God's Ways are Justice

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Praise for God's Justice

Daniel 4:34-37

The Message (MSG)

 ^34-35 "At the end of the seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked to heaven. I was given my mind back and I blessed the High God, thanking and glorifying God, who lives forever:
   "His sovereign rule lasts and lasts,
   his kingdom never declines and falls.
Life on this earth doesn't add up to much,
   but God's heavenly army keeps everything going.
No one can interrupt his work,
   no one can call his rule into question.
 ^36-37 "At the same time that I was given back my mind, I was also given back my majesty and splendor, making my kingdom shine. All the leaders and important people came looking for me. I was reestablished as king in my kingdom and became greater than ever. And that's why I'm singing—I, Nebuchadnezzar—singing and praising the King of Heaven:
   "Everything he does is right,
   and he does it the right way.
He knows how to turn a proud person
   into a humble man or woman."

For Reflection

Nebuchadnezzar dared to rival God.  In spite of David's warning, he continued to defy God until he lost his mind.  After seven years, God justly restored Nebuchadnezzar.  Nebuchadnezzar had understood and gave himself over to God.  God is just.  We all can receive God's justice.  Repentance is the key to living  humbly in the presence of God.

Pray

that you will treat your words as windows into God's will;  listen to the words of the world with God's ear. listen to the words of scripture; listen to God's whispered wisdom.

Where is the God of Justice?

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Praise for God's Justice

Malachi 2:10-17

The Message

 ¹⁰Don't we all come from one Father? Aren't we all created by the same God? So why can't we get along? Why do we desecrate the covenant of our ancestors that binds us together?
 ^11-12Judah has cheated on God—a sickening violation of trust in Israel and Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the holiness of God by falling in love and running off with foreign women, women who worship alien gods. God's curse on those who do this! Drive them out of house and home! They're no longer fit to be part of the community no matter how many offerings they bring to God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
 ^13-15And here's a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don't get what you want from God. Do you know why? Simple. Because God was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you've broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse.
 ¹⁶"I hate divorce," says the God of Israel. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says, "I hate the violent dismembering of the 'one flesh' of marriage." So watch yourselves. Don't let your guard down. Don't cheat.
 ¹⁷You make God tired with all your talk.
   "How do we tire him out?" you ask.
   By saying, "God loves sinners and sin alike. God loves all." And also by saying, "Judgment? God's too nice to judge."

For Reflection

Corrupt principle leads to corrupt practice.  When was the last time you justified your actions by corrupting God's relationship to human kind?  When have you used God's promise of grace and reconciliation as a license to sin?   When have you lived separate lives, one in God and one in human culture, citing God's forgiveness as an excuse for behaving badly?

Pray

that you will be consistent in your obedience to God.  Pray that when you repent, you repent authentically.  Pray that you accept God's forgiveness and sin no more.

Judicial Reform

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

2 Chronicles 19:4-11

The Message (MSG)

 ⁴ Jehoshaphat kept his residence in Jerusalem but made a regular round of visits among the people, from Beersheba in the south to Mount Ephraim in the north, urging them to return to God, the God of their ancestors.
 ^5-7 And he was diligent in appointing judges in the land—each of the fortress cities had its judge. He charged the judges: "This is serious work; do it carefully. You are not merely judging between men and women; these are God's judgments that you are passing on. Live in the fear of God—be most careful, for God hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery."
 ^8-10 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites, priests, and family heads to decide on matters that had to do with worship and mediating local differences. He charged them: "Do your work in the fear of God; be dependable and honest in your duties. When a case comes before you involving any of your fellow citizens, whether it seems large (like murder) or small (like matters of interpretation of the law), you are responsible for warning them that they are dealing with God. Make that explicit, otherwise both you and they are going to be dealing with God's wrath. Do your work well or you'll end up being as guilty as they are.
 ¹¹ "Amariah the chief priest is in charge of all cases regarding the worship of God; Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, is in charge of all civil cases; the Levites will keep order in the courts. Be bold and diligent. And God be with you as you do your best."

For Reflection

 What price do we pay for success?  Israel and Judah under King Jehoshaphat grew in wealth and the standards for living were elevated for all.  At the same time, injustice and brutality increased for those who were considered of lesser status.  Sound familiar?  Well, it should,  As the standards of living for our world's population increased and life became easier for most, those who are lucky enough to enjoy the "good life"  tend to feel elite, entitled to their success.  King Jehoshaphat understood that wealth lead to abuses.  He created and institutionalized paths to justice for those who fell victim to prejudice, bribery, and favoritism,  He tried to restore purity to the systems which regulated justice.

In all he established and through all the effort we try to legislate and adjudicate justly, we achieve only modest success.  All the systems for justice that can ever be devised can never be as effective as simply each of us remaining obedient to God's call to loving and just relationships in all our interactions. 

 

Pray

for forgiveness for the unjust things to which you become an accomplice.  Pray that you will hope for justice and stay obedient to God's call for right relationships.

Walking in God's Commandments

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

2 Chronicles 17:1-6

The Message

Jehoshaphat of Judah

 ^1-6 Asa's son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel. He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. God was on Jehoshaphat's side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa's early years. He didn't fool around with the popular Baal religion—he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn't like Israel. And God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored. He was single-minded in following God; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines.

For Reflection

How do we teach?  How do we learn?  Israel was on the cusp of a serious decline.  Jehoshaphat was God fearing and lead his people in the ways of God.  Thus, it was Jehoshaphat, not Israel's leader, who with God's approval protected Israel.  It was he , by his actions, taught the people how to be obedient to God.

 

Pray

that by your action you teach about God's justice.  Pray that by observing you others will understand Gods justice.  Pray that you will align your action with God's will for you.

Face Enemies in the Company of God

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

2 Chronicles 20:5-15

The Message (MSG)

 ^5-9 Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem at The Temple of God in front of the new courtyard and said, "O God, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist—no one stands a chance against you! And didn't you make the natives of this land leave as you brought your people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived here and built a holy house of worship to honor you, saying, 'When the worst happens—whether war or flood or disease or famine—and we take our place before this Temple (we know you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and trouble, we know that you will listen and give victory.'
 ^10-12 "And now it's happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn't let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn't lay a hand on them. And now they've come to kick us out of the country you gave us. O dear God, won't you take care of them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't know what to do; we're looking to you."
 ¹³ Everyone in Judah was there—little children, wives, sons—all present and attentive to God.
 ^14-17 Then Jahaziel was moved by the Spirit of God to speak from the midst of the congregation. (Jahaziel was the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah the Levite of the Asaph clan.) He said, "Attention everyone—all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat—God's word: Don't be afraid; don't pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God's war, not yours. Tomorrow you'll go after them; see, they're already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you'll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel. You won't have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch God's saving work for you take shape. Don't be afraid, don't waver. March out boldly tomorrow—God is with you."

For Reflection

How difficult it must be to face unjust attacks from enemies.  Having been lead around their enemies to avoid conflict, they find now that they are under attack.  A righteous king, and faithful believers now ask God for the wisdom to handle this new threat.  God speaks through Jahaziel to comfort them and to belay their fears.  This is God's war and He asks them to go to the enemy fearlessly and boldly. 

 

Pray

that you will obey God and act fearlessly and boldly in the face of your enemies.  Pray for the courage to face the tyrannies of your life in the company of God.

Steadfast in Keeping God's Statutes

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

Job 28:20-28

The Message

 ^20-22 "So where does Wisdom come from?
   And where does Insight live?
It can't be found by looking, no matter
   how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly.
If you search through the graveyard and question the dead,
   they say, 'We've only heard rumors of it.'

 ^23-28 "God alone knows the way to Wisdom,
   he knows the exact place to find it.
He knows where everything is on earth,
   he sees everything under heaven.
After he commanded the winds to blow
   and measured out the waters,
Arranged for the rain
   and set off explosions of thunder and lightning,
He focused on Wisdom,
   made sure it was all set and tested and ready.
Then he addressed the human race: 'Here it is!
   Fear-of-the-Lord—that's Wisdom,
   and Insight means shunning evil.'"

For Reflection

God is the source of all wisdom.  The wise persons shun evil.  When faced with a dilemma, where no apparent choice is a good one, prayer and patient waiting on God's response is always wise.

Pray

for the wisdom that can come only from God.  Pray for the patience to wait for God's answer.  Pray for the courage to act on God's command.

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Jehoshaphat Makes Judicial Reforms

Psalm 72:1-7

The Message (MSG)

Psalm 72

A Solomon Psalm

 ^1-8 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince.
   May he judge your people rightly,
      be honorable to your meek and lowly.
   Let the mountains give exuberant witness;
      shape the hills with the contours of right living.
   Please stand up for the poor,
      help the children of the needy,
      come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
   Outlast the sun, outlive the moon—
      age after age after age.
   Be rainfall on cut grass,
      earth-refreshing rain showers.
   Let righteousness burst into blossom
      and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
   Rule from sea to sea,
      from the River to the Rim.

For Reflection

Not only a prayer for righteousness, this psalm is an expression of profound hope.  We get what we hope for.  Hope drives our choices.  What do you hope for? Do  you hope for justice in your life and in the lives of others?  How does your hope for justice manifest in your choices?

 

Pray

the prayer of the Psalmist. Pray for the conquest of righteousness.  Pray for the peacemakers.  Pray for those who promote justice.

A Child Restored

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
A King Acts on a Widow's Behalf

2 Kings 4:28-37

The Message

 ²⁸ Then she spoke up: "Did I ask for a son, master? Didn't I tell you, 'Don't tease me with false hopes'?"
 ²⁹ He ordered Gehazi, "Don't lose a minute—grab my staff and run as fast as you can. If you meet anyone, don't even take time to greet him, and if anyone greets you, don't even answer. Lay my staff across the boy's face."
 ³⁰ The boy's mother said, "As sure as God lives and you live, you're not leaving me behind." And so Gehazi let her take the lead, and followed behind.
 ³¹ But Gehazi arrived first and laid the staff across the boy's face. But there was no sound—no sign of life. Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and said, "The boy hasn't stirred."
 ^32-35 Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on the bed dead. He went into the room and locked the door—just the two of them in the room—and prayed to God. He then got into bed with the boy and covered him with his body, mouth on mouth, eyes on eyes, hands on hands. As he was stretched out over him like that, the boy's body became warm. Elisha got up and paced back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing—seven times he sneezed!—and opened his eyes.
 ³⁶ He called Gehazi and said, "Get the Shunammite woman in here!" He called her and she came in.
    Elisha said, "Embrace your son!"
 ³⁷ She fell at Elisha's feet, face to the ground in reverent awe. Then she embraced her son and went out with him.

For Reflection

He who gives can also restore what has been taken away.  Elisha sent Gehazi in his stead.  Elisha has over estimated his power.  He expected his staff, his sign, to carry the power of resurrection.  It did not.  Elisha realized he could not act on his own.  His power was limited by his arrogance.  Only earnest prayer and total involvement  and dependence upon God proved to be a conduit of God's power. 

And so it is with us.  It is not we who have power.  We are powerless with out righteous subservience to God.

Pray

that you will not be tempted by your assumptions of God's favor.  Enter into God's service completely and in humility.  Pray for the healing power of God to flow through you.  Pray that you will realize that that the only power you have to enact justice belongs to God.

Seeking Help from the Prophet

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
A King Acts on a Widow's Behalf

2 Kings 4:18-27

The Message (MSG)

 ^18-19 The child grew up. One day he went to his father, who was working with the harvest hands, complaining, "My head, my head!"
    His father ordered a servant, "Carry him to his mother."
 ²⁰ The servant took him in his arms and carried him to his mother. He lay on her lap until noon and died.
 ²¹ She took him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in alone, and left.
 ²² She then called her husband, "Get me a servant and a donkey so I can go to the Holy Man; I'll be back as soon as I can."
 ²³ "But why today? This isn't a holy day—it's neither New Moon nor Sabbath."
    She said, "Don't ask questions; I need to go right now. Trust me."
 ^24-25 She went ahead and saddled the donkey, ordering her servant, "Take the lead—and go as fast as you can; I'll tell you if you're going too fast." And so off she went. She came to the Holy Man at Mount Carmel.
 ^25-26 The Holy Man, spotting her while she was still a long way off, said to his servant Gehazi, "Look out there; why, it's the Shunammite woman! Quickly now. Ask her, 'Is something wrong? Are you all right? Your husband? Your child?'"
    She said, "Everything's fine."
 ²⁷ But when she reached the Holy Man at the mountain, she threw herself at his feet and held tightly to him.
    Gehazi came up to pull her away, but the Holy Man said, "Leave her alone—can't you see that she's in distress? But God hasn't let me in on why; I'm completely in the dark."

For Reflection

Death is never easy.  Especially when it is the death of a child, your child.  The miraculous gift by the Holy man is gone.  "All is fine," she said.  And it was so.

It is well for those who survive.  It is well for those who have gone to God and it is well for all that God does.  We are in possession of nothing.  So in death we lose nothing.  We have in fact been blessed to have been associated in love with another.  So, even in death, all is well.

Even in this, God is just.

Pray

that you will find the strength of faith necessary to be able to say, even in the face of sorrow, in the face of threat, in the face of failure, in the face of tribulation, "All is well."

A Promised Son

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
A King Acts on a Widow's Behalf

2 Kings 4:8-17

The Message

⁸ One day Elisha passed through Shunem. A leading lady of the town talked him into stopping for a meal. And then it became his custom: Whenever he passed through, he stopped by for a meal.
 ^9-10 "I'm certain," said the woman to her husband, "that this man who stops by with us all the time is a holy man of God. Why don't we add on a small room upstairs and furnish it with a bed and desk, chair and lamp, so that when he comes by he can stay with us?"
 ¹¹ And so it happened that the next time Elisha came by he went to the room and lay down for a nap.
 ¹² Then he said to his servant Gehazi, "Tell the Shunammite woman I want to see her." He called her and she came to him.
 ¹³ Through Gehazi Elisha said, "You've gone far beyond the call of duty in taking care of us; what can we do for you? Do you have a request we can bring to the king or to the commander of the army?"
    She replied, "Nothing. I'm secure and satisfied in my family."
 ¹⁴ Elisha conferred with Gehazi: "There's got to be something we can do for her. But what?"
    Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man."
 ¹⁵ "Call her in," said Elisha. He called her and she stood at the open door.
 ¹⁶ Elisha said to her, "This time next year you're going to be nursing an infant son."
    "O my master, O Holy Man," she said, "don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!"
 ¹⁷ The woman conceived. A year later, just as Elisha had said, she had a son.

For Reflection

In God anything is possible.  The Shunammite woman's hospitality went beyond the conventional.  Her hospitality was rewarded not because she expected a reward for her efforts, but precisely because she expected no reward at all.  How often to you give with out expectation of a return?

 

Pray

that you will offer hospitality with no expectation for return.

The Protector of Widows

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
A King Acts on a Widow's Behalf

Psalm 68:1-6

The Message

A David Psalm

 ^1-4 Up with God! Down with his enemies!
         Adversaries, run for the hills!
   Gone like a puff of smoke,
      like a blob of wax in the fire—
         one look at God and the wicked vanish.
   When the righteous see God in action
      they'll laugh, they'll sing,
         they'll laugh and sing for joy.
   Sing hymns to God;
      all heaven, sing out;
         clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.
   Enjoy God,
      cheer when you see him!

 ^5-6 Father of orphans,
      champion of widows,
         is God in his holy house.
   God makes homes for the homeless,
      leads prisoners to freedom,
         but leaves rebels to rot in hell.

For Reflection

Is it possible there is such joy in justice?  Who has not experienced unfairness.  Even small children understand this concept.  Who among us champions the homeless, the prisoner, the odd person out?

 

Pray

that you will look for God in the needy,  Pray that you will praise God for his effort to open our eyes to those in need.  Pray that we will always be a humble servant.

A Son Restored

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
A King Acts on a Widow's Behalf

Luke 15:11-24

The Message

The Story of the Lost Son

 ^11-12Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' ^12-16"So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
 ^17-20"That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father.
 ^20-21"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
 ^22-24"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.

For Reflection 

Two sons, both educated in the ways of God, one was sober and the other risky. This all too familiar story is not just about the risky son.  It is also about the sober one.  What their father thought was justice in embracing the returning son the sober son saw as unjust.  Considering that both sons had a similar upbringing in spiritual matters what do you suppose accounts for the difference in the way the sober son's and the father's sense of justice?

Pray

that you will adjust your sense of fairness to be consistent with the love God expresses and resides in this father.  Pray that your attitudes of justice and your actions are consistent with Godly wittiness.

Solomon's Unsurpassed Wisdom

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Solomon Judges with Wisdom and Justice

1 Kings 4:29-34

The Message

 ^29-34 God gave Solomon wisdom—the deepest of understanding and the largest of hearts. There was nothing beyond him, nothing he couldn't handle. Solomon's wisdom outclassed the vaunted wisdom of wise men of the East, outshone the famous wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, wiser than Calcol and Darda the sons of Mahol. He became famous among all the surrounding nations. He created 3,000 proverbs; his songs added up to 1,005. He knew all about plants, from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Sent by kings from all over the earth who had heard of his reputation, people came from far and near to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

For Reflection

Wisdom and Justice are counterparts.  When challenged by circumstance what is the source of your wisdom?  Does it lead to justice?

 

Pray

that you will seek the wisdom of God in all that you do.  Pray for others to follow the wisdom of God's justice.

Grace for a Competitor

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Solomon Judges with Wisdom and Justice

1 Kings 1:41-53

The Message

 ⁴¹ Adonijah and his retinue of guests were just finishing their "coronation" feast when they heard it. When Joab heard the blast of the ram's horn trumpet he said, "What's going on here? What's all this uproar?"
 ⁴² Suddenly, in the midst of the questioning, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, showed up. Adonijah said, "Welcome! A brave and good man like you must have good news."
 ^43-48 But Jonathan answered, "Hardly! Our master King David has just made Solomon king! And the king has surrounded him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, with the Kerethites and Pelethites; and they've mounted Solomon on the royal mule. Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon and the parade is headed up this way singing—a great fanfare! The city is rocking! That's what you're hearing. Here's the crowning touch—Solomon is seated on the throne of the kingdom! And that's not all: The king's servants have come to give their blessing to our master King David saying, 'God make Solomon's name even more honored than yours, and make his rule greater than yours!' On his deathbed the king worshiped God and prayed, 'Blessed be God, Israel's God, who has provided a successor to my throne, and I've lived to see it!'"
 ^49-50 Panicked, Adonijah's guests got out of there, scattering every which way. But Adonijah himself, afraid for his life because of Solomon, fled to the sanctuary and grabbed the horns of the Altar.
 ⁵¹ Solomon was told, "Adonijah, fearful of King Solomon, has taken sanctuary and seized the horns of the Altar and is saying, 'I'm not leaving until King Solomon promises that he won't kill me.'"
 ^52-53 Solomon then said, "If he proves to be a man of honor, not a hair of his head will be hurt; but if there is evil in him, he'll die." Solomon summoned him and they brought him from the Altar. Adonijah came and bowed down, honoring the king. Solomon dismissed him, "Go home."

For Reflection

It is hard to love one's enemies.  Adonijah must have been an honorable man. I suppose honorable men can sometimes err.  No matter, God will pick up the pieces. 

Pray

that you will not judge harshly those with a view contrary to your own.  Pray that you will hold no grudge with honorable persons.

Solomon Anointed Israel's King

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Solomon Judges with Wisdom and Justice

1 Kings 1:28-37

The Message

 ²⁸ King David took action: "Get Bathsheba back in here." She entered and stood before the king.
 ^29-30 The king solemnly promised, "As God lives, the God who delivered me from every kind of trouble, I'll do exactly what I promised in God's name, the God of Israel: Your son Solomon will be king after me and take my place on the throne. And I'll make sure it happens this very day."
 ³¹ Bathsheba bowed low, her face to the ground. Kneeling in reverence before the king she said, "Oh, may my master, King David, live forever!"
 ³² King David said, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." They came to the king.
 ^33-35 Then he ordered, "Gather my servants, then mount my son Solomon on my royal mule and lead him in procession down to Gihon. When you get there, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the ram's horn trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' You will then accompany him as he enters and takes his place on my throne, succeeding me as king. I have named him ruler over Israel and Judah."
 ^36-37 Benaiah son of Jehoiada backed the king: "Yes! And may God, the God of my master the king, confirm it! Just as God has been with my master the king, may he also be with Solomon and make his rule even greater than that of my master King David!"

For Reflection

Faced by political intrigue and attempts at forcing a different successor to the throne of David, David's trusted followers set in motion the confirmation of David's promise to appoint Solomon.  In today's world one would say. "that's politics!"  I prefer, "That's God's handy work."

 

Pray

that you will look to the world's affairs with the eyes of God.  Pray that you will try to find God's hand in the affairs of human kind.  Pray that you will search scripture for help.  Pray that you will listen quietly for Gods guidance.  Pray for patience and confidence in God's will.

The Lord Loves Justice

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Solomon Judges with Wisdom and Justice

Psalm 37:27-34

The Message

 ^27-28 Turn your back on evil,
      work for the good and don't quit.
   God loves this kind of thing,
      never turns away from his friends.

 ^28-29 Live this way and you've got it made,
      but bad eggs will be tossed out.
   The good get planted on good land
      and put down healthy roots.

 ^30-31 Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone,
      rolls virtue around on his tongue.
   His heart pumps God's Word like blood through his veins;
      his feet are as sure as a cat's.

 ^32-33 Wicked sets a watch for Righteous,
      he's out for the kill.
   God, alert, is also on watch—
      Wicked won't hurt a hair of his head.

 ³⁴ Wait passionately for God,
      don't leave the path.
   He'll give you your place in the sun
      while you watch the wicked lose it.

For Reflection

What does it mean to participate in God's justice?  Perhaps it means that one has confidence in God's wisdom in spite of the fact that one faces patience eroding doubt and uncertainty.  The righteous hold tight to the promise of God even though they dangle from a string above a bottomless canyon.

 

Pray

Turn the psalmist's words into your own personal prayer.  Pray for the confidence to trust in the Lord.

A Prayer for Wisdom

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
Solomon Judges with Wisdom and Justice

Ephesians 1:15-23

The Message

 ^15-19That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
 ^20-23All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

For Reflection

The source of all knowledge is God.  The source of all wisdom is God.  The major questions in life are theological.  The guardian of this theology is the church universal.  Imperfect as it is, the church is a sign of God's supremacy.

The church operates with-in a world context but is not of this world.  Perhaps as the world context changes it challenges the church.  Through resolving these challenging conflicts the Church grows into God's grace.  Today's Church is not what it was at the beginning.  Nor is it the church of King James time.  It is not all that it is going to be.  We see the hand of God in the maturing stages of the Church.

Pray

that you listen to the wisdom of the scriptures.  Pray that you will not measure today's Church by yesterdays standards.  Pray that the Church universal will address current challenges by applying scripture and action tempered by the love and grace of God to advance the Kingdom of God.

Reigning in Righteousness

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
David Embodies God's Justice

Isaiah 32:1-8

The Message

Safe Houses, Quiet Gardens

 ^1-8 But look! A king will rule in the right way, and his leaders will carry out justice.
Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds,
   provide safe cover in stormy weather.
Each will be cool running water in parched land,
   a huge granite outcrop giving shade in the desert.
Anyone who looks will see,
   anyone who listens will hear.
The impulsive will make sound decisions,
   the tongue-tied will speak with eloquence.
No more will fools become celebrities,
   nor crooks be rewarded with fame.
For fools are fools and that's that,
   thinking up new ways to do mischief.
They leave a wake of wrecked lives
   and lies about God,
Turning their backs on the homeless hungry,
   ignoring those dying of thirst in the streets.
And the crooks? Underhanded sneaks they are,
   inventive in sin and scandal,
Exploiting the poor with scams and lies,
   unmoved by the victimized poor.
But those who are noble make noble plans,
   and stand for what is noble.

For Reflection

In America we have given up on kings.  In the public sector we elect our leaders.  Sometime we fail to looki beyond the issue centered rhetoric of hopeful candidates.  Perhaps we should ask, "who will carry out justice?  Who will provide a sanctuary for those whose need is greatest?  Who will have the highest concern for the homeless and hungry?  Who is the most nobel?"

Pray

that all over the world people will enjoy lives under just leadership.  Pray that those who lead the governance of others will realize that a high regard for acting justly is more powerful than oppression.  Pray that we in America will reject the call for unjust action.

Praising God's Steadfast Love

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
David Embodies God's Justice

2 Samuel 22:47-51

The Message

 ^47-51 Live, God! Blessing to my Rock,
      my towering Salvation-God!
   This God set things right for me
      and shut up the people who talked back.
   He rescued me from enemy anger.
      You pulled me from the grip of upstarts,
   You saved me from the bullies.
      That's why I'm thanking you, God,
      all over the world.
   That's why I'm singing songs
      that rhyme your name.
   God's king takes the trophy;
      God's chosen is beloved.
   I mean David and all his children—
      always.

For Reflection

Yesterday, we in  America celebrated our freedom and independence.  This was justice paid for in the lives of many brave men and women.  It is justice that is still a model of governance for the world.  It is, however, a style of living that will always be threatened.  We must thank God for the examples of justice all over the world.  We must remember that God's justice, not our justice reigns.  We must listen as God sets us right. 

Pray

that you will temper your perceptions of the world with the wisdom found in scripture.  Pray that what we have been we will not remain; that what we are is not what we will become.  Pray for the guiding hand or God.  Pray that the whole world will grow into Grace.

Depending Upon God's Guidance

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
David Embodies God's Justice

2 Samuel 22:26-31

The Message

 ^26-28 You stick by people who stick with you,
      you're straight with people who're straight with you,
   You're good to good people,
      you shrewdly work around the bad ones.
   You take the side of the down-and-out,
      but the stuck-up you take down a peg.
 ^29-31 Suddenly, God, your light floods my path,
      God drives out the darkness.
   I smash the bands of marauders,
      I vault the high fences.
   What a God! His road
      stretches straight and smooth.
   Every God-direction is road-tested.
      Everyone who runs toward him
   Makes it.

For Reflection

Mankind can begin in kindness, but, when threatened, revert to defensiveness and create a powerful spiral into destruction.

Not God!  God will stick with you, be straight with you, good to you, take your side and work against those who work against you.  God will light your path with justice and wisdom.  All one has to do is follow the light.  Avoid the darkness,  Run toward God. 

Pray

that you pattern you life in the image of God's intentions for you.  Pray that you will have the wisdom and courage to overcome the pull of vengeance and retaliation.

Rejoicing in God's Deliverance

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
David Embodies God's Justice

2 Samuel 22:8-20

The Message

 ^8-16 Earth wobbled and lurched;
      the very heavens shook like leaves,
   Quaked like aspen leaves
      because of his rage.
   His nostrils flared, billowing smoke;
      his mouth spit fire.
   Tongues of fire darted in and out;
      he lowered the sky.
   He stepped down;
      under his feet an abyss opened up.
   He rode a winged creature,
      swift on wind-wings.
   He wrapped himself
      in a trenchcoat of black rain-cloud darkness.
   But his cloud-brightness burst through,
      a grand comet of fireworks.
   Then God thundered out of heaven;
      the High God gave a great shout.
   God shot his arrows—pandemonium!
      He hurled his lightnings—a rout!
   The secret sources of ocean were exposed,
      the hidden depths of earth lay uncovered
   The moment God roared in protest,
      let loose his hurricane anger.
 ^17-20 But me he caught—reached all the way
      from sky to sea; he pulled me out
   Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
      the void in which I was drowning.
   They hit me when I was down,
      but God stuck by me.
   He stood me up on a wide-open field;
      I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

For Reflection 

Some believe that David uttered this psalm later in life.  It, then, may be a reflection of David's survival during Saul's violent reign.  David praises God for preserving him under the treacherous attacks from Saul.  David's faith in God grounds his perception of his survival and is a foundation for his kingship.  God pulled David from an ocean of hate which characterized Saul's rain and should have embittered David.  God rescued David from the curse of responding in hate.  

David praises God for sticking by him and for Gods saving grace.  As God has surprised David with His love, David may have surprised his subjects with grace. 

Pray

that you will not answer fear with fearful responses.  Pray that in the face of threat you will not answer threat with threat; hate with hate; injury with injury.  Pray for the people of our world who suffer the injustice of hateful leaders.  Pray that they will overcome the violence and establish peace.

Inquiring of the Lord

God's Creative Word
God Calls For Justice:  Justice Enacted
David Embodies God's Justice

2 Samuel 2:1-7

The Message

 ¹ After all this, David prayed. He asked God, "Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?"    God said, "Yes, move." "And to which city?"
    "To Hebron."
 ^2-3 So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David's men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.
 ^4-7 The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah.
    A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given Saul a decent burial. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: "God bless you for this—for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral. God honor you and be true to you—and I'll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness. Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king."

For Reflection

How many times have you experienced or heard of a newly appointed manager or CEO that in order to establish his authority began his new position with an immediate  "clean sweep," bringing all his own people to replace a former manager' s staff?  What does that say about the strength of a leader's confidence in his own ability, or of his regard for those who have served well?  David certainly has the authority to act with an iron fist but chooses to act with open hands of invitation.

David asks God for his advice and upon hearing it act on it without question.  David makes his home with his subjects and offers hospitality.  He then compliments his subjects and offers his respect which is due to those who have honored him with authority.  David leads by sharing his power not abusing it.  In doing so, David gains his subjects to his interest. 

Pray

for the wisdom to lead.  Pray that those who lead will lead justly.  Pray that they will seek the wisdom of God.  Pray that they will not resort to defending their leadership positions at the expense of those whom they lead.