Our Daily Bread Devotional For February 15, 2023 : Topic – Juror Number 8
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Bible in a Year:
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong : Exodus 23:2
Today’s Scripture : Exodus 23:1–9
Insight
The law of Moses, summarized in the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue), sought to instruct the people of Israel in two vital areas—how to relate to God and how to relate to other people—whether fellow Israelites or foreigners. The Decalogue itself reflects those values, with the first part dealing with how they were to respond to God and the second part guiding their interpersonal relationships. Today’s reading (Exodus 23:1–9) reflects a further detailing of those interactions with other people. So, when Jesus said in Matthew 22:36–40 that all the law was reflected in two commandments—to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself”—He was reinforcing the law’s two great values. Loving God is the primary vertical relationship and gives context, significance, and value to all our horizontal (human) relationships.
By: Bill Crowder
Message : “One man is dead. Another man’s life is at stake,” says the judge somberly in the classic 1957 film 12 Angry Men. The evidence against the young suspect appears overwhelming. But during deliberations, it’s the brokenness of the jury that’s exposed. One of the twelve—juror number 8—votes “not guilty.” A heated debate ensues, in which the lone juror is mocked as he points out discrepancies in the testimony. Emotions escalate, and the jury members’ own murderous and prejudicial tendencies come to light. One by one, the jurors switch their votes to not guilty.
When God gave His instructions to the new nation of Israel, He insisted on honest courage. “When you give testimony in a lawsuit,” God said, “do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd” (Exodus 23:2). Interestingly, the court was neither to “show favoritism to a poor person” (v. 3) nor to “deny justice to your poor people” (v. 6). God, the righteous judge, desires our integrity in all our proceedings.
In 12 Angry Men, the second juror to vote “not guilty” said of the first, “It’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others.” Yet that’s what God requires. Juror number 8 saw the real evidence, as well as the humanity of the individual on trial. With the gentle guidance of His Holy Spirit, we too can stand for God’s truth and speak for the powerless.
Reflect & Pray
What tempts you to go along with the crowd? Where is God calling you to stand for truth and justice?
Father, help us show Your love to the world as we stand for Your truth.