We are in chapter twenty-three of Exodus with our word for today used for the first time in the Bible. הָדַר swell, honor, be honored, boast, adorn, to decorate. It is used 6 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense of wearing very decorative clothes. Isaiah 63:1 Who is this, robed in הָד֣וּרsplendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.” We also see it used in the sense of exalting one’s self. Proverbs 25:6-7 Do not תִּתְהַדַּ֥ר exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles. Our word is seen in a positive sense. Leviticus 19:32 Stand up in the presence of the aged, וְהָדַרְתָּ֖ show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. This would be similar to the word we have already looked at to honor one’s parents. While this is a good thing generally this doesn’t mean that an older person is always right. This leads us to how our word is used in our chapter. Sometimes people assume that a poor person is right just because they are poor. Exodus 23:2-3 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you תֶהְדַּ֖רbe partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. Did you notice that honoring or decorating a poor person as the one who is right in a law suit is considered by God to be perverting justice? Why? Because God is all about the truth regardless if a person is rich or poor. Our next use of our word commands against favoring the great instead of looking at the truth in each matter. Leviticus 19:15 Do not pervert justice; do not תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי [This is not our word but a phrase that literally means “to lift up the face of”] show partiality to the poor or תֶהְדַּ֖ר favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. We find this teaching throughout the Bible and into the New Testament. That we are to be like God who does not favor anyone over another simply because of their socio-economic group or nationality. Romans 2:11 For God does not show favoritism. I’ll close with a great reminder not to favor anyone over another because we may relate to them better or have had a bad experience with someone from that group. Everyone needs God’s mercy including us. James 2:1-13 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
