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.