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Awesome Hands – part 81

“The judgments” Part L

July 8th, 2015

We’ve now arrived at chapter 23 of Exodus, and this chapter is the last chapter covering the judgments given to Moses to give to the Israelites.

We are going to cover the first verse of chapter 23 today. While covering this verse, we are going to dive into the topic of righteousness and just what it is that scripture refers to when we talk about righteousness, and its counterpart, unrighteousness.

False reports and unrighteous witnesses

The verse being covered today is stated in the KJV this way:

Exo 23:1  Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked(H7563) to be an unrighteous witness.

The first verse we will cover in this study focuses on a false report and an unrighteous witness. We are also told not to put our hand with someone that is wicked thereby causing us to be an unrighteous witness.

However, the full meaning of this verse is somewhat “hidden from view” when we consider what it is we are being told.

“Thou shalt not raise a false report” is fairly obvious. Don’t tell lies or provide false evidence against someone. Your reasons can never be good enough to lie about someone else even if you think they deserve it in some way.

As an example of this, even if you know that a person is known to do evil things themselves, we should never try to take vengeance to ourselves and lie about that person in a situation where they haven’t actually done the evil they are being accused of by you.

“Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” is the second part of this admonition to also not join someone else who is “wicked” in a “wicked act” of some sort. When we do this we become an unrighteous witness.

There are a few points I want to focus on in this verse to try and help us have a fuller understanding of what we are to apply to ourselves in our daily lives taken from the admonitions in this verse.

Firstly, what is it to be wicked or who is considered wicked? Instead of relying on my own personal definition of what “wicked” is I am going to look toward scripture for this definition.

H7563 (adjective)
râshâ‛
raw-shaw’
From H7561; morally wrong; concretely an (actively) bad person: –  + condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

H7563
râshâ‛
BDB Definition:

1) wicked, criminal
1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (substantive)
1b) wicked (hostile to God)
1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Part of Speech: adjective
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H7561
Same Word by TWOT Number: 2222b

H7563 “Rasha” comes from H7561 which means:

H7561 (verb)
râsha‛
raw-shah’
A primitive root; to be (causatively do or declare) wrong; by implication to disturb, violate: – condemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked (-ly, -ness).

The first Hebrew word H7563 meaning “condemned” or “guilty” is an adjective which comes from the verb H7561 which means to “condemn” or “condemning”.

A perfect example of this can be found in 1 King 8:32.

1Ki 8:32  Then hearH8085 thouH859 in heaven,H8064 and do,H6213 and judgeH8199 (H853) thy servants,H5650 condemningH7561 the wicked,H7563 to bringH5414 his wayH1870 upon his head;H7218 and justifyingH6663 the righteous,H6662 to giveH5414 him according to his righteousness.H6666

1Ki 8:32  Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

You could just as easily exchange the word “wicked” with “condemned” in 1 Ki 8:32 so that it would say, “Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants “condemning the condemned” .

The word “wicked” used in our verse today is used 252 times  in the OT as “wicked”, but if you exchange those words with condemned you’ll still get the full meaning out of what the Holy Spirit inspired to be written for our admonition.

Judgment begins….

So, if this is a spiritual concept which we can see in the Old Testament, then we should be able to confirm it in the New Testament.

Let me ask you who it is that condemns or doesn’t condemn? Judges judge therefore judges condemn or don’t condemn i.e. that execute “judgments”, “condemnations”, etc.

When we search for the word condemn in the New Testament, along with the words “wicked” and “condemned,” we find some very informative verses to think about.

Mat 16:4  A wicked(G4190) and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Mat 16:4 is an example of the word wicked being used, but the majority of the time the word is used as “evil”.

G4190
ponēros
Total KJV Occurrences: 76

evil, 52

Mat_5:11, Mat_5:37, Mat_5:39, Mat_5:45, Mat_6:13, Mat_6:23, Mat_7:11, Mat_7:17-18 (2), Mat_9:4, Mat_12:34-35 (4), Mat_12:39, Mat_15:19, Mat_20:15, Mar_7:22-23 (2), Luk_6:22, Luk_6:35, Luk_6:45 (3), Luk_7:21, Luk_8:2, Luk_11:4, Luk_11:13, Luk_11:29, Luk_11:34, Joh_3:19, Joh_7:7, Joh_17:15, Act_19:12-13 (2), Act_19:15-16 (2), Rom_12:9, Gal_1:4, Eph_5:16, Eph_6:13, 1Th_5:22, 2Th_3:3, 1Ti_6:4, 2Ti_3:13, 2Ti_4:18, Heb_3:12, Heb_10:22, Jam_2:4, Jam_4:16, 1Jo_3:12, 2Jo_1:11

wicked, 17
Mat_12:45, Mat_13:19, Mat_13:38, Mat_13:49, Mat_16:4, Mat_18:32, Mat_25:26, Luk_19:22, Act_18:14, 1Co_5:13, Eph_6:16, Col_1:21, 2Th_3:2, 1Jo_2:13-14 (2), 1Jo_3:12, 1Jo_5:18

bad, 1
Mat_22:10

evils, 1
Luk_3:19

grievous, 1
Rev_16:2

harm, 1
Act_28:21

lewd, 1
Act_17:5

malicious, 1
3Jo_1:10

wickedness, 1
1Jo_5:19

1Jn 3:12  NotG3756 asG2531 Cain,G2535 who wasG2258 ofG1537 that wicked one,G4190 andG2532 slewG4969 hisG848 brother.G80 AndG2532 whereforeG5484 G5101 slewG4969 he him?G846 BecauseG3754 his ownG848 worksG2041 wereG2258 evil,G4190 andG1161 hisG848 brother’sG80 righteous.G1342

1Jn 3:12  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Seeing that “wicked” used in the New Testament can be used interchangeably with the word “evil”, what word conveys the concept we see in Exodus 23:1 of the “wicked” or “condemned”?

Exo 23:1  Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked(H7563) to be an unrighteous witness.

G2632
katakrinō
Total KJV Occurrences: 19

condemned, 8
Mat_27:3, Mar_14:64, Joh_8:10, Rom_8:3, 1Co_11:32, Heb_11:7, Jam_5:9, 2Pe_2:6

condemn, 7
Mat_12:41-42 (2), Mat_20:18, Mar_10:33, Luk_11:31-32 (2), Joh_8:11

damned, 2
Mar_16:16, Rom_14:23

condemnest, 1
Rom_2:1

condemneth, 1
Rom_8:34

Mat 27:3  Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Mar 14:64  Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

Joh 8:10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned(G2632).

Rom 14:23  And he that doubteth is damned(G2632) if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Rom 2:1  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

You’ll notice that those who are condemned are JUDGED to be condemned. To be “damned” is to be condemned and being condemned comes via the VERB “condemn”, the action of condemning. Why is this important?

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn(G2919) the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The Greek word G2912 is used many times in the NT as “judge”.

G2919
krinō
Total KJV Occurrences: 117

judge, 45
Mat_7:1-2 (2), Luk_6:37, Luk_12:57, Luk_19:22, Joh_5:30, Joh_7:24 (2), Joh_7:51, Joh_8:15-16 (3), Joh_8:26, Joh_12:47-48 (3), Joh_18:31, Act_4:19, Act_7:7, Act_13:46, Act_17:31, Act_23:3, Rom_2:16, Rom_2:27, Rom_3:6, Rom_14:3, Rom_14:10, Rom_14:13 (2), 1Co_4:5, 1Co_5:12 (2), 1Co_6:2-3 (2), 1Co_10:15, 1Co_11:13, 2Co_5:14, Col_2:16, 2Ti_4:1, Heb_10:30, Heb_13:4, Jam_4:11, 1Pe_4:5, Rev_19:10-11 (2)

judged, 26
Mat_7:1-2 (2), Luk_6:37, Luk_7:43, Joh_16:11, Act_16:15, Act_24:6, Act_25:9-10 (2), Act_25:20, Act_26:6, Rom_2:12, Rom_3:4, Rom_3:7, 1Co_5:3, 1Co_6:2, 1Co_10:29, 1Co_11:31-32 (2), Jam_2:12, 1Pe_4:6, Rev_11:18, Rev_16:5, Rev_19:2, Rev_20:12-13 (2)

judgeth, 9
Joh_5:22, Joh_8:50, Joh_12:48, 1Co_5:13, Jam_4:11 (2), 1Pe_1:17, 1Pe_2:23, Rev_18:8

determined, 7
Act_3:13, Act_20:16, Act_25:25, Act_27:1, 1Co_2:2, 2Co_2:1, Tit_3:12

judgest, 6
Rom_2:1 (3), Rom_14:3-4 (2), Jam_4:12

called, 2
Act_23:6, Act_24:21

condemned, 2
Joh_3:18 (2)

esteemeth, 2
Rom_14:5 (2)

judging, 2
Mat_19:28, Luk_22:30

law, 2
1Co_6:1, 1Co_6:6

question, 2
Act_23:6 (2), Act_24:21

at, 1
Mat_5:40

avenged, 1
Rev_18:20

concluded, 1
Act_21:25

condemn, 1
Joh_3:17

condemneth, 1
Rom_14:22

condemning, 1
Act_13:27

damned, 1
2Th_2:12

decreed, 1
1Co_7:37

ordained, 1
Act_16:4

sentence, 1
Act_15:19

sue, 1
Mat_5:40

thought, 1
Act_26:8

Why have I taken all this time to try and point out what being “wicked” is when all we are trying to do is see what the “judgment” is that the Lord gave to Moses to give to the Israelites?

Here is the answer to that question:

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned (JUDGED): but he that believeth not is condemned (JUDGED) already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation (JUDGMENT), that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL(G4190).
Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21  But he that DOETH TRUTH cometh to the light, that his DEEDS may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Jesus Christ is said to come not to condemn or judge the world, but why and how can that be true?

Joh 3:17  For God SENT NOT his Son into the world to condemn(G2919) the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 12:46  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
Joh 12:47  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, HATH ONE that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Witnesses in court…

I could speak and preach volumes about the “last day”, the day of the Lord. I could go on and on about judgment beginning at the house of God.

However, what I want to bring home for you today is that if you care at all about the resurrection of the dead, if you care at all about the being “holy and blessed” to take part in the “first resurrection”, then you better be caring about HOW it is we are told WE can take part in it!

There is a clue about this tucked away for us in the verse we started off with today.

Exo 23:1  Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness

Witnesses are very important in scripture. Indeed, we are witnesses for Jesus Christ. If our Head Jesus Christ came not to JUDGE the world, but to save it, what method did He use to do so?

He witnessed to us all what the WILL of God was. He witnessed to us ALL who it was He represented. If we are His body, the church of the living God, then we too have been given this role to live out.

Notice these verses:

Act 24:14  But this I confess unto thee, that after THE WAY which THEY CALL HERESY, SO WORHSIP I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Act 24:15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, AND NOW IS, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (G2920).

The same word used here as DAMNATION is the word JUDGMENT.

G2920
krisis
Total KJV Occurrences: 48

judgment, 39
Mat_5:21-22 (2), Mat_10:15, Mat_11:22, Mat_11:24, Mat_12:18, Mat_12:20, Mat_12:36, Mat_12:41-42 (2), Mat_23:23, Mar_6:11, Luk_10:14, Luk_11:31-32 (2), Luk_11:42, Joh_5:22, Joh_5:27, Joh_5:30, Joh_7:24, Joh_8:16, Joh_12:31, Joh_16:8, Joh_16:11, Act_8:33, 2Th_1:5, 1Ti_5:24, Heb_10:27 (2), Jam_2:13 (2), 2Pe_2:4, 2Pe_2:9, 2Pe_3:7, 1Jo_4:17, Jud_1:6, Jud_1:15, Rev_14:7, Rev_18:10

damnation, 3
Mat_23:33, Joh_5:29 (2)

accusation, 2
2Pe_2:11, Jud_1:9

condemnation, 2
Joh_3:19, Joh_5:24

judgments, 2
Rev_16:7, Rev_19:2

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver THE GODLY out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Notice, it is one who puts their EFFORTS, their hand, with the wicked who is then called UNRIGHTEOUS.

Who else are the unrighteous?

G94
adikos
Total KJV Occurrences: 12

unjust, 8
Mat_5:45, Luk_18:10-11 (3), Act_24:15, 1Co_6:1, 1Pe_3:18, 2Pe_2:9

unrighteous, 4
Luk_16:11, Rom_3:5, 1Co_6:9, Heb_6:10

Act 24:15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust (G94).

Luk 16:11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Rom 3:5  But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Notice one of the spiritual admonitions we have for NOT being unrighteous and BEING righteousness in the “eyes of God”. It is found in Hebrew 6:10.

Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though WE THUS SPEAK.
Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

The lesson from today’s study is that judgment must begin at the house of God. Jesus tells us that He came not to judge the world and that the world has one that judges them.

Judgment will take place for the entire world when their DAY of VISITATION comes, but that day is NOW for the House of God and must be so if we are to obtain unto the resurrection of the just… the righteous.

However, we are indeed JUDGED NOW but we JUDGE ourselves with what the Word of God says our deeds should be versus what they are.

We are not to give a false report which is judging improperly. We are also not to “put our hand with the condemned” and become an unrighteous witness for the Lord.

Our “ job” after coming to the knowledge of our Lord and God is to hearken diligently to the Words of the Lord and BELIEVE the Word of God when we are told things such as BELIEVE on Him and that He does indeed know how to deliver the Godly out of temptations.

Faith is integral to this process because the Faith of Christ Jesus is the righteousness of God. I’ll sum up this study with these verses:

Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF GOD BY FAITH:
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I FOLLOW AFTER, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.