A Bribe Blinds the Eyes

You Shall Not Pervert Justice

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Felix kept Paul under guard, and “he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him” (Acts 24:26). Felix wanted a bribe.

What a bribe is. A bribe is money or a gift given to get someone to do what is wrong or unfair. A judge who takes a bribe decides for whoever pays, not for whoever is right.

Judges in every town. Moses told Israel, “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates… and they shall judge the people with just judgment” (Deuteronomy 16:18). The gates were where judges sat in a town.

Three commands. “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe” (16:19). To pervert means to twist. Partiality means treating some people better than others because of who they are.

Blind eyes. God also says, “for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous” (16:19). Money can make even a wise person stop seeing what is right.

Behind the back. “A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice” (Proverbs 17:23). Bribes are usually secret, because people know they are wrong.

A land torn down. “The king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it” (Proverbs 29:4). When leaders take bribes, the whole land suffers.

The same law before. God had given this command earlier too: “And you shall take no bribe” (Exodus 23:8).

Felix and Paul. Felix knew a lot about the Way (Acts 24:22), and the charges could not be proved, but he kept Paul waiting and hoped for money. As far as the Bible tells us, Paul never paid.

Small bribes. A bribe is not only for courts. Giving a friend candy so they will lie for you works the same way. And if anyone ever offers you a gift to keep a secret, tell a parent or another grown-up you trust.

Fair to everyone. God wants His people to be fair, whether the other person is rich or poor, a friend or someone they do not like.

God is fair. God never takes a bribe. No one can pay Him to look away from sin.

The gospel. That is bad news for sinners, and we have all sinned. But God did what no money could do: Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and He rose again. Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven.

What to do. This week, say no to any deal that asks you to be unfair. Treat everyone the same, the way God treats us.

“Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him” (Acts 24:26). The judge who held Paul’s freedom wanted to sell it.

Deuteronomy 16:18. “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.” Justice was to be close at hand in every town, at the city gate.

Three commands (16:19). “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe.” Perverting justice twists the verdict; partiality favors a person for who they are; a bribe sells the verdict.

Shochad. Bribe is shochad (say: SHOH-khad), a payment given to sway a judge. The same word stands in Exodus 23:8, “And you shall take no bribe.”

Why it blinds. “For a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous” (16:19). A bribe does not only corrupt bad people. It can blind the wise and bend the words of good people, because self-interest quietly changes what we see.

Secret (Proverbs 17:23). “A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice.” What must be hidden is usually known to be wrong.

A nation at stake (Proverbs 29:4). “The king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it.” A ruler’s honesty holds a country up; corruption pulls it down.

Felix (Acts 24:22-26). He had “more accurate knowledge of the Way,” and the charges could not be proved. Justice required a verdict. Felix waited for money instead.

Paul’s integrity. As far as the Bible tells us, Paul never paid. He waited two years rather than buy a release that should have been his by right.

Everyday bribes. Bribery shows up in small forms: a gift to win someone to your side in a quarrel, or a prize offered to a friend for a lie. Each one sells fairness. And if anyone ever offers you a gift to keep a secret, tell a parent or another grown-up you trust.

The God who cannot be bought. God is perfectly just. He shows no favoritism and accepts no payment to overlook sin. No offering, effort or good record can buy His pardon.

The gospel. We stand guilty before a Judge who cannot be bribed. Yet God Himself paid: Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). All who trust Him are forgiven.

Application. Refuse to buy or sell fairness, even in small things. Treat the person who has nothing to give you exactly as you treat the person who has much.

Justice for Man Comes from the Lord

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“But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound” (Acts 24:27). Felix most likely wanted to please the leaders who had accused Paul. So an innocent man stayed in chains.

Seeking favor. “Many seek the ruler’s favor, But justice for man comes from the Lord” (Proverbs 29:26). People crowd around leaders, hoping to get their way.

Where justice comes from. Even when a ruler is unfair, God is not. In the end, every case is decided by the Lord.

A fair king. “The king who judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever” (Proverbs 29:14). God cares how leaders treat people who have no money or power.

Follow justice. Moses told the people, “You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 16:20). Altogether just means completely fair, all the way.

Two years. Paul waited two years for a decision that should have come right away. That was not fair, and God does not call it good.

God sees. Felix could keep Paul waiting, but he could not stop God’s plan. God saw every day of those two years.

Paul kept going. Paul kept talking with Felix about faith in Christ (Acts 24:24-26). An unfair wait did not stop him from telling the truth.

When things are unfair. Sometimes people are unfair to you. Tell God about it, and tell a parent, a teacher or another grown-up you trust. God sees, and He cares.

Not paying back. Being treated unfairly never gives us the right to be unfair back. God is the Judge, and He will make things right.

The most unfair day. Jesus was the most innocent person who ever lived, yet He was condemned and crucified. He let it happen to save us.

Justice and mercy. On the cross, God’s justice and mercy met. Jesus took the punishment for our sins, so God can forgive us and still be completely fair.

The gospel. We have all sinned. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again, and everyone who trusts Him is forgiven.

What to do. Be fair even when no one makes you. When someone is unfair to you, trust God, the Judge who always does right.

“But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound” (Acts 24:27). Most likely the favor was for the high priest and elders who had brought the charges (24:1). An innocent man stayed in chains because it suited a politician.

Proverbs 29:26. “Many seek the ruler’s favor, But justice for man comes from the Lord.” Tertullus sought Felix’s favor with flattery; Felix sought the leaders’ favor with Paul’s chains; Felix himself sought money. Everyone was looking to someone other than God.

The final court. Human courts matter, and God commands them to be just. But they are not the last word. Every verdict will be reviewed by the Lord.

Proverbs 29:14. “The king who judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever.” God measures leaders by how they treat the powerless.

Deuteronomy 16:20. “You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” In Hebrew the word justice is said twice, as if to say: justice, and only justice. God’s people were not only to avoid injustice but to chase after justice.

Waiting. Paul spent two years waiting for a decision that should have come at once (24:22). Injustice is real, and God never calls it good.

God’s view. The Lord saw every day of those two years. Felix could delay justice; he could not cancel God’s purposes for Paul.

When you are treated unfairly. Bring it to God, who judges rightly, and to trusted adults who can help. Seeking justice the right way is good; taking revenge is not.

The greatest injustice. Jesus, the only truly innocent Man, was condemned by a Roman governor. It was the most unjust verdict in history.

Justice satisfied. Yet in that verdict God was doing justice in a deeper way. Christ bore the penalty for sin, so God can forgive sinners and remain perfectly just.

The gospel. We are guilty, and no bribe could free us. Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Application. Pursue fairness for others, especially those with no power to repay you. And when justice is slow for you, trust the Lord, from whom justice comes.

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