This week we look at the Pillar of Wisdom called “sound wisdom”, or as some translations put it “sound judgment”.

Proverbs 8:12  I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. 8:13 The fear of Yahuah is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. 8:14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

So far we have looked at Prudence, Discretion, Fear of Yahuah, and Counsel. We have come to see how each one of these pillars works in perfect harmony with all of the other pillars. Not one of these qualities of wisdom works without the support of the others; they overlap, they blend, and they complement. All of them together uphold Wisdom’s house.

Proverbs 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

As a review from our previous studies: We stated that Solomon uses poetic imagery to impress on our minds the importance and grandeur of this thing we call WISDOM with all of its enriching qualities. As we saw in our previous studies, Solomon uses a beautiful poetic metaphor in describing the concept of wisdom” and the many characteristics of what wisdom is and how it helps us to live. Throughout the Book of Proverbs Solomon uses a variety of vivid analogies and symbols as tools to help us to comprehend righteous principles and virtues.  Solomon’s metaphor of a person speaking in first person helps to bring alive the life-giving importance of incorporating the seven pillars of wisdom into the makeup of our own character.

In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon so eloquently uses the metaphor of a woman to depict WISDOM. He pictures her as one who uses her voice to cry out to mankind adjuring the sons of men to partake of Yahuah’s wisdom, and thereby, LIVE. She warns them of the pitfalls that await them if they reject her counsel and continue to pursue their own devices (foolishness) (See Proverbs 1:29-33).

Solomon describes the eternal existence and presence of Wisdom as being with Yahuah from eternity. In Proverbs 8:1-9:6 Solomon exalts the excellent qualities of wisdom and personifies it as one who was at Yahuah’s side when He created the world. He declares that Wisdom was Yahuah’s constant delight; full of rejoicing alongside Yahuah at the creation of the world and of men.

Proverbs 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him [as a master craftsman]: and I was daily his delight, [shaashuim Strong’s #8191 delight, pleasure, enjoyment] rejoicing always before him;  8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Wisdom rejoiced when men were created, and according to the words of Solomon, adjures them to attend to her instruction, to keep her ways, and to be wise.

Proverbs 8:32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

Wisdom is an attribute that has always been with Yahuah from eternity, for it is a permanent and integral trait of His character. He is the epitome of divine wisdom for He encompasses wisdom; everything that He thinks, plans, says, and does, is always in perfect wisdom.

In the next chapter of Proverbs Solomon continues the metaphor of Wisdom as a woman who is inviting all to come and partake of her food and wine (symbols of the Word of Yahuah) that she lays out for mankind. It is a fabulous feast if only men and women would see it for what it is.

Proverbs 9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.  9:3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, 9:5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

This, of course, is Yahuah who is really speaking to us, inviting mankind to come and eat of the things that produce life and drink of the things that depict the fountain of life. Notice He says something similar through the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Yahshua the Messiah, who is the expressed image of Yahuah the Father, is the embodiment of the seven pillars of wisdom, for indeed, He is Wisdom.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Messiah Yahshua, who of Yahuah is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Isaiah foretells of the Messiah that is to come. He describes His character and how He is going to rule the nations with the spirit of wisdom:

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 11:2 And the spirit of Yahuah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahuah; 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of Yahuah: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Yahuah of hosts will perform this.

We see by these verses that the Messiah (Yahshua) is described with all of the characteristics of the seven pillars of wisdom that Solomon talks about.

This week we want to zero in on the fifth pillar listed in Proverbs 8:14 which is called Sound Wisdom, or Sound Judgment as most Bible translations call it. What exactly is sound judgment?

Making Sound Judgments

How important is it to have sound judgment? Sound judgment means “to come to opinions about things; it is the power of comparing and deciding; understanding; good sense.”

Judgment entails everything we do.  We make judgments and decisions all day long; some are somewhat mundane, and other judgments/decisions can have life-long effects and even through eternity.

We have much to draw from when it comes to learning how to make sound judgments from the pages of the Bible where we read of many positive and negative examples of those whose lives are recorded for us to learn from.

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

These records of men and women were written in the Bible for Yahuah’s people as object lessons to teach us from their experiences. These are real stories of those who have gone on before, they are actual experiences of actual men and women: from Adam and Eve and others, and then right up to the apostles whose stories are written in the Bible for us to read and study. We can learn by the decisions that they made and apply the lessons Yahuah was trying to teach them to our own lives. Their life-stories and how they handled difficult situations are recorded for our instruction and are there to inspire us to seriously consider the lessons and consequences of either living in obedience to Yahuah and His laws, or in rebellion to Him and rejecting His laws.

In addition, we learn from our own experiences and the experiences of others that are all around us, both positive and negative examples. It is imperative that we learn to make sound judgments in all that we do. The spirit of wisdom, which includes sound judgment, is a gift from Yahuah to His obedient children and sound judgment originates from a sound mind.

Paul admonished Timothy to “stir up the gift of Elohim”.

2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of Elohim, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.  1:7 For Yahuah hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

A sound mind is a gift from Yahuah but we still must do our part to seek it, develop it, and guard it. It is of utmost importance that we pursue sound mindedness and using soundness (which can also be described as prudence, discretion, common sense) in making all of our decisions (or judgments). The ability to make wise decisions will help us to navigate successfully through life and on into the Kingdom of Yahuah. Our judgments and decisions have a direct impact upon the course of our lives and even where we will be throughout eternity: either alive forevermore or extinguished forever.

As we talked about in our previous article, to be successful in our walk we must not reject Yahuah’s instruction and His counsel, thinking that we know everything; but we must keep our ears open to sound advice and wise counsel; this works hand in hand with sound wisdom which enables us to make sound judgments.

The Hebrew word for this word combination “sound wisdom” is tushiyyah (Strong’s #8454). Its definition is: sound, efficient wisdom, abiding success, Or tushiyah { too-shee-yaw’}; from an unused root probably meaning to substantiate; support or (by implication) ability, i.e. (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking, (intellectual) understanding — enterprise, that which (thing as it) is, substance, (sound) wisdom, working. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

In many of the Bible translations “tushiyyah” is translated as “sound judgment”.

Here are some excerpts from the KJV Dictionary which defines “judgment”:

JUDGMENT, n. The act of judging; the act or process of the mind in comparing its ideas, to find their agreement or disagreement, and to ascertain truth; or the process of examining facts and arguments, to ascertain propriety and justice; or the process of examining the relations between one proposition and another.

1. The faculty of the mind by which man is enabled to compare ideas and ascertain the relations of terms and propositions; as a man of clear judgment or sound judgment. The judgment may be biased by prejudice. Judgment supplies the want of certain knowledge.

2. The determination of the mind, formed from comparing the relations of ideas, or the comparison of facts and arguments. In the formation of our judgments, we should be careful to weigh and compare all the facts connected with the subject.

7. In Scripture, the spirit of wisdom and prudence, enabling a person to discern right and wrong, good and evil. “Give the king thy judgments, O Yahuah”. (Psalm 72:1).

8. The final trial of the human race, when Yahuah will decide the fate of every individual, and award sentence according to justice. “For Yahuah shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil”. (Ecclesiastes 12:14). (Excerpts from the KJV Dictionary)

The English definition of judgment is:

Synonym Discussion of “judgment”: sense, common sense, judgment, wisdom mean ability to reach intelligent conclusions. Sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence (a choice showing good sense). Common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge (common sense tells me it’s wrong). Judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity (they relied on her judgment for guidance). Wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average (a leader of rare wisdom). (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

In the Isaiah 11 passage quoted earlier of Isaiah’s description of the Messiah, we can glean the biblical definition of “judgment” for it is all of the definitions above but righteous judgment (sound judgment) must be firmly anchored to and based on the righteous laws and ordinances of Yahuah. We read here in these verses of the fullness of wisdom imputed to the Messiah who will reign on earth with all the attributes of wisdom, including the attribute of sound and righteous judgment just as Isaiah declares in these two passages:

Isaiah 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of Yahuah: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah’s declaration that the Messiah is going to reign with judgment and justice is repeated in many places throughout Scripture; one such place is in Jeremiah 23:

Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith Yahuah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

When Mary praised Yahuah for what He had done and what He is going to do, in the presence of her cousin Elizabeth, she extolled the wonderful ways that Yahuah executes judgment and justice for His people:

Luke 1:1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify Yahuah,  1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in Yahuah my Saviour. 1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 1:54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 1:55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

The Wisdom of Man and the Wisdom of Yahuah

The Bible says there are two kinds of wisdom: there is the wisdom of man and the wisdom of Yahuah.

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of Yahuah. 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of Yahuah in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which Yahuah ordained before the world unto our glory: 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Master of glory.

James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Again, it is sound wisdom that comes from Yahuah and it is a gift that He gives to His obedient children through the gift of His Holy Spirit. (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

The prophet Jeremiah says that it is not in man to know the ways of Yahuah (mankind lacks the wisdom to know how to live that leads to blessings and eternal life). Jeremiah recognizes this within himself and asks Yahuah to correct him in accordance to Yahuah’s merciful judgment, and not in anger.

Jeremiah 10:23 O Yahuah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 10:24 O Yahuah, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

As Yahuah’s children we too can ask Yahuah for what Jeremiah prayed for: to correct us, lead us, guide us, help us to be wise and to exercise sound judgment as well.

Education in the Things of Yahuah

In the study of the seven pillars of wisdom, how do we incorporate Sound Judgment into our lives?

As humans we start out in this life with no real wisdom. Children are known for their silliness and for their lack of wisdom and must be constantly told what to do and what not to do. It is so important to start teaching our children about Yahuah and His plan and purpose from infancy which will help them to incorporate a spiritually sound foundation on which they can build as they mature and develop.

To exercise sound judgment we must first obtain the knowledge of Yahuah and come to know all of His precepts so that we have that as our base from which to draw from when making sound decisions and judgments. If we know what Yahuah has to say about life and how He wants us to live, this will serve as our arrow pointing us in the way that we should live.

We must take our education in the spiritual things of Yahuah very seriously and immerse ourselves into the study of the Word of Yahuah to learn all there is to know in order to live by every Word of Yahuah. It is a life-long process and along the way our many life experiences serve as object lessons to further teach us and give us plenty of opportunities to apply the things we learn from the Word of Yahuah. All of life is to teach us the wisdom of Yahuah and to come to know that only Yahuah’s ways work and that Satan’s ways bring only confusion, misery, and finally death.

If we apply Yahuah’s laws and principles and the lessons that we learn from our experiences (and even from our mistakes) and allow Yahuah’s Spirit to guide us into the knowledge and grace of Messiah, we will gain wisdom; and not only wisdom that is knowledge but sound wisdom (being able to make sound judgments).

If Yahuah is calling us and if we choose to follow and obey Him, we are given the gift of His Spirit and it is through the power of that Spirit that we can come to know and understand the plan of Yahuah.

We are given understanding and wisdom in proportion to how much we are seeking Him and obeying the things that Yahuah has already revealed to us, not just in the letter of the law, but also by applying the deep spiritual intent of Yahuah’s laws. As we seek Yahuah and abide in Him on a daily basis the Holy Spirit will not only help us to understand Yahuah’s laws, but will also empower us to KEEP Yahuah’s laws.

Yahuah commands that we live by every Word that comes out of His mouth, therefore we must diligently apply ourselves to the work of implanting all of His Word into our hearts and into our character. As we do so, we are internalizing within our character the very nature of Yahuah, replacing our own human nature for His divine nature.

We grow in sound wisdom (judgment) by engraving all of Yahuah’s laws into our hearts and then using the whole Word of Yahuah as the basis for evaluating and making good decisions as we go through life.

Sound judgment means to implement the laws of Yahuah in way of RIGHTEOUS judgments which must always be based on Yahuah’s laws and principles contained in the Holy Scriptures ( Matthew 4:4). Seeking Yahuah, asking Him for more of His Spirit, abiding in Him, and obeying Him from the heart is how we grow in the wisdom of Yahuah, and SOUND JUDGMENT is part of that package.

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If we are to learn to judge wisely (which also means to make wise decisions), then it is vitally important that Yahuah’s people study and learn all about the laws, ordinances, precepts and statutes of Yahuah. Yahuah is calling us to eventually be kings. Moses laid out the requirements for kings in Deuteronomy 17 to insure that they would rule with wisdom.

This applied to the kings and rulers in ancient Israel, but this mandate is even more important for the spiritual called-out sons and daughters of Yahuah for He is in the process of molding and fashioning them to qualify for very responsible positions of Kings and Priests in His Kingdom; therefore Yahuah commands His children to study His laws so that they will some day know how to wisely implement them as they judge and teach the nations.

The mandate contained in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 is now directed to the Ekklesia: all those who are in training to be a part of the Bride of Yahshua. We must never stop learning, we must never stop growing in the grace and knowledge of our Messiah and the understanding of His Word. It takes diligent effort! (2 Peter 3:18) Here is the instruction then for kings:

Deuteronomy 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which Yahuah thy Elohim giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom Yahuah thy Elohim shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as Yahuah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear Yahuah his Elohim, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Yahuah gave Joshua a similar command as to how he was to keep Yahuah’s laws and meditate on them day and night to insure that he and the people would have good success in their quest to enter and take control of the Promised Land.

Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for Yahuah thy Elohim is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Paul commanded Timothy to diligently study the Word in order to be a competent minister of the Word rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto Yahuah, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

To become a successful attorney, a law student has to go to college for many years in order to successfully pass the final Bar Exam that certifies that he is competent enough to “practice law”. He or she will need to study for many hours all of the books that pertain to the laws, ordinances, and statutes of the land in order to serve in the best interests of his or her clients while interpreting the laws in a way that reflects the legality of any given situation. Those attorneys that go on to become judges will have to be even more proficient in knowing the laws for which they must correctly apply in any given court case; and they must execute justice in all of their judgments.

Learning Yahuah’s ways involves a life-long education process and we must see ourselves as students and pursue the knowledge and understanding of His Word, not just for a few years, but until the end of our days. There is so much to learn about Yahuah and all of His laws, precepts, attributes, mercy, plan for mankind, etc. etc. that it takes a lifetime to incorporate just the tip of the iceberg of all that there is to learn.

Just and Fair Judges for the Kingdom

Yahuah further instructs those called to be judges or kings that they must execute absolute justice, showing the same impartiality to rich and poor and to the Israelite and foreigner alike. Judges are forbidden to accept bribes or to pervert in any way the judgment of the poor.

Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. 23:7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. 23:8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Yahuah commands that judges must not let themselves be swayed by the crowds or by popular opinion; and they must not unduly favor the rich or the poor (and they must NOT judge in ways that may be politically correct currently in their society but in fact violate the laws of Yahuah!). This applies to all who are in leadership roles including within the Ekklesia!

Exodus 23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: 23:3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

To clarify what this means in modern terms:

Exodus 23:2 You shall not follow a crowd to do [something] evil, nor shall you testify at a trial or in a dispute so as to side with a crowd in order to pervert justice; 23:3 nor shall you favor or be partial to a poor man in his dispute simply because he is poor. – AMP]

Look at our world today all because the people refuse to listen to Wisdom to live according to the wisdom of Elohim. Because we will not listen Yahuah has given us over to leaders and politicians who are foolish, who take bribes and kickbacks and chase after immoral practices. They pass laws that are against the laws of Elohim and when they speak they talk like they are drunk, totally lacking in any common sense. This is what the Bible said would happen if His people turn from following after Yahuah.

Isaiah 3:1 For, behold, Yah-Yahuah of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. 2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. 4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

This is what is happening in America today which was once considered a law-abiding and just nation. We were for many decades the praise among the nations of the world and everyone wanted to come here. But now we are fast becoming the laughing stock among the nations because our leaders have been taken over by a spirit of stupor, all because they refuse to honor Yahuah and His ways (which is wisdom). When we turn from the wisdom that is contained in the holy Scriptures and especially in Proverbs, then a foolish and even insane spirit takes over. We are witnessing that in our leaders and we wonder: why?

How much more the children of Yahuah will need to know the laws and judgments of Yahuah in order to teach and to rule when they are given responsibilities of rulership in the Kingdom of Yahuah.

The better prepared and educated we are in all the ways of Yahuah, the more qualified we will ultimately be in making righteous judgments, now, in this life, but also most importantly, in the Kingdom of Yahuah. The underlying purpose of our education and on-the-job training in this life is to become skilled in making sound wise judgments and is directly tied to Yahuah’s purpose for those who are called and are being trained for positions of kings and priests.

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our Yahuah kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We will need to exercise sound judgment in all of our duties as Kings and Priests, therefore it is imperative that we LEARN and PRACTICE as much wisdom as we can, now, while we still have time before Yahshua returns (or before we die).

A Biblical Example of Sound Judgment

All of us encounter circumstances from time to time in which there are no specific laws in Yahuah’s Word telling us “thus sayth Yahuah”. Sound judgment will guide us into knowing how to apply the sound principles of existing laws and precepts.

In the situations for which there are no specific law that seem to apply, judgments must be made on the basis of previously existing laws and their principles. We see this in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad where the Bible shows us how Moses responded to their request to be given land when there are no sons born into a family.

In Numbers 27 we read of the account of Zelophehad’s five daughters. This man only had daughters, with no sons to inherit his land after his death. The law of Israel was that a landowner’s firstborn son would inherit his property when the father died.

The daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses to state their case: that if a man dies and he has no sons and only daughters, then the inheritance should go to the daughters.

At that point there was no specific inheritance law that addressed such a circumstance. Moses took the case to Yahuah to receive a judgment for he did not know how to interpret the existing laws to accommodate the concerns of these ladies.

Numbers 27:1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

27:2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 27:3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against Yahuah in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

27:4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. 27:5 And Moses brought their cause before Yahuah.

Moses took the daughters of Zelophehad’s case to Yahuah and Yahuah gave His judgment. From that point on the judgment became a permanent law of the land. The new law incorporated wisdom in evaluating what the fair thing would be in cases when a man dies and has no son to leave his land to. Yahuah used the basic principle of a law that already existed to determine who would inherit the land, and expanded it even further by including those cases where there were no children at all to hand the land down to; He judged that it should go to the closest of kin.

Yahuah knew the underlying concerns involved with these women and in His wisdom He judged according to principles of the existing laws and applied them in all fairness when giving His judgment in the situation with Zelophehad’s daughters. He wisely made a decree allowing them to inherit their father’s land because there were no sons. When another problem was pointed out, Yahuah later added an addendum which was to safe-guard that the land would stay in the original landowner’s tribe (Numbers 36).

Numbers 27:6 And Yahuah spake unto Moses, saying, 27:7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

27:8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. 27:9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. 27:10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren.

 27:11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as Yahwseh commanded Moses.

Yahuah ‘s Word includes many Judgments especially in the first five books of the Bible; but Yahuah’s judgments are listed throughout Scriptures and it makes for a good Bible study to search them out and study them to glean the principles contained in them.

Righteous Judgments When it Comes to Our Neighbor

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Because of this verse and others that speak of not judging others, the concept of judging seems to trip many up about righteous and sound judgment. But what are these verses really saying? And are we to never judge one another, meaning that we must never evaluate (or judge) as to one’s conduct, whether it is acceptable to Yahuah and whether one is sinning or not?

How many times have we been told that it is wrong to judge or we are told “we shouldn’t judge one another” and then Matthew 7:1 is quoted along with the other verses in the Bible that seem to infer that we are never to judge our brother?

This subject of judging is hard for many to understand but as Yahuah’s children we must “judge” as to the intent and the context in these verses and come up with what Yahshua is really saying about judgment.

Romans 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.

Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah.

Think about it: Is Yahshua saying that we must never judge others as to whether they are outside of Yahuah’s laws or whether they are, in fact, a true child or even a true minister of Yahuah?

This just does not make sense for then this would mean that we could never evaluate whether a person’s conduct or teachings are acceptable to Yahuah!  And if we are not to judge others, then this leaves us vulnerable to all the whims of persons who could be very dangerous (physically or spiritually)! This idea (that we are never to judge others) is an attempt to produce a very non-judgmental atmosphere in which anything goes and anyone can say, do, or teach, anything they want without fear of being “judged”.

We see the insanity of this false concept of judging being played out more and more in our modern day society that demands that no one judge each other no matter how far-out their conduct, life-style, or beliefs are.

Those who call into question the actions of others (even when those actions pose harm), are hypocritically “judged” as bigoted and intolerant. In this way our society wants us to believe that nothing is right and wrong, that we must just tolerate everyone’s lifestyle or behavior no matter how ungodly it is.  If we speak out about the egregious sins of others than we are judgmental, racist, self-righteous, etc.

In determining what Yahshua is really saying in this passage in Matthew 7 we must put together ALL the scriptures on the subject of judging to come to a complete and proper understanding of those things that may appear unclear to us.

When we put the Scriptures together and determine the text surrounding the mandate that “we are not to judge” we are able to clear up the misunderstanding.

In another place Yahshua tells us that we ARE TO JUDGE, but that it must be with RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT! How are we to reconcile the seemingly opposing commands?

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

To judge is to discern, to distinguish, to consider accurately for the purpose of forming an opinion or conclusion. And to RIGHTEOUSLY judge, all of our judgments must be in accordance to all of Yahuah’s laws which is the righteousness of Yahuah.

To judge righteously is to separate out the evil from what Yahuah says is righteous. Righteousness is the keeping of all Yahuah’s commandments and every Word of Yahuah.

Psalm 119:172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of Elohim, and of the Father, and of Messiah; 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Psalm 19:7 The law of Yahuah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuah is sure, making wise the simple. 19:8 The statutes of Yahuah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuah is pure, enlightening the eyes. 19:9 The fear of Yahuah is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahuah are true and righteous altogether.

The commandments, statutes, precepts and ordinances contained in Yahuah’s Word are an expression of the righteousness of Yahuah and they make wise the simple. All of Yahuah’s Word can be described as a lamp that lights up the way He wants us to live:

Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Yahuah is our light and in Him is no darkness:

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that Yahuah is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Yahshua Messiah his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of Yahuah perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Thus all of Yahuah’s commandments and statutes are the expression of the righteousness of Yahuah and when we are keeping them they will direct us in the way of sound wisdom.

All of Yahuah’s laws reveal the righteousness of Yahuah.  Without those laws our understanding of the righteousness of Yahuah is limited, and we lose our ability to discern what sin is which is the case for most of humanity.

When Adam and Eve rebelled against Yahuah’s commandment to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they took on the prerogative of determining for themselves what is right and what is evil; and mankind has been doing so ever since.

That is why the wisdom of Yahuah is so lacking in all aspects of human life. There is very little sound judgment in the world in which we live. Everywhere we look there is a total lack of even common sense in the management of the earth, in our government, our food production, education, the medical field, military, etc., etc.

David understood the blessings of walking in the righteous law of Yahuah and that all of Yahuah’s judgments are GOOD. Psalm 119  is a prayer to Yahuah by David that He would guide him into keeping all of Yahuah’s precepts and judgments.

Psalm119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of Yahuah. 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 119:3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Psalm 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. 119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. 119:39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good. 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. 119:41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Yahuah, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

Psalm 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

Psalm 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

Pslam119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Psalm 119:174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Yahuah; and thy law is my delight. 119:175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

To make right choices that are in compliance to the laws of Yahuah a person must JUDGE. So back to our question of what does it mean in the Scriptures when it seems to be implying that we are not to judge?

“Judge not, that ye be not judged”  says Yahshua in Matthew 7:1. There are many people who think that it is always wrong to judge another person’s conduct and/or lifestyle choices.

But as we read in the above quoted Scriptures it is important that we judge all situations based upon the righteousness of Yahuah as contained in His Word including whether or not a person’s behavior is congruent with Yahuah’s laws and His teachings.

It is vitally important that when we observe the conduct and attitudes of others, (as well as our own conduct and attitude) that we compare them against the standard of Yahuah’s righteousness and then choose what we are going to do on the basis of how well the conduct fits with Yahuah’s laws; and to do so, is of course, judging.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 11:1 “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Messiah”. Which means that we are to imitate Paul only as he imitated Yahshua the Messiah. The converse is also true; that we must not follow Paul (or any man) in any points in which he is not following Yahshua. Paul also wrote:

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Yahuah through the apostle John tells the church in Ephesus:

Revelation 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

How can we imitate someone only as they imitate Yahshua unless we judge that they are indeed intimating Yahshua? How do we try those who say that they are apostles (or evangelists or pastors or teachers or any kind of servant of Yahuah) to know if they are impostors or not?

It is like the bank teller who is so familiar with what a genuine 20 dollar bill looks like, that she can instantly spot a counterfeit; but in order to do so she compares the counterfeit with the standard of what a genuine bill looks like and if a bill does not conform to the genuine then she instantly judges that it is an “impostor”.

It is absolutely necessary that we judge everything as to whether it measures up to Yahuah’s righteousness! As Yahuah’s children it is our responsibility to judge.

We are to judge even apostles and church leaders and and our ministers; there is nothing wrong in judging them as far as their conduct and teachings just as Paul and John point out.

Paul also has this to say about how we are to judge each other for we will be judging in Yahuah’s kingdom and it behooves us to know how to judge even the smallest of matters amongst ourselves as part of our training in this present age and :

1 Corinthians 6:16 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6:6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

So how do we reconcile the verses that warn us not to judge one another (Matthew 7:1; Romans 14:3 and James 4:11-12) with the ones that tell us that we absolutely are to judge?

The discrepancy is in the HOW we are to judge and in the treatment of others of whom we must evaluate. Judging is a necessary part of being a member of Messiah’s body but it must be done in humility and fairness with outgoing concern for those we must judge. Paul, himself, shows us an example of what it means to judge righteously; consider Paul’s judgment of the member of the congregation that was in Corinth who was sinning with his own step-mother.

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

5:4 In the name of our Master Yahshua Messiah, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Master Yahshua Messiah, 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of Master Yahshua.

It was reported to Paul that this man was sinning and based on the testimony of some of the members in Corinth he made an instant judgment.

Paul judged this man, but it was righteous judgment, because it involved putting a stop to a sin that was spreading throughout the congregation like a cancer, therefore it was a judgment in [agape] love for all concerned, even the one who was sinning.

It was Paul who wrote in Romans 14:4, “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth…. and in Romans 14:10 “But why dost thou  judge thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah.”

Was the incident in Corinthians a contradiction to what he told those in Rome? No, for the spiritual and moral welfare of the congregation was being threatened by blatant sin and therefore judgment was necessary to curtail it.

This was also to protect the sinner, for by judging him, Paul gave him a chance to repent. This sinning man later did repent and he was restored to the fellowship and was saved from eternal consequences.

 This was a clear case of sound judgment on Paul’s part and we are to follow in his example.

When the Bereans heard the Gospel from Paul and Silas, they received their word but searched the Scripture to ensure that what they were being taught by these two men was in accordance with Yahuah’s Word.

 The people of Berea were commended for checking up on these men even though they were apostles. And that is what we all are called to do, which involves sound judgment and is Yahuah’s wisdom.

Acts: 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Before determining whether we want to imitate another person’s behavior or believe what he is teaching, we must evaluate (judge) his conduct and/or what he teaches.

Let’s look at the context of what Yahshua was talking about when He said: “Judge not that you be not judged”.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Here Yahshua says that if we judge (meaning the kind that is self-righteous and condemning of others), likewise we will be condemned (or judged) in the same way.

The Greek word for “judge” in verse 1 is krinó (Strong’s # 2919) and can mean different aspects of what it meana to judge. The definition in Strong’s is: decree, determine, judge Properly, to distinguish, i.e. Decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish — avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

If we read carefully this Matthew 7 passage, we see that Yahshua is inferring that we need to be very careful in our judging of others and what He has to say in the verses following the mandate not to judge is indicative of what he means. The following Amplified Version shows more clearly what this is saying when it says we are “not to judge, that we be not judged”:

 “Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly].  For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye?

You hypocrite (play-actor, pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 AMP)

Yahshua is warning that we must not judge others without first examining our own conduct to see if we too are sinning; meaning we must not be hypocrites! He says that we are to remove the speck out of our own eye before we can tell others what they must do. “Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

We are never to judge unfairly or according to our own preconceived ideas of what righteousness is apart from Yahuah’s law. We are to exercise mercy in that we are never to be overly harsh or to impose on others what we ourselves refuse to do. That is the opposite of what the Pharisees did:

Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

In addition, we must never condemn others, for Yahuah is their ultimate JUDGE.  It is also important to remember that we are all brethren and fellow servants of Yahshua. It is Yahshua who is our Master, we are not to be anyone’s overlord ( 1 Peter 5:4).

In Romans 14, Paul asserts that it is Yahuah who is the real judge as far as ultimately condemning or upholding a brother or sister. We are not to judge in ways that attempt to usurp the place of Yahuah.

Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for Yahuah is able to make him stand.

In addition, our judgment may be often times distorted because we just do not have all the facts, or we may have certain preferences and biases that could cloud the issue. There, again, we need to use wisdom and we need to be praying constantly for Yahuah to help us to know the difference.

There WILL be times when we must evaluate the conduct of others, but in these verses Yahshua and Paul say that we are not permitted the right of passing judgment upon a fellow servant as if we were their master. We are not to act as if we are the overlords but to be good examples as Peter teaches the elders (1 Peter 5:1-3).

The proverbial saying “that we can lead a horse to water but we cannot make him drink” applies for we must in (agape) love tell someone when they are sinning but never are we to hit them over the head with the club of a judgmental condemning attitude.

There is a proper protocol when it comes to approaching a brother when we see that he is sinning and Yahshua tells us what the proper protocol is in various Scriptures (such as Matthew 18). But we must never be condemning and we must always use respect and courtesy when we do have to warn or correct a sinning brother.

If we do have to approach a brother or sister, we must do so in a spirit of humility. It may be that we need to first go to them with the intent of getting more information for it could be that we are not understanding as to why he or she is doing or saying something that we think is wrong.

Perhaps we just misunderstood them and if we are first willing to gently talk to them about the situation, perhaps there was no sin involved at all, we just misunderstood them. In this way we can clear things up without getting into any kind of confrontation.

But even then we are exercising sound judgment as to whether we should or should not approach him, even this is to judge. Again, Yahshua also said “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).  (See also Isaiah 11:3-4 again)

When we put all the Scriptures together, including the following ones, we can come to see what true righteous judgment is all about when it comes to going to a sinning brother.

There is a wrong way to judge and then there is the right way to judge and as Yahuah’s children we must learn to distinguish between the two, and seek to be sound minded (with the mind of Elohim) when it comes to judging.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Messiah.

James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Judging is an integral part of what it means to use sound wisdom. We cannot avoid judging. To do so would be sin for we are to separate ourselves from evil persons and false teachers; we are to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; we are responsible to a certain extent of being our brothers keepers in the sense of warning them of their need to repent and turn back to Yahuah; and we must alert others to danger when there is flagrant violation of the law wherever that may be. In the very same chapter just after warning about judging Yahshua then tells us:

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

The ability to judge is also a protection mechanism against wolves that appear to be one of the Ekklesia but who are secretly being used of Satan to shipwreck the faith of the brethren. Therefore it is vitally important that we come to the proper understanding of what Yahshua meant when He said “judge not”.

When we put all the Scriptures together the meaning becomes clear: We are to guard ourselves from judging with a self-righteous attitude or sharp-tongued criticism and condemnation. Instead, we are to judge righteously with love, mercy, quickness to forgive, and with the motive of helping to restore a sinning brother rather than be so quick to condemn him.

Thus what some teach, that we are to be absolutely neutral and tolerant regarding moral issues is not sound judgment at all; this is pure folly.

In other parts of the Sermon on the Mount we are taught how to love to our neighbors (and even our enemies ) in the very spiritual intent of Yahuah’s commandments (Matthew 5-7). Therefore we must apply these principles whenever we do have to judge the conduct of a sinning neighbor or brother.

Therefore “Judge not, that you be not judged” is a warning against showing the kind of condemning  judgment that most people in the world extend to others.

We are to love our neighbors as ourselves; which means to treat them as we ourselves would want to be treated and we must judge and then correct others according to the bar that Yahuah sets and not our own.

 When it is necessary to go to our brother, we must do so with the intent and attitude of deep love and concern for the one we are judging. Further more, we must clean up our own act before we can approach someone else and we must always be meek and humble realizing that we too have weaknesses.

We cannot see the whole picture of any given situation as Yahuah sees it and our experience, perception and understanding are often very limited; plus it is very difficult to see into a person’s heart.

As we can see, this whole process of judging takes a lot of wisdom and it takes a very spiritually mature person to always get it right!

Paul gives this advice in how we are to treat all men and this too is sound wisdom in action:

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

In Conclusion

Yahuah’s Word is the Wisdom of Yahuah and it is of utmost wisdom to keep Yahuah’s commandments. Following in all of Yahuah’s ways will lead us along the blessed path of wisdom; the path that will eventually take us into the Promised Land if we remain faithful; but if we pursue the path of folly along with the rest of the foolish people of the world it will only lead to pain and misery.

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Wisdom says; Proverbs 8:8-11″All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.  Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

Solomon further writes in this chapter:

Proverbs 8:15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.  8:16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

Who are these kings and princes whose reigns are founded upon the wisdom of Yahuah? Solomon is talking about the kings that were to rule in ancient Israel, but as we know, Solomon’s sayings and teaching are also directed to Yahuah’s spiritual children, those who would make up the Ekklesia down through the ages. This verse then is also referring to the future kings and priests that Yahuah is preparing to rule with Him in His Kingdom.

In Revelation, the apostle John envisions the kings of the earth that are glorious in the Holy City. Only those who have the wisdom of Yahuah can be spoken of in such a way. Only a very few kings have reigned by the wisdom of Yahuah in these last six thousand years and even then it was sporadic and limited.

The kings of this age do not have Yahuah’s wisdom and therefore they have no glory; thus this must be speaking of the those who qualify to reign with Messiah in the soon coming Millennium and beyond.

What a glorious future we have if we are willing to passionately seek Yahuah and to live by His wisdom while we have life in this present age. Notice what John has to say about the kings of the earth in a soon coming time when the leaders (kings and priests) will be walking completely in the WISDOM of Yahuah! The apostle John says that they bring their glory and honor to it (the earth).  What a wonderful vision of the future Kingdom of Yahuah on earth! Lady Wisdom encourages us to imbibe of her wisdom that will ensure that we can be a part of that Kingdom!

Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of Yahuah did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Seek WISDOM with all your heart for it will lead you in the way of righteousness and to inherit the everlasting spiritual riches that this world knows nothing of.

Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 8:18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 8:19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. 8:20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Proverbs 2:6 For Yahuah giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

Being of a sound mind and pursuing Yahuah’s wisdom in making wise judgments in all that we do will bring many blessings now in this life, and then for all eternity.

BelleAnge

   All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version of the Bible (with the real names of Yahuah and Yahusha used in place of titles) unless otherwise stated.