YHWH SHA PHAT^ God our Judge
Isaiah 33:22
22 For the LORD (YHWH) is our judge (Sha phat^), the LORD is our lawgiver (chaqaq), the LORD is our king (Maleki); it is he who will save us (Saviour -Ya^sha).
George’s paraphrase
The LORD sits on His throne (He is the King), He makes the law (lawgiver), He judges us, all of us -every act and every thought, [not written but implied is that we are judged righteously and found guilty and needing to be saved] and then YHWH saves us (He is our Saviour).
God, the LORD, YHWH, has many traits, characteristics and qualities and here are 4 linked together in one verse by a God-inspired Isaiah.
The link is YHWH (LORD) and YHWH joins:
-the only King (Maleki)
to the only Lawgiver (chaqaq)
to the only Judge (Shaphat)
to the only Saviour (Yasha)
God does everything for us, we just need to believe and obey/follow.
YHWH is our King, our Lawgiver, our Judge & our wonderful Saviour.
Shaphat, God will judge all
Psalm 98:9
… for he (YHWH) comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
Hebrews 10:30
“The Lord will judge his people.”
The Lawgiver has given us rules in His Word, to live by and these rules are righteous and perfect and for us to obey and follow. Christians will be judged on what we have done. Here’s the good news.
Greek, like English, uses the word "judge" in two senses. One sense is condemnation, while the other sense is the giving out of rewards. The Bible says unbelievers will be judged in the first sense - condemnation, while believers will be judged in the other sense - rewards.
Christians will be judged for rewards at the Judgement seat of Christ called in Greek -the ‘bema’.
(Illus) In the large Olympic arenas the bema was a tribunal for rewards., there was an elevated seat on which the judge of the contest sat. After the contests were over, the successful competitors would assemble before the bema to receive their rewards or crowns. The bema was not a judicial bench where someone was condemned; it was a reward seat. Likewise, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench. The Christian life is a race, and the divine umpire is Jesus Christ. After the race is over for every believer, He will gather every believer before the bema for the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to each.
-believer your sins are forgiven, no more condemnation, yours sins are removed and they are remembered no more by YHWH Shaphat -gone, washed away, buried, deleted, taken away.
Here’s the bad news
Revelation 20:12-13
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books (2) were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.
-if you’re in the Book of Life, a believer/follower of Jesus Christ this ‘Book of Life’ is a record for reward, your name is written there
-if you’re in the other book it is a record of your sins, judgement will be made and condemnation forth coming
-the standard by which unsaved people are judged is not the Canadian judicial standard but judgment by God’s righteousness, His Holiness.
-when God looks at SAVED people, He sees the imputed righteousness of Christ clothing us or covering us and we are free from condemnation.
The gavel of God’s judgment will strike as the highest Judge announces condemnation for the unbelievers and rewards for those who are Christians.
-if you have not believed in Christ, that is repented of your sins, trusted in Christ’s payment for you sins and are not following Christ à
TODAY IS GOOD DAY TO DO SO. Right now, right where you are
-Tell God, surrender to Him He stands at your heart’s door and knocks
John 5:24
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged (for condemnation) but has crossed over from death to life.
-remember that YHWH the Judge is our YASHA (our Saviour) too
Shaphat, the Judge is specifically Jesus Christ
John 5:22
Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, (Jesus Christ)
2 Timothy 4:1
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge (Christ) the living and the dead, and in view of his (Christ’s) appearing and his (Christ’s) kingdom,
Shaphat’s the Judge is a rewarder
Psalm 62:12
… you, O Lord, are loving. Surely You will reward each person according to what He has done
Jesus said. Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what He has done
Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:8 Knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, …
Shaphat THE Judge warns us about judging others -BE CAREFUL
Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. Be careful.
Romans 14:10
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. Be careful.
“It would be a lot easier to not be so judgmental if people weren’t so imperfect.”
-in the sermon on the Mount Jesus said ‘Judge not lest you be judged’ ,whatever standard you use to judge others will be used against you.
-This is a heart issue of being judgmental, of pride, thinking we are better. Be careful of judging that way. In fact, don’t judge that way.
-it isn’t that we are not to judge at all because we need to judge what is right, we need discernment, wisdom & proper Godly judging.
Jesus even warns us in John 7:24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
One Bible verse that struck me is John 19:13
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
YHWH Shaphat, God THE Judge, being judged by Pilate – such irony, such absurdity, such mockery.
How do you deal with God judging you on that day?
-remember God judges righteously, altogether true and God judges fairly (with equity). Like David we should confess ‘you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.’
-I think on that day at the Judgment Seat of Christ, I will bow, submit to the truth and if by any chance I receive a crown -I will cast my crown at His feet and declare that my devotion is to YHWH Shaphat.
How do you deal with people who are judgmental, especially judgmental against you?
-be careful, there isn’t a ‘pat’ answer to this one just some guiding principals
-be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another
-Jesus said nothing when being judged, He knew when to not speak
-God will protect you and defend you and He will avenge wrong
-don’t react but respond -Just like Jesus
-use my mom’s principal “remember when you’re pointing your finger at someone else there are 3 fingers pointing back at you.
Isaiah 33:22
22 For the LORD (YHWH) is our judge (Sha phat^), the LORD is our lawgiver (chaqaq), the LORD is our king (Maleki); it is he who will save us (Saviour -Ya^sha).
YHWH the God that is the judge
& YHWH the God who is my Saviour and a rewarder.
March 28, 2023
