Jeremiah and shows him that not everyone was equally involved. God led him to understand how to distinguish between the precious and the vile.

I believe Donald Trump is our Jeremiah of today.

⁵“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. ⁶My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. ⁷I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
Jeremiah 24:5-7 New International Version

We are watching several Federal Circuit Judges who are fighting President Trump’s efforts to restore America to its former greatness. This, too, is not new. The book of Judges covers a period from around 1450 BC to 1000 BC. The Judges of those days were different from those judges appointed by a president today. The Judges identified in the Bible were leaders who had great authority over the people and final decisions. Examples of both great Judges and bad Judges are included to tell the whole story and the results of their actions.

The message we should gain from God’s word, the Bible, is to keep our eyes on Him and make wise decisions. If you have a leader that God has chosen, follow and support him. All the great leaders whom God chose were flawed men who did God’s work. Returning a large society and a huge federal government to traditional values and common sense is not a simple task. It must be done with hard work over the years, with the selection of people who value common sense over radical ideas that are harmful to our children and country.

We learned firsthand that things can go terribly wrong in four years, and it can take 12 to 20 years to correct all the bad decisions. A bad federal judge can hold that position for 40 or 50 years. Justices on the Supreme Court are also appointed to lifetime terms.