Deuteronomy 16: 19-21 is a very powerful verse that certainly gives insight into the life of a Christian and how we are called to live. The verse states that “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Deu. 16:19-21). Deuteronomy was written by Moses in the late 7th century to the generation of Israelites bound to enter the Promised Land, and literally means “second law”.
This book was written to the Israelites to demonstrate how they should live their lives in order to bring glory and honor to God. Up to this point the Israelites had wandered through the desert for over forty years, and had been under the leadership of Moses. Towards the end of the book Joshua was appointed as the leader of the Israelites. They had been through a tremendous amount of obstacles due to their fluctuation in keeping God’s commands. The Israelites are finally poised to enter the land that they have waited so long to reach.
Many believe the New Testament to be irrelevant when it comes to how we are supposed to live our lives as Christians today. The Old Testament is still the inspired word of God, it’s foundational to the New Testament, and was read by Jesus throughout his life. There’s a vast amount to be learned from the Old Testament, and the commands that God has for his people. The major themes of this book include obedience to God, remembering the past, visualizing the Promised Land, and having a healthy fear of God. Deuteronomy is the sermon Moses gave the people of Israel while they were camped on the Jordan
River previous to entering the Promised Land. Obedience is definitely the predominate message set forth by Moses. Without obedience the Israelites will never enter the land that has been promised to them. Following the commands that God has gave them is crucial to developing a relationship with him and his favor being shown upon them, as they knew that there would be many more challenges that lied ahead. God promised that through their obedience he would take care of any enemies and the Israelites would be handed the land with ease.
The Israelites viewed the Promised Land as a place flowing with milk and honey where they would thrive, and experience the glory of God. Moses encouraged the Israelites to remember where they had come from and all that God had blessed them with. It’s important at times to look into the past to see how far we’ve come and to learn from our mistakes. Having a healthy fear of God and respecting him is vital to humbling one’s self and recognizing him as our leader. The overall purpose of chapter sixteen was to discuss the importance of the Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, and the observance of the feast of tabernacles.
The chapter lays out the guidelines for each feast, and gives very detailed instructions. This chapter also discussed the judges, and how they were to be spread out to each tribe. Verses 19 and 20 were stated by Moses during his sermon as he was addressing the Israelites and their responsibility for the discharge of justice. To them the verses showed the rtance of living just lives and avoiding being deceitful in order to inherit the land that God has promised them. These commands seem simple to follow, however as humans we naturally tend to fall into sin very easily.
This is why God stresses over and over the importance of obeying his commands and following him whole heartedly. The verses in this section are very straightforward and to the point. God isn’t interested in beating around the bush. His commands are given directly to the people. God speaks of being just, which is having a concern for justice, peace, and having respect for others. The righteous are those that have the qualities of being morally upright in their faith and in their daily actions. In contrast we can easily pervert justice.
To pervert something is to distort or corrupt what it was originally intended to be. It’s stated that a bribe blinds the eye and causes one to stumble away from righteousness. A bribe can be considered anything that draws us away from what we are seeking. This verse uses a comparison and contrast method in order to present the reader with how we are to conduct ourselves. While these seem to be two very simple and short verses the meaning goes much deeper. The meaning of the verse revolves around justice and not falling into temptation that we face daily.
We must lay aside the things that we personally seek, and instead seek out God and what he wants for our lives. It’s easy for our views and lifestyles to become perverted. I was especially interested in the part that says “for a bribe blinds the eyes of the righteous”. Satan works in ways to try and bribe us away from the plan that God has in store for us. We live in a world full of temptation and bribery. Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites created idols to take the place of God because they wanted something physical to touch and to worship.
In our lives today we do the exact same thing, however our idols can be things such as technology, materials, or money. In today’s world we hear a lot of talk about ice for the poor, the hungry, and those that are suffering, yet what does God’s view of justice look like? God expects us to show no favoritism in who we show justice to. We must stand for what is right, and not based on our personal preferences. This verse was directed towards those that had been appointed to become local judges and officers.
God expected these men to lead d the Israelites to hold them accountable. We can definitely apply the principles laid out in Deuteronomy 16: 19-20 to our lives today. We constantly battle temptation and it’s hard to live a life of justice and righteousness. It’s easier at times to lie and show favor upon certain people. The road that leads to righteousness is by no means easy to reach, however it’s what God calls us to. In order to inherit the Kingdom of God we must hold these values close to our hearts and strive to achieve them.
Christ life was the perfect example of righteousness. He showed no favor and took pride in helping those in need. He never gave in to any bribes, and showed true compassion for others. It seems nearly impossible for one to live this way today, however we aren’t expected to be perfect. It’s not about accomplishing righteousness or justice, because there is no certain point at which a person has become righteous or just, however we can live a life honoring to God by striving after these things and following the commands that he has given us.
