Deuteronomy 1:9-18

2. CIVIL ORGANIZATION UNDER MOSES (Deuteronomy 1:9-18)

Deuteronomy 1:9 And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: 10 Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. 11 Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you! 12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? 13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you. 14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens and officers, according to your tribes, 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him. 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; For the judgment is God'S: and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it. 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 1:9-18

11.

At what time did Moses say I am not able to bear you myself alone;? Cf. Exodus 18:13-27.

12.

What promise was fulfilled in Deuteronomy 1:10? ff., Genesis 15:5.

13.

Has the promise (or benediction) of Deuteronomy 1:11 been fulfilled? How?

14.

Please notice carefully the words of Deuteronomy 1:13 as an example for the selection of elders and deacons for today. wise, understanding, known.

15.

According to the arrangement described in Deuteronomy 1:15, how many judges were there to be in 1,000 Israelites?

16.

What is meant by the expression sojournerfrom where would they come?

17.

What are the causes for respect of persons? Name two.

18.

What makes one man small and another man great?

19.

Try to approximate the circumstance of judgment when the judge would be sorely tempted to fear the face of man.

20.

What is meant by the phrase, For the judgment is God'S. If the judgment is God's how could a case be too hard for the judge?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 1:9-18

9 I said to you at that time, I am not able to bear you alone;

10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of the heavens for multitude.
11 May the Lord, the God of your fathers make you 1,000 times as many as you are, and bless you, as He has promised you!
12 How can I bear alone the weariness and pressure and burden of you and your strife?
13 Choose wise, understanding, experienced and respected men, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.
14 And you answered me, The thing which you have spoken is good for us to do.
15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise, experienced and respected men, and made them heads over you, commanders of thousands, and hundreds, and fifties and tens, and officers according to your tribes.

16 And I charged your judges at that time, Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger or sojourner who is with him.
17 You shall not be partial in judgment; but you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God'S; and the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.
18 And I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do.

COMMENT 1:9-18

See also the original record of this event in Exodus 18:13-27. The procedure here described was adopted at the suggestion of Jethro, Moses-' father-in-law. The Exodus account portrays him as a God-fearing man, though he did not join Israel.

Moses here invokes an astounding blessing upon God's people: God. make you a thousand times as many as ye are. But has it not come to pass? There were nearly six hundred and two thousand numbered Israelites at that time (Numbers 26:51). This number would probably be at least two or three million when the unnumbered children, priests, etc. were included (See the Introduction, II footnote). What is their number now, throughout the world? Will the goodness of God ever lead them to repentance? The Jews have wandered far from God, and his Son who came to save them. Yet, Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

(The very fact that such a great horde of people. wandering about that barren wasteland, kept alive, was miraculous in every wayand the result of God's goodness. And so it has been down through the years with God toward this people. As these words are being penned, Israel has just returned from a devastating victory over Jordan [in the face of overwhelming odds!], regaining much of their former land. How long will these people whom God has blessed beyond all measure refuse His grace and goodness?)

No one can justly challenge the wisdom and prudence involved in this decision and the procedure here described, It meant a much more efficient and effective judicial system for Israela system not entirely unlike that presently existing in democratic countries throughout the world.

Exodus 18:23 would appear to indicate that God endorsed and blessed this plan. The more difficult cases were still brought to Moses, who brought them before God, Deuteronomy 1:17. (See also Exodus 18:19-20. Compare Numbers 9:8; Numbers 27:5, etc.) With God's blessing upon the entire arrangement, and the final cases coming before him through Moses, the lawgiver could rightly say, the judgement is God's (Deuteronomy 1:17).

Certain critics[6] have found a contradiction in the two accounts in trying to maintain that Moses here asserts that the plan originated with himself, while the Exodus account has the proposal originating with Jethro. But it is not said here that the plan originated with Moses. If this had been said, it would have been a contradiction. McGarvey comments pointedly, Does this conflict with the statement in Exodus that Jethro had just suggested the plan to Moses before he submitted it to the people? If it does, then, should the President of the United States submit a measure to Congress, and should it afterward be discovered that it was suggested to him by one of his secretaries, our modern scientific critics would find here an irreconcilable inconsistency! The President, as everybody knows, is not bound to tell whether the measure which he proposes originated with himself or with some of his advisors; neither was Moses obliged to tell the people that his judiciary scheme originated with Jethro. As Jethro was not an Israelite, there may have been prudence in withholding from them this information until they themselves expressed approval of the measure.[7]

[6] Driver, Commentary on Deuteronomy, p. XXV (1895). Wellhausen completely confuses matters by denying that Moses stayed at Mount Sinai as described in Exodus, and declares that Jethro's advice was given, not at Mount Sinai, but at the well of Kadesh. (Article, Israel, Encyclopedia Britanica.) He gives no reason for falsifying the Biblical history.

[7] Authorship of Deuteronomy, pp. 83, 84.

The delegating of responsibility has always been a necessity for the smooth functioning of God's workin whatever age (Acts 6:1-6, Ephesians 4:11). Moses, like Christ (see Deuteronomy 18:15-19 and notes) was God's chosen law-giver and leaderbut he needed help!

It is significant that the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron on the very issue of delegated authority was after this appointment of judges. Ye take too much upon you. wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah? (Numbers 16:1-3). Thus any leader among God's people, who stands on the authority of his sacred Word, runs the risk of such accusations as Moses receivedthough he be ever so careful to avoid such.

Note the charge of impartiality given to the judges. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man. (Deuteronomy 1:17) Cf. Deuteronomy 16:18-20, Deuteronomy 24:17. Impartiality is a characteristic of God (Deuteronomy 10:17, 2 Peter 2:4, etc.) and thus salvation and all its blessings are available to all people, Acts 10:28; Acts 10:34-35. To have respect of persons in judgement is not good (Proverbs 24:23)so in the Old Testament, so in all ages. Paul told Timothy, I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice (Margin, preference), doing nothing by partiality. (1 Timothy 5:21). See also Exodus 23:1-3, Leviticus 19:15-18.

God judges us individually and impartially (Romans 2:5-11, 2 Corinthians 5:10). And if ye call on him as father, who without respect of persons judgeth each man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear (1 Peter 1:17). Is he not our perfect example? Will not he, through Christ, be our judge on the last day (John 5:22, Acts 10:40-42; Acts 17:31)?

There is a great moral and spiritual lesson for all of us to learn here in the exhortation God through Moses gave to the judges. Partiality and preference is condemned everywhere in the Word of GodOld Testament and New. Ye shall not be afraid of the face of manthat is the great and constant danger! Fear of men is the greatest enemy of impartiality, and the fear of man worketh a snare (Proverbs 29:25). Ye shall not be afraid of the face of manthough that face be ever so threatening, disapproving, and fierce in its look. A wicked man hardeneth his face; But as for the upright, he establisheth his ways. (Proverbs 21:29) Let us remember that God, whose face is to be respected far above man'S, is ever watching and observing, and If God is for us who is [successfully] against us? (Romans 8:31). Let us be Godlike! Let our judgments toward others be impartial, fair, and just.