REFERENCE

GOD'S WAY - MAN'S WAY

Exodus 18:21-26

[18:21] Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men , such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens : [18:22] And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. [18:23] If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so , then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. [18:24] So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law , and did all that he had said.

See above

[18:25] And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. [18:26] And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. (Man's way as suggested by Moses' father-in-law. This occurred in about 1491 B.C., according to Usher)

Note:

Some say that God ignored the method of governing suggested to Moses by Jethro (Exodus 18:21-26 above) , substituting His own order in Numbers 11:16-17 below . But, I am not sure God completely ignored the method of governing suggested to Moses by his father-in-law.

Numbers 11:16-17

[11:16] And the LORD said unto Moses , Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. [11:17] And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them ; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. (God's way as suggested to Moses. This occurred in B.C. 1490, according to Usher, which was about a year later than Exodus 18:21-26 above .)

Deuteronomy 1:13-17

[1:13] Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you. [1:14] And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. [1:15] So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men , and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens , and officers among your tribes. [1:16] And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. [1:17] Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. (Moses reiterated mans' way here in Deuteronomy 1)

II Samuel 6:3-7, 12-13, 15, 17

[6:3] And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. [6:4] And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. [6:5] And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. [6:6] And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God , and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. [6:7] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. (Man's way)

See above

[6:12] And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness. [6:13] And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. [6:15] So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. [6:17] And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. (God's way. See I Chronicles 15:12 below where it is said that those who bare the ark were Levites.)

I Chronicles 13:7, 9-10

[13:7] And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. [13:9] And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark ; for the oxen stumbled. [13:10] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark : and there he died before God. (Man's way)

I Chronicles 15:12-15

[15:12] And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. [15:13] For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. [15:14] So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. [15:15] And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD. (God's way)