Judging for God, Not for Man Text: 2 Chronicles 19:5-11
Introduction: The Foundation of Justice
We live in a time of institutionalized rebellion. Our modern world has convinced itself that it can invent justice out of thin air, that it can define right and wrong by committee, and that the ultimate authority for law is the shifting sand of popular opinion or the raw will of the state. We are told that law is a secular affair, a neutral enterprise, and that to bring God into the courtroom is a violation of some sacred, unwritten rule. But this is a lie from the pit. It is an attempt to build a house on a foundation of fog. All law is religious. Every legal decision is an application of some ultimate standard, some god. The only question is which god it will be. Will it be the god of autonomous man, the god of the state, or will it be Yahweh, the God of Heaven and Earth?
In our text today, King Jehoshaphat, fresh from a sharp rebuke by the prophet Jehu for his foolish alliance with the wicked king Ahab, sets about a serious reformation in Judah. He understands that a nation's strength is not ultimately found in its armies or its economy, but in its righteousness. And righteousness is not a vague sentiment; it is a matter of just judgment. So he overhauls the judicial system. What he establishes here is not a secular judiciary. It is a theological one. He reminds his judges of the source of their authority, the standard of their judgments, and the seriousness of their task. He is not setting up a system of man's law; he is setting up a system to apply God's law.
This passage is a direct assault on the modern idolatry of the secular state. It teaches us that all legitimate authority is delegated authority from God. It teaches that the fear of God is the only possible foundation for a just society. And it teaches that God has ordained two distinct governments, the civil and the ecclesiastical, to administer His one law in their respective spheres. Our generation has forgotten this, and the result is the chaos and corruption we see all around us. If we are to see our own land reformed, we must recover this foundational understanding of justice.
The Text
And he appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each city. And he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Yahweh who is with you when you render judgment. So now then let the dread of Yahweh be upon you; be careful what you do, because with Yahweh our God there is no unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh and to judge disputes. So they returned to Jerusalem. Then he commanded them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and wholeheartedly. Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before Yahweh and wrath may not come on you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not be guilty. And behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in all that pertains to Yahweh, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the one who is good.
(2 Chronicles 19:5-11 LSB)
Judging on Behalf of God (vv. 5-7)
The reformation begins with the appointment of judges and a solemn charge to them.
"And he appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each city. And he said to the judges, 'Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Yahweh who is with you when you render judgment. So now then let the dread of Yahweh be upon you; be careful what you do, because with Yahweh our God there is no unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.'" (2 Chronicles 19:5-7)
First, notice the scope of this reform. Judges are appointed "in all the fortified cities." Justice is not to be a centralized, bureaucratic affair, accessible only to the wealthy and powerful in the capital. It is to be local. This is a foundational principle of biblical government. Justice should be close to the people, administered by men who know the community. When justice becomes distant, it becomes abstract, and when it becomes abstract, it becomes tyrannical.
But the heart of the matter is the charge Jehoshaphat gives them. "Consider what you are doing." He tells them to stop and think about the nature of their office. And what is that nature? "You do not judge for man but for Yahweh." This is the radical claim that obliterates the secular myth. The civil magistrate, the judge on the bench, is a minister of God (Romans 13:4). He is God's deacon, appointed to render God's justice. He is not there to enforce the will of the people, or the will of the king, or his own personal feelings. He is there to declare the judgment of God. His authority is not his own; it is derivative. He is a steward, and he will give an account to the one who appointed him.
Because he is judging for Yahweh, Yahweh "is with you when you render judgment." This is both a comfort and a terror. It is a comfort to the righteous judge, knowing that the ultimate authority of the universe stands with him. But it is a terror to the corrupt judge, because the one he is misrepresenting is sitting right there on the bench with him, watching every move. This is why Jehoshaphat immediately adds, "So now then let the dread of Yahweh be upon you." The fear of man brings a snare, but the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and it is the only possible foundation for justice. A judge who fears man will take a bribe. A judge who fears public opinion will bend the law. But a judge who fears God will tremble at the thought of calling evil good, or good evil.
This fear of God produces three practical results, which are grounded in the very character of God. The judges are to be careful because "with Yahweh our God there is no unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe." God's character is the standard for all justice. Because God is not unrighteous, our laws must be righteous. Because God shows no partiality, hearing the case of the small as well as the great, our courts must be impartial. And because God cannot be bribed, our judges must be incorruptible. Justice is not for sale. When a society's courts become a marketplace where the rich can buy the verdicts they want, that society is rotting from the inside out and is ripe for judgment.
A Higher Court and a Higher Standard (vv. 8-10)
Jehoshaphat then establishes a central court of appeals in Jerusalem and reiterates his charge.
"In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh and to judge disputes... Then he commanded them saying, 'Thus you shall do in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and wholeheartedly. Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brothers... you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before Yahweh and wrath may not come on you and your brothers.'" (2 Chronicles 19:8-10)
This Jerusalem court was a sort of supreme court, composed of both ecclesiastical experts (Levites and priests) and civil elders (heads of fathers' households). It was established for two reasons: "for the judgment of Yahweh and to judge disputes." The "judgment of Yahweh" likely refers to cases directly related to the ceremonial or religious law, while "disputes" refers to what we would call civil or criminal cases. But notice, both are under the same umbrella. There is no sacred/secular divide here. All of life is to be lived under the authority of God's revealed law.
The charge to this higher court is the same, but intensified. They are to act "in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and wholeheartedly." This is not a job for half-hearted bureaucrats. It requires total commitment to God's standard.
And their primary function is spelled out. When a difficult case comes up from the local courts, "between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments," their job is not just to render a verdict. Their job is to "warn them so that they may not be guilty before Yahweh." This is remarkable. The purpose of the judicial system is not merely punitive; it is didactic and preventative. It is to teach the people the ways of God so that they do not sin and incur God's wrath. A righteous judicial system is a ministry of the Word. It instructs the nation in righteousness. When judges fail to do this, when they fail to warn the people of their guilt before God, then wrath comes not only upon the people, but upon the judges themselves. They become accessories to the nation's sin.
Two Jurisdictions, One King (v. 11)
The final verse is a master class in political theology, establishing the principle of two distinct but cooperative spheres of government.
"And behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in all that pertains to Yahweh, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the one who is good." (2 Chronicles 19:11)
Here we have a formal distinction of jurisdictions. Amariah, the chief priest, is the final authority "in all that pertains to Yahweh." This is the government of the church. It deals with matters of worship, doctrine, and ecclesiastical discipline. Zebadiah, a civil ruler, is the final authority "in all that pertains to the king." This is the government of the state. It deals with matters of civil justice, defense, and public order.
This is not a separation of religion from the state. That is a modern, secularist fiction. Both Amariah and Zebadiah are operating under the authority of King Jehoshaphat, and all three are operating under the authority of King Yahweh. This is a separation of powers, or a distinction of spheres. The church is not to wield the sword, and the state is not to administer the sacraments. The priest does not command the army, and the prince does not preach the sermon. Each has its God-given role. They are two distinct governments, established by God, to administer His one law in their assigned areas. They are to be cooperative, not antagonistic. Amariah's court and Zebadiah's court are not rivals; they are partners in the application of God's law to the whole of life.
Our secular age has completely inverted this. It has made the state absolute, claiming authority over everything, including the church. And it has made the church a private, irrelevant hobby, with nothing to say about public life. But the Bible gives us the true pattern. Two governments, the church and the state, both under God, both accountable to His law.
The final charge is a call to courageous action. "Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the one who is good." Justice is not for the timid. It requires courage to stand against the tide, to rule impartially, to resist bribes, and to declare God's standard in a rebellious world. But the promise is that for the one who does good, for the one who judges rightly in the fear of God, Yahweh Himself will be with him.
Conclusion: Judging for God Today
This passage is not a dusty piece of ancient history. It is a blueprint for justice in any age. The principles Jehoshaphat laid down are timeless because the God they are based on is timeless. We must insist that our own civil magistrates understand that they do not judge for man, but for God. We must demand that our laws be grounded not in the shifting opinions of man, but in the unchanging character of God, who is without unrighteousness, partiality, or corruption.
We must also recover the distinction between the spheres of church and state. The church must be bold in proclaiming God's law as the standard for all of life, including public life. And the state must recognize that it is not God, that its authority is limited, and that it is a minister of God for the good of the people. The state's job is to punish evil and praise good, and it cannot know what is good or evil unless it looks to the law of God.
And for us, as the people of God, the application is clear. We are to pray for our rulers, that they would rule in the fear of God. We are to conduct our own affairs with faithfulness and wholeheartedness. And in our own spheres of authority, whether in the home, the church, or the workplace, we are to judge rightly, to warn against sin, and to be strong and act. For we all serve the same King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate Judge. He is the one who judged perfectly, and who took the judgment for our sin upon Himself at the cross. And because of Him, we can stand before the bar of God not in dread, but in grace. He is the one who is truly good, and He has promised to be with us always.