Mishpatim (Judgments): Choosing Life
The first word of this week’s Torah portion (parashah) is “mishpatim,” meaning “rules” or “ordinances,” derived from the root “shaphat” (to judge). Fittingly, this portion contains 53 of the 613 mitzvot (commandments). It is well to remember that the commandments in Scripture function as instructions for life: God gives us a choice, then strongly urges us, “Choose life!” (Deut. 30:19).
Why the Mitzvot Matter
The mishpatim are like civil requirements—you can choose to obey or break them, much like a speed limit. Ignoring them may seem harmless for a while, but repeated disregard brings consequences. The mitzvot express the basis of God’s relationship with Israel and help us fulfill our purpose: living in closer relationship with God.
We all stumble. When we recognize our sin and ask God to forgive us, the Bible shows again and again that He does. He is loving and compassionate. He seeks relationship with us and peace among His children. His instructions build a “fence” to keep us from harm and keep us in right relationship with Him and with others.
Ten Instructions—Then Two
One reason God gives 613 rules is to guard life; yet He also summarizes them in Ten—and ultimately in two: love God and love one another. The Ten Commandments even reflect this: the first five concern our relationship with God; the last five, our relationship with people.
If we ignore God and His instructions, choosing other paths despite recognizing His power, He allows us to go our own way—leading to what Scripture calls the “second death.”
Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. He who wins the victory will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Blessed and holy is anyone who has a part in the first resurrection; over him the second death has no power. On the contrary, they will be kohanim of God and of the Messiah, and they will rule with Him for the thousand years.
Then Death and She’ol were hurled into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars—their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.
Righteousness by Trust
For I am not ashamed of the Good News, since it is God’s powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting, to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile. For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in His sight; from beginning to end it is through trust—as the Tanakh puts it, “But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust.”
Look at the proud: he is inwardly not upright; but the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness.
Yeshua rebuked sanctimonious religious leaders for majoring in minors while missing the weightier matters.
You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Yet not all leaders were hypocrites—Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, members of the Sanhedrin, followed Yeshua; surely there were others as well. Through John the Immerser, the prophets, and Yeshua Himself, God pleaded with His people to repent. He does not desire that any should perish.
When Truth Is Suppressed
Paul continues by describing what happens when people suppress truth and exchange God’s glory for idols. The progression he outlines still sounds strikingly current.
18 What is revealed is God’s anger from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who in their wickedness keep suppressing the truth; 19 because what is known about God is plain to them, since God has made it plain to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the universe His invisible qualities—both His eternal power and His divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what He has made. Therefore, they have no excuse; 21 because, although they know who God is, they do not glorify Him as God or thank Him. On the contrary, they have become futile in their thinking; and their undiscerning hearts have become darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they have become fools! 23 In fact, they have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for mere images, like a mortal human being, or like birds, animals or reptiles!
24 This is why God has given them up to the vileness of their hearts’ lusts, to the shameful misuse of each other’s bodies. 25 They have exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, by worshipping and serving created things, rather than the Creator—praised be He forever. Amen. 26 This is why God has given them up to degrading passions; so that their women exchange natural sexual relations for unnatural; 27 and likewise the men, giving up natural relations with the opposite sex, burn with passion for one another, men committing shameful acts with other men and receiving in their own persons the penalty appropriate to their perversion. 28 In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so that they do improper things. 29 They are filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and vice; stuffed with jealousy, murder, quarrelling, dishonesty and ill-will; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God; they are insolent, arrogant and boastful; they plan evil schemes; they disobey their parents; 31 they are brainless, faithless, heartless and ruthless. 32 They know well enough God’s righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die; yet not only do they keep doing them, but they applaud others who do the same.
When culture celebrates darkness in prime-time and calls it progress, we are called to say “Enough,” to rebuke heresy, and to reject lukewarm compromise. The greatest blessings often follow the greatest sacrifices: when we give ourselves, we draw near to God—the purpose of our lives.
Korban: Not “Sacrifice,” but Drawing Near
The Hebrew korban is often translated “sacrifice,” but its core meaning is “to draw near.” If obedience feels like obligation, step out in faith: God turns duty into joy. One pastor’s son told how his father gave generously to God—and found himself blessed to give even more. Generosity opened the way to deeper trust.
Tell the people of Isra’el to take up a collection for Me—accept a contribution from anyone who wholeheartedly wants to give.
Give Wholeheartedly
I’m not speaking merely of tithes and offerings, but of the larger call: to offer yourself wholeheartedly to God. Your best life is the life most fully given to Him. The more we give with our whole heart, the more we obey His instruction to love Him and to love one another.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him.
Prayer
Dear Father in heaven, continue to send Your Ruach HaKodesh to convict us of truth as we make You our first priority in everything. And, Father—if it be Your will—stay Your hand a little longer and show mercy to those who still refuse to see Who You are. Amen.
