God's Indignation over Injustice

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Defined
Living as God's Just People

Ezekiel 22:23-31

The Message

 ^23-25 God's Message came to me: "Son of man, tell her, 'You're a land that during the time I was angry with you got no rain, not so much as a spring shower. The leaders among you became desperate, like roaring, ravaging lions killing indiscriminately. They grabbed and looted, leaving widows in their wake.
 ^26-29 "'Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can't tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there's no difference between right and wrong. They're contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, "This is what God, the Master, says..." when God hasn't said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.'
 ^30-31 "I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn't have to destroy it. I couldn't find anyone. Not one. So I'll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they've done. Decree of God, the Master."

For Reflection 

When the going gets tough one's depth of hope and trust begins to predominate.  The less hope and confidence in God (or for that matter, from a humanistic point of view, a good outcome.)  one' predominate style prevails.  if that style is injustice, it is, I suppose, motivated by fear of untoward outcomes.  If at those times one allows hopeless to take over, injustice abounds.  Just consider our treatment of the Japanese Americans during the second world war or the attitude toward and the treatment of Muslims in today's circumstances.  When times get tough, how do you respond?  To what extent do you allow your fears to undermine your God-centered responses? 

Pray

that when the going gets tough you take your stand for God.  Pray that you understand the difference between secular and sacred responses. Pray that you avoid common cultural responses and turn to toward the hope found in a life lived in the hollow of God's hand.