David: God's own heart Chapter 4: As a judge

 

As a judge

At first I only thought Samuel had three roles in Israel. But after looking through the bible and studying deeper, it was total of four roles and different functions and behavior: Kingmaker, Priest, Prophet and a Judge.

Yet his being judge is typically distinct as well among other men God used mightily in the bible. Examples of which are Moses who became a judge for its people after receiving 10 commandments he ordered everyone to choose which side are they and there came deaths of those who chooses not to give up their golden calf. Joshua was also a bloody judge who ruled God's enemies violently and fiercely. Gideon was a runaway judge who do not want to be part of any of God's activities ended up subduing the Midianites then had toforce them to receive God's judgements from their cycles of bullying acts & instilling fear to the Israelites. Samsom acted as a judge thru physical fight and might in the face of Phillistines who never gave up using their height and stature in order to kill and destroy the Israelites. Deborah rendering her judgments under a date palm tree told Barak that God's victory will belong to the hand of a woman and not a man. How controversial that is at their time, because women are considered second class citizens. In her case, she was a judge in the cloak of a woman and nobody could refute her as she delivered her rulings for 4 decades.. A woman in charge is truly God's masterpiece and placed her the head from all men in Israel very effectively by governing peace for forty years.

Everyone of these judges exectuted their judgments and rendered their rulings externally. Yet when it was Samuel's time, his ruling were applied internally to the Israeilites justice system. He probably improved the system reviewing from the time of Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson and Deborah. His role was to refine Israel's justice system that governs the people internally and not externally. Although there was a time when the Ark of the covenant of God was stolen, Samuel became heavily involved by declaring Gods piece of judgment over them. This is the only external judgment I have read and the rest were done internally involving priests & kings.

AC 

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