This past Tuesday, the 24th, was a significant date in the history of our great country. For it was on September 24, 1789 that the Supreme Court came into existence. It was the result of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and the first convening of the Court happened on February 2, 1790. Ironically, the Court didn’t have any cases to hear that day but it was open for business.
The beginning of the Court was a result of a constitutional provision that called for a Supreme Court to be established and the original court had six members. The first Chief Justice was John Jay and the Associate Justices were William Cushing, James Iredell, John Rutledge, James Wilson and John Blair, Jr. Many of the six justices were Founding Fathers of the country and held other positions of authority as governors, signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Most were suggested by George Washington and confirmed by the Congress.
This historical perspective is important in light of the efforts today to de-value the Court and even try to “pack” the Court when decisions come down that aren’t necessarily supported by the current Administration. It is true that the number of justices has changed throughout the years, but has been set at nine since the mid 1800’s. Another issue that is at stake is the effort to limit the age and/or years of service that a justice can remain on the Court.
It seems to me that our Founding Fathers created a balanced form of government that has worked for more than 200 years. Yet, we no longer have the same dedication to our forefathers and the sacrifices that they made to found our nation. We have become an instant gratification society and that isn’t the best way to maintain our freedom.
I actually watched a program Tuesday that featured Sen. John Fetterman (a Democrat) and Sen. Katie Britt (a Republican). Both of these US senators are freshmen and have forged a bond over their introduction to the Senate. Even though they are politically opposite, they carried on a very civil conversation that gave me hope that we can mend the massive issues that divide us. I hope the same can be said for the Court.
The original idea for judges was brought up by Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. It seems that there were many disputes among the people and Moses was trying to handle all the cases himself. Of course, this was taking all his time and Jethro suggested that Moses appoint judges to handle the easier cases while Moses handled the most difficult cases himself. His goal was to appoint men who would discern the will of God and rule accordingly.
Our verse for tonight is from the second book of the Bible – Exodus. It is in this part of the Pentateuch that Jethro suggests the idea of judges to Moses, who then appoints others to help decide disputes among the people. Moses tells us, in Exodus 8:24-26, “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.”
My encouragement this evening is that we have a wonderful form of government that has worked for years and the original idea for not only judges, but for governments, was a God ordained idea. My prayer is that our lawmakers will turn to God and act in accordance with His will. With the election now within six weeks, it is particularly important to seek the will of the Father for the future of our country. And regardless of who wins, God is still on the throne – and in charge! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…