Tag: justice

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Psalms Devotionals 2

Hoping in our righteous Judge

Sunrise

…you have ordained a judgment. (Psalm 7:6)

Those words resonated with me this morning.

There is so much evil and injustice in the world that it’s easy to get angry just reading the news.

But God reminded me again: he isn’t ignoring it all.

He has ordained a judgment.

And on that day, he will judge all righteously.

He knows not only people’s actions, but searches their hearts and minds. And if they refuse to repent, they will eventually face his justice.

So even as I read the news today, I choose to set aside my anger and sing with David.

I will thank the Lord for his righteousness;
I will sing about the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 17:7)

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Judges Devotionals

Waiting for justice

Waiting for justice

In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil—the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers. God also brought back to the men of Shechem all their evil.

So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them. (Judges 9:56-57)

Judges is a pretty dark book, and we see it here.

But the encouraging thing to me is that God does ultimately bring about justice. Sometimes, he brings it about himself. Sometimes, as in this case, he lets evil consume itself.

But he does bring about justice.

That’s my hope in a pretty dark world with all that’s going on in Ukraine and Gaza.

Even if all the people responsible escape justice here on earth, they will not escape it when they stand before God’s throne.

The question is, do we believe it? Do we believe God is still good, with all that’s happening in the world? Do we believe he will bring about justice?

I choose to believe.

How about you?

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Ecclesiastes Devotionals

In a world where we see evil.

Ecclesiastes

I don’t think anyone can deny we live in an evil world. None of us are untouched by it. But how do we deal with evil when we are touched by it?

I think there are three answers we find in this passage.

1. Don’t break your brains trying to find out all the whys for evil in the world.

As I mentioned in my last article, Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived besides Jesus, and he couldn’t figure it out. Neither will you. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)

2. Trust that God will bring justice in the end. (12-13)

We may never see justice here on earth. (10-11). But our God is good, and ultimately, the Judge of all the earth will do what is right. (Genesis 18:25)

3. Seek God’s wisdom.

We live in a world where people have the power to hurt others. (9) 

Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we’ll escape that. So when people hurt you, seek God’s wisdom on how to deal with them.

When do we seek justice? When do we show mercy? When do we simply leave justice in God’s hands? To answer those questions, we need God’s wisdom.

Solomon said, 

…a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6)

4. Choose to rejoice. (15) 

If our focus is always on our troubles, it will suck us into a pit of despair.

But the Lord is near. He is good. So in the midst of our troubles, let us focus on him, and his goodness to us.

And as we lay our burdens before him, let us not forget all the things we have to be thankful for.

As you do, even though you may be touched by evil in this world, you will know God’s peace. (Philippians 4:5-7)

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Psalms Devotionals

Three choices

Psalms

David wrote this concerning Doeg, whose actions led to the murder of God’s priests. (I Samuel 22:6-23)

How do we respond when we see the evil that people do in the world? I think we can see the answer in David’s words.

  1. Choose to trust in God’s faithful love toward us. That no matter what happens to us, nothing can separate us from it. (Romans 8:35-39)
  2. Choose to give thanks to him. Thank him that justice will ultimately come. But also remembering to thank him for all that he has done for us in the past, and all that he is doing for us now.
  3. Choose to wait for him, putting our hope in God. He will execute justice in his time. And he will make all things right.

In doing so, we become that olive tree planted in the house of God.

What is an olive tree like? It lives long, provides food, and through its oil brings light and healing.

In the same way, we will be people that endure through the hardest of times, and at the same time provide, light, healing, and spiritual food to a hurting world.

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Luke Devotionals

The real problem, the real solution

Luke

In the States, we hear the terms “systemic racism” or  “systemic injustice” being thrown around left and right. And even within the church, people debate how systemic these problems really are.

As I read Luke chapter 3 today, however, it seems crystal clear where the real problem lies and what the real solution is.

John the Baptist came onto the scene in Israel and made an instant impact.

What was he pointing to in his preaching? Systemic racism and oppression against the Jews? Systemic injustice in Rome?

No. He pointed to individuals and their sin, and he called them to repent.

And John was not one to mince his words.

Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. (Luke 3:7-8)

John wasn’t speaking to the Roman government. Nor was he speaking primarily to those in power among the Jews. He was talking to the people.

What did he preach?

  1. God’s wrath is coming upon you because of your sin.
  2. Repent, not just in your words, but in your actions.

Even for those in the corrupt “system,” the tax collectors and the soldiers, John did not call on them to reform the system, much as the system needed reform. He called on them to repent as individuals. To change their own actions.

But this is a lost message in many churches.

We no longer preach sin, no less accountability for it.

No doubt there are problems in the system. And there is no doubt that there is some degree of oppression in them, although I would argue there is a lot less of it than there was 50 years ago.

Does that mean we then stop working for reform? Of course not.

But all the reform of the world’s systems will never solve the true problem: the human heart.

Let’s assume for a moment that all racism is completely eradicated from the system. Will that then eliminate all of society’s problems?

No. Because sin will still reign in the hearts of people.

You already see that in the hearts of many who are calling for reform.

They aren’t calling for justice as defined by the Bible. Their concept of sin is so far from the concept as found in the Bible, that we’ll end up in Sodom and Gomorrah if we follow them to their logical conclusion.

True God-honoring societal change will not come from systemic reform, especially as it is defined by many of the current “reformers.”

It will only come when we start calling individuals to repent of their sin.

We need to tell them what sin is. We need to tell them what the ultimate consequences of their sin are. And we need to tell them what God has done to rescue us from this problem.

And if we fail to do that, if we instead make systemic reform our “gospel,” we will have failed in the commission God has given us. (See Ezekiel 33 and Acts 20:21, 24-27).

The gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel that God loves us and desires to save us has no meaning apart from the concept of sin and repentance.

After all, if people cannot even recognize their own sin, what are they being saved from? Racial oppression? Poverty? Disease?

All these are important, but they are secondary to the primary problem of the human race: their own personal sin.

Make no mistake, though. The world does not want to hear that message.

For all their cries for justice, they want nothing to do with God’s justice. They want nothing to do with hearing about their own personal sin and their accountability to God for that sin.

Just look at John the Baptist. Herod sinned by marrying his brother’s wife. And when John rebuked him for this one sin (although there were apparently others as well), Herod imprisoned him, and eventually executed him.

We the church will be persecuted if we preach sin. But we can’t be faithful to our call unless we do.

Question: when will we not only call for people in the system to repent, but for people among the “reformers” to repent?

There are Christian leaders who rightfully call for systemic reform. But where are those same leaders when it comes to calling for repentance among the “reformers?”

When we see injustice, let’s fight against it. If you want to march or sign petitions for it, great. If you want to post your opinions on social media, fine.

But more importantly, let’s start with the individuals we know and start preaching repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

Because only when the hearts of individuals change will we see true societal change.

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Revelation

When justice comes

Revelation

I was reading a letter from an elementary school that my friend in Hawaii posted on Facebook today.

It talked about how a child going to school was accosted by a stranger who threatened to kidnap her. A high school student was nearby so the child quickly ran to the student for help, and the stranger immediately left.

It really is scary to see all that is going on in society. And often times, we wonder if justice is ever going to come. We saw the saints crying out that very question in chapter 6.

But here in this chapter, we see that justice will finally come on all those who do evil and on the society that gave them birth. Antichrist, the prophet, Babylon, and everyone who follows them all fall.

The Antichrist and his army rise up for one last war against God, and Jesus returns to take back what is rightfully his. He who is faithful and true finally comes to prove that he truly is these things.

He proved it on the cross where he shed his blood for our sins (13), and he proves it now by bringing justice and salvation to the earth.

One would think that it would be a full-scale war, reminiscent of all the great battle scenes that you see in the movies. But it really is no contest.

With a word, the enemy’s army is destroyed (Revelation 19:21), and the antichrist and his prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (20).

Babylon is destroyed, and the smoke of its destruction rises forever (3), while the birds of prey feast at the banquet of the damned (17-18, 21).

The end result? Worship. For justice has finally come.

All heaven roars,

Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments.

He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants…Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever…Amen, Hallelujah!  (Revelation 19:1-4)

And with the banquet of the damned completed, another banquet is prepared. A voice from God’s throne cries out,

Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great! (5)

And all heaven responds,

Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (6-8)

The angel then turns to John and says,

Write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb…These are the true words of God.” (9)

The point of this all? Justice is coming. And with justice will come great joy for all of us who are the bride of Christ.

Though we did nothing to deserve it, though we too deserved to join the banquet of the damned, he has clothed us with his righteousness, and that righteousness has become our own.

We have become his own, Christ’s beloved. And we will rejoice with him for all eternity.

So as we see all the injustice and corruption in this world, let us hold on to that hope.

Justice is coming. Jesus is coming. And on that day, all heaven and earth will ring out in worship of him who truly is faithful and true.

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Revelation

The gravity of judgment

Revelation

How does heaven see injustice? And how does heaven see judgment when it comes?

I think we find both answers here. Normally, heaven rings with the worship of the cherubim, seraphim, the elders, and all the saints. But when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was dead silence.

Why? Judgment was coming.

Oh, it had already come in part by the opening of the earlier seals. But from here on out, the judgments only grow in intensity and awfulness, as we shall see.

But it all starts with an angel coming with much incense to the altar of God. And he offers it to God along with the prayers of the saints.

What prayers? Most likely the prayers we saw in chapter 6; the prayers of the martyrs crying for justice.

At that time, God said, “Wait a little while.”

But now the time for justice had come.

Seven angels are given seven trumpets. And one by one, they are blown.

Again, a lot of this language is fantastic and highly figurative, so it’s hard to know exactly what it’s talking about.

But the hail and fire coming after the first trumpet is reminiscent of the plagues God sent down on Egypt. (Exodus 9:23-25)

That could very well be literal hail and fire considering that it happened to Egypt.

Anyway, as a result, a third of the earth and the trees are burned, and all the grass as well.

The “third” may be literal or not, but considering how they often use that number throughout these two chapters, I think it merely has the idea of a significant number.

The second trumpet is blown and a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, perhaps referring to volcanic eruptions and their after-effects.

(There was an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79  which destroyed ships and killed marine life).

The third trumpet is blown and a great star fell from heaven making a third of the waters bitter, and killing many people. Whether this is some kind of meteorite, or simply a symbol of something that contaminates the water, I don’t know.

Again, this and the death of the those in the sea from the second trumpet are reminiscent of the plague on Egypt when God turned the Nile to blood. (Exodus 7:20-24)

The fourth angel blows his trumpet and a third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck.

This is why I says the number 1/3 is probably symbolic. How in the world do you strike a third of the sun. And even if you do, do you really reduce it’s light by exactly one-third?

At any rate, like with Egypt, an unexplained darkness falls upon the earth.

And then things get worse, what the eagle calls the three woes. (Revelation 8:13)

The fifth trumpet is blown, and swarms of locust from hell itself come out to devastate the earth, again a reference to one of the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15)

But these are not literal locust. They seem to be demons. Why? Their king is an angel whose name is Abaddon or Apollyon, Hebrew and Greek for “destroyer.”

Second, their attack is not on the plant-life, but on people, to torture them. Third, the attack is specifically on those who are not sealed and protected by God (see chapter 7).

Then the sixth trumpet is blown, and the four angels from chapter 7 that were held back from wrecking destruction on the earth are released.

And the picture seems to be that of full-scale war, with a third of mankind being wiped out as a result (an increase from the fourth that were killed in chapter 6 verse 8).

And yet, people do not repent. Rather, they continue in their sin for which they were being judged.

Sometimes people wonder why hell has to be eternal. After all, wouldn’t some, if not all, repent after being sent there?

I think we find the answer here and later in chapter 16. And the answer is a resounding no. Despite their suffering, they continue in their sinful attitudes and even curse God.

Is it any wonder that all heaven was silent at the opening of the seven seals?

God does not delight in judgment. But he is a God of justice. And he will not put off the cries of his saints forever. He hears their prayers. And he will bring judgment.

So remember: If you’re a Christian crying out wondering where justice is in this world, God hears. And the time for justice will come.

But also remember that judgment is not something to be taken lightly. Heaven doesn’t. Neither should we.

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Revelation

How long until justice comes?

Revelation

We jumped the fifth seal yesterday because it takes a slightly different perspective from the other five we looked at. Seals 1-4 and seal 6 all have to do with the judgments going on upon the earth.

Here in seal 5, we see something that happens in heaven.

Jesus opens the seal and John sees under the altar the souls of those who died for Jesus’ sake. And they cry out in a loud voice,

How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? (Revelation 6:10)

Who are these martyrs? I think these are all those who have died from the time of Stephen (Acts 7) on.

Throughout history, many have died for the sake of Christ. And it’s easy to wonder, where is the justice?

When we are persecuted and for Christ’s sake, why don’t we see God’s justice?

Jesus’ answer to these martyrs is very interesting. He told them to “wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” (6:11)

In short, there will be persecution all the way until Christ’s return. Until that time, God is patient.

Why? Because he’s still waiting for as many people to enter the kingdom before he returns. But when he comes, justice will come.

And in the meantime, he will give those who have died for his sake peace and rest.

This world often seems unfair. We often suffer and we can’t understand why.

Jesus never promises we won’t face trouble. He guarantees it. (John 16:33)

It’s one of the reasons why I’m skeptical that Jesus will pull the church out before antichrist comes.

But though we may suffer, know justice will eventually come. And remember the words of Jesus.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33b)

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2 Peter

A destruction that is not sleeping

2 Peter

Sometimes we wonder why God allows so much evil in the world. We wonder why God doesn’t do something now about the people who are doing evil.

And in addressing the false teachers and their fate, Peter gives us an answer to this.

He says,

In their greed, these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction is not sleeping. (2 Peter 2:3)

In short, though it seems like God isn’t doing anything and that justice will never come, it will come. Condemnation is hanging over the wicked, ready to drop. And their destruction is sure.

Peter then gives three illustrations of this from the Old Testament.

First there were the angels that sinned whom God sent straight to hell.

This is actually kind of unusual, because for the most part, demons are not bound. They are free to roam the earth and wreck havoc.

But apparently some demons were so bad that they were bound up and are now being held for final judgment. (We’ll talk more about this when we come to Jude).

Second, there were all the people on the earth in the time of Noah. People who were so bad that, “every inclination of the thoughts of [their] hearts was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5)

And for all the years that Noah built the ark, warning these people to repent, they continued on in their sin, seemingly unpunished. But when the flood came, judgment fell and they all perished. Noah and his family, however, were saved.

Third was the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. For years they lived in utter depravity, such that Lot was afraid that two visitors to the city (who turned out to be angels) would be raped if they stayed out in the open.

Ultimately, his neighbors’ actions proved him correct. And so God judged that city, destroying it. But again he spared Lot from that destruction.

And so Peter concludes,

If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. (9)

Some points here.

First, though it says that the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials, it does not mean we will never go through them. That bad things will never happen to us.

But through them all, God will be with us and see us through. And ultimately, we will find rest with him in heaven.

But as for the evil, they will be judged. Peter tells us that they are being held for the day of judgment, and in the meantime, their punishment has already started.

Nobody likes the idea of hell and eternal punishment. I certainly don’t. But it is reality.

Now, the final judgment won’t come until after the millennium in which Christ reigns. But until that time, those who have died apart from God are undergoing punishment for their sins.

And on the day of final judgment, John tells us that they will be thrown into a lake of burning fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

Sadly, if the judgment of Satan is any indication, they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

It’s not a pretty picture. But it’s the truth. And it’s justice.

Justice will be done someday. That’s the hope of judgment. And that’s the fear of judgment.

It’s the fear of those who have rejected Christ.

But for those who have put their faith in him, Jesus says,

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

How do you see judgment day? With hope? Or fear?

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Romans

When people hate us

Romans

One thing that the early Christians had to face, and Christians have to face to this day is hatred and persecution.

And Paul told the church how to handle it. He said,

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14)

Those words echo what Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount.

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

Jesus himself, lived out those words. When he was on the cross, facing those who put him there, he prayed,

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)

We are to do the same. When we let bitterness consume us, it destroys us.

So Paul says, “Let go of bitterness and resentment to those who hurt you. Instead, pray for them.”

He goes even further in verse 17 saying,

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. (Romans 12:17)

Rather,

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

The wording is perhaps not the best here. Paul is not saying, “Follow the moral standards of the people around you.”

He’s saying, “In the eyes of the people around you, whether they persecute you or not, do what is right.”

And that of course means not giving into bitterness or anger and taking revenge.

He then says,

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

Sometimes this means simply agreeing to disagree agreeably.

Sometimes this means we need to apologize to someone even if we feel they shouldn’t have been hurt by something we did.

Sometimes it means finding a middle ground in which you don’t have to compromise the Word of God.

I have friends here in Japan, for example, that refuse to go to any Buddhist funeral or memorial ceremony, but they will go out of their way to serve their family or friends after the ceremonies in any way they can.

Finally, Paul tells us,

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:19-20)

In short, remember justice belongs to God, not you. God will bring all people to account for what they’ve done. So don’t give in the desire to “fight fire with fire.”

And again, don’t hold on to bitterness. It will only eat you up.

Rather, follow the example of Jesus and show his love to them.

Who knows? Through your actions, they may actually come to Christ.

I wonder how much Stephen’s prayer (Acts 7:60) for those who were killing him ate at Paul before Paul himself finally came to Christ.

So as Paul concludes,

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

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Romans

Forbearance and justice

Romans

Paul puts in some very interesting thoughts concerning those who lived and died before Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He said,

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26)

In this passage, Paul talks about God’s justice. And he says that God showed justice by not punishing the sins committed before the cross.

What does he mean by this? Does this mean that all that lived and died before the cross are saved?

No, it doesn’t mean this. One thing that Paul makes clear through the scriptures is that all are saved by faith.

He says in verse 28,

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (Romans 3:28)

And as we will see in chapter 4, he goes all the way back to the time of Abraham to point out that even Abraham was saved by his faith.

So if a person did not have faith in God, they were not saved, but condemned.

However, Abraham, Moses, David, and all the rest of the Old Testament saints who did put their faith in God had a problem.

All the sacrifices they gave as an expression of their faith were not effective in taking away their sins. All the sacrifices they gave were mere pictures of what Jesus would do hundreds of years after they died.

(We’ll talk about this more when I eventually get around to blogging Hebrews).

But it wasn’t fair to punish them just because Jesus had not come yet to die for their sins.

So instead, because they believed in this Messiah to come, God accepted their faith as righteousness and put off the justice they deserved for their sin.

And when Jesus went to the cross, God put all of Abraham’s sins, Moses’ sin, David’s sins, and all the rest of the Old Testament saints’ sins upon Jesus.

At that point, their sins were completely wiped out by the blood of Christ, and they could enter the presence of God in heaven.

God shows that same kind of forbearance and justice with us.

Though we all deserved death for our sins, and God could have immediately put us to death, he showed forbearance.

He worked in our lives, preparing our hearts for Jesus. And then when we put our faith in him, God wiped out our sin just as he did with the Old Testament saints.

He did this, not with a forgiveness that says, “Oh, I know you did wrong, but I’m a nice God so I’ll just forgive you.”

He did it with a forgiveness that says, “What you did was horrible, and a price needed to be paid. Justice needed to be served. But Jesus paid that price, and in his death, justice was served. Now because of your faith, you are forgiven.”

But this message is important for you if you are not a Christian as well.

Remember that God is a God of forbearance. But he is also a God of justice.

He is patient. He will wait for you to respond to him. But he will not wait forever. And if you don’t accept his grace, you will receive his justice.

So don’t wait. Receive his grace while you can. As Paul wrote in another passage,

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

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Luke Luke 11

What’s in the heart

Luke

Here in Luke 11:37-44, Jesus gives a blistering criticism of the Pharisees. And basically what it came down to was what was in their hearts.

The Pharisees looked so good on the outside. They were so careful to keep the law. But inside, they were full of hypocrisy.

One thing Jesus pointed to was the greed that stained their hearts. Oh, they gave their tithes to God, down to the herbs they grew in their gardens.

But when they saw a person in need, they walked by without a second glance. Their love for money far outweighed their love for those around them.

They also were so quick to pass judgment without really looking at the situation through God’s eyes.

One example was their criticism of Jesus’ healings on the Sabbath and the unjust way they not only treated Jesus, but those he healed (John 9).

In so doing, they forgot the words of Micah who said,

With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)

Jesus called them on all of this.

But he also pointed out the stain of pride in their hearts. That the reason they desired these positions of leadership was not to serve the people, but to be seen as important.

And because of these things, he called them unmarked graves which men walk over without knowing.

Why was that so bad? Because graves were unclean by Jewish law. To touch them was to make yourself unclean. (Numbers 19:16)

So Jesus was saying to these Pharisees, “Not only are you unclean, but you make everyone you come into contact with unclean too.

Worse, these people don’t even know that they’ve been made unclean because they think you’re righteous.”

Harsh?

Yes. But the truth often is. And the thing is, these people needed to know that while they were fooling others, they certainly weren’t fooling God, and they were headed for disaster unless they repented.

And so are we if we are merely “clean” on the outside but filthy on the inside.

It’s not enough to do religious things. To go to church. To tithe to the church.

These things are not enough when all the while, you’re filled with pride and greed, lacking the love of God in your heart. And not just lacking love for God, but lacking God’s love for those around you.

God sees beyond the exterior into your heart. And he is looking for people after his own heart.

What’s in yours?

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Proverbs

Even when it works…

I’ve mentioned before that some of the proverbs express truths that God doesn’t necessarily approve of.  Proverbs 17:8 is an example of this.

A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

At first glance, it seems Solomon is promoting bribery.  But later, he writes,

A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.  (23)

In other words, Solomon (and for that matter God) calls those who receive (and give) bribes evil, because in doing so, they disrupt what is fair and right.

We’ve seen this in government corruption on local and national levels.  We’ve also seen this in the courtroom where people were acquitted of crimes they committed through bribery.

Of this, Solomon says,

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent — the Lord detests them both.  (15)

Most people aren’t in positions where they feel a need to bribe others, but I think all of us face situations where we do something we know is wrong because it “works.”

They tell “white lies” to get out of uncomfortable situations.  Or they illegally download videos or music they want simply because they can.

But while you may “succeed” in gaining what you desire, God knows what you have done and detests it.

Let us never fool ourselves in thinking that just because we can do something and it works, that it is always right in the eyes of God.

Instead, let us weigh our actions by the word of God.  Let that be the measuring stick for our actions, not the “effectiveness” of what we do.

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Psalms

Bitterness and forgiveness, mercy and justice

Psalms

Psalm 109 is another of the imprecatory psalms, where we see the psalmist calling for the judgment of God on those who have wronged him.

A lot of people, including myself, get disturbed reading these kinds of psalms, because it seems to go so against the spirit of Jesus and his call for us to forgive our enemies.

I’ve mentioned some of these points before in previous psalms, but they bear repeating.

As king, (or as one who was soon to become king depending on when this psalm was written), David knew the importance of justice.  That evil cannot just be allowed to go on unchecked.

And so he was essentially calling for the evil to reap what they sowed.

Whereas they falsely accused him, he asked that they would be put on trial and found guilty.

When it says, “appoint an evil man to oppose him,” it’s hard to say whether he meant that he desired them to know what it’s like to be falsely accused by men, or if he just meant that the justice system is run by people who are no saints themselves.

Whereas they had made children into fatherless beggars, and wives into widows in poverty, he asked the same would come upon them.

That may seem harsh, but it calls to mind the case of Aaron Hernandez, the football player who is accused of murdering a man.

If it is true, he will be incarcerated leaving his daughter fatherless, and his fiancée without a husband.  It would be wise to remember that our actions not only affect us, but the ones we love.

And where there is no repentance for sin, there can be no forgiveness from God.  Their sin will always remain before him as a record against them.

But whereas we may call for justice, there can be no room for bitterness in our lives.  Because bitterness does not destroy the person who hurt you so much as it hurts you.

It’s interesting to note that the apostle Peter used this psalm to refer to Judas, who attacked Jesus without cause, repaid Jesus evil for good, and returned hatred for Jesus’ friendship.

And ultimately, because he never repented, he found God’s justice.  His days were few and another took his place of leadership.

But throughout it all, Jesus was never bitter against Judas.

Instead, when he was at the last supper washing Judas’ feet (along with the other disciples’) and offering him bread, indeed, when he was at the garden and Judas came to betray him, we see no signs of bitterness in Jesus.

Rather, we see compassion.

Jesus wasn’t naive.  He knew the character of Judas and he didn’t deceive himself concerning Judas.  Yet he still showed compassion and love towards Judas.

In doing so, he poured burning coals over Judas’ head, and in his guilt, Judas hung himself.  But Jesus remained unstained by bitterness.

And so did David.  Only once do we ever see him consumed with bitterness because of another’s actions to the point he was willing to take revenge (the situation with Nabal).

But when Nabal’s wife reminded him of what true justice was, he swiftly let go of his bitterness and showed mercy.

And when he saw God’s justice finally come, he rejoiced, as he does at the end of this psalm.

With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise him.

For he stands at the right hand of the needy one to save his life from those who condemn him (Psalm 109:30-31).

So let us let go of bitterness in our lives, and instead cling to mercy, forgiveness, and justice.

Categories
Psalms

When justice finally comes

Psalms

Whenever I look at Psalm 75, I can’t help but sing to myself the old chorus based on this psalm.

We give thanks to thee O Lord, we give thanks.
For thy name is near,
Thy wondrous works men declare.
We give thanks to thee O Lord, we give thanks.

Looking at the whole psalm, however, it’s interesting that I never realized what we were giving thanks for.  What wondrous works are we praising?

Ultimately, we’re looking at the time when God brings final judgment on all mankind.

God speaks in this psalm and says,

I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.

When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.

To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.

Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly.’  (Psalm 75:2-5)

And the rest of the psalm talks about how God will lift up the righteous and bring down the wicked.  The psalmist closes by praising God, singing,

As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”  (9-10)

I’ve mentioned before in previous blogs how so often we see the injustice in the world and wonder where God is.  Why he doesn’t do anything.

But in this psalm, we see that justice will indeed come.

So let us wait patiently for it and praise God not only that he will bring justice, but that for now he has shown us mercy, waiting so that as many as possible may be saved.  (2 Peter 3:9)

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Psalms

No escape

Psalms

One of my all-time favorite shows is “Columbo.”  They often show it on “Mystery Channel” here in Japan.

In it, the criminals always think they have devised the perfect crime, only to see it come unraveled thread by thread in the hands of Columbo.

That’s what I think about when I read Psalm 64.  David wrote of the wicked,

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see them?”

They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!”

Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.  (Psalm 64:3-6)

But as with Columbo, God quickly unravels their plots and turns them against themselves.

But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly they will be struck down.

He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

All mankind will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.  (7-9)

Haman found this out in the book of Esther as his “perfect plan” to destroy the Jews came crashing down upon his own head.

But sometimes justice comes longer than we’d like.  We see criminals get set free in our court systems and wonder where God is in all of this.  What’s he doing about this?

But let us remember that God will never let slip what has happened.  And he will bring about justice whether it’s in this life or in the next.

So don’t fret when you see all the injustice in the world.  Though the justice of mankind may fail, God’s never will.  So as David said,

Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!  (10)

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Ezekiel

A warped sense of justice

Ezekiel

“God’s not fair.”

It is a little ironic that people sometimes say this. Why? Basically because God’s way of thinking is perfect and holy, and ours has been corrupted by sin.

Yet we dare, with our corrupted judgment, to disagree with God’s decisions of judgment and mercy, claiming that he isn’t fair.

I read about a group of Christians who were discussing Jeffrey Dahmer, a man who had committed some pretty hideous murders in the ’90s. While in prison, however, he became a Christian.

Upon his death (he was murdered by another prisoner), the group was divided on how they saw him.

Some had seen an interview in which Dahmer had talked about his conversion, and believed he had truly repented.

The ones who had not only saw him as a monster, and dismissed the idea that he had truly repented.

“Crimes that bad can never be forgiven. He couldn’t be sincere,” one person said.

Many people would agree with the latter group. Yet these same people bitterly complain about being forced to suffer the consequences of their own sin.

“God! Why are you punishing me?” they cry, all the while ignoring the fact that it was their own actions that brought the consequences upon their heads.

That’s what God was saying to the Israelites here in this passage. He said,

Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’

Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die.

But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.

Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.

Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’

Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? (Ezekiel 18:25–29)

Here were the people of Israel, criticizing God for being unjust because of all they were suffering. Yet they totally ignored that it was their own sin that caused God’s judgment to come.

How about you? Do you get angry when God allows judgment to come into your life? Or do you get angry when God shows mercy in others’ lives?

Remember that God is totally just. He always does what is right, and if you disagree with him, it is not he who is wrong, but your own warped sense of justice that is.

So let us be humble before God, showing mercy to those who repent of their sins and repenting of our own sins when God’s discipline comes into our lives.

Categories
Isaiah

The One who brings justice and hope

Isaiah

I love the words concerning Jesus here.  The Father says of him,

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations…

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. (Isaiah 42:1, 3-4)

Often times, you hear the words, “Who said life was fair?”  And the implied answer is that life isn’t fair.

So often we see injustice in this world.  We see it in our courts with criminals going free and unpunished. 

But in Jesus, we have one who will someday bring justice to an unjust world.  People will stand before him and will have to give account to him.  And on that day, justice will be served.

But he brings more than just justice alone.  To the broken and hurting, he brings healing.  And to those who are hopeless, he brings hope.

I especially love verse 3 where Isaiah says,

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

And again in verses 6-7 where it says that he’s come to be

a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

So many people live in darkness.  Blind to the goodness of God.  Captive to sin in their lives with no way out. 

But Jesus comes to open our eyes and free us from darkness and bring us into God’s marvelous light.

It says in verse 16,

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. 

These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

And because of Christ, we find joy.  The day will come when all will sing,

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. 

Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. 

Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. 

Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands.  (10-12)

Hope and justice.  It was for these things that Christ came.

Categories
Exodus

A God of love and of justice

What is God like?  What is his character?

God revealed the answer as he showed himself to Moses. 

He said,

The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. (Exodus 34:6-7)

These are words that are found repeatedly through the Old Testament, five times in all, practically word for word. (Exodus 34:6-7, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 86:15, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2)

The Lord is compassionate. 

We’ve seen this many times already. 

We saw how he treated Hagar twice in the desert when she was forced to leave Abraham.

Once was when she was pregnant with their son, Ishmael.

The second time was when Ishmael was a teenager, and they were penniless, without any hope. 

Both times, God met her there and took care of her, letting her know that they were not alone, thus restoring hope to her.

He is a gracious God.  He gives to us what we do not deserve. 

We saw this in the life of Jacob.  He didn’t deserve anything from God. 

He was a deceiver, and very strong-willed, always trying to do things his own way. 

But at a time when Jacob was running for his life, God met him and gave him all the promises that he had given to Abraham and Isaac. 

He also worked in Esau’s heart so that there could be reconciliation between them.

He is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 

When Adam and Eve sinned, it strikes me that God didn’t rage at them for their sin. 

Instead, he showed his love and faithfulness to them, giving them clothes, and promising to send them a Savior to deliver them and the whole world from sin.

He maintains his love to thousands, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. 

Repeatedly we see this in his dealings with the Israelites. 

Time and again they rebelled. 

Time and again he forgave. 

He never stopped loving his people.

These are words we love to hear.  We all love to hear about God’s love, compassion, and forgiveness. 

But it’s not a complete picture of God if we stop there. 

God also says he

does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 34:7b)

We’ve touched on the meaning of this before, but the key thing to remember here is that God is a God of justice. 

People like to hear this until they realize it means all their sin must be punished too.  Then they start to complain. 

“I’m not so bad.  I try to do good things.  Sure I lie sometimes, but everyone does that.  And what’s so wrong with sleeping with my girlfriend.  I love her.”

Or, “I’ll admit I lose my temper with my kids and my spouse, but they just make me so mad sometimes.  Are you saying I have to go to hell because of these things?”

In short, yes.  God cannot leave any sin unpunished. 

And while God is patient, if we refuse to repent, punishment will come. 

More importantly, if you choose to reject God, you cannot be where God is when you die.  You will be separated from him forever in hell.

The good news is that you don’t have to go there. 

Jesus died on a cross to take the punishment for your sin, and if you will just believe in his work on the cross, and ask for his forgiveness, he will forgive. 

But you cannot go on living your own way.  You can’t go on living in rebellion against God and say, “God is a God of love, and so of course he’ll forgive me.” 

God is a God of love.  But he is a God of justice. 

And if you don’t accept his way of salvation, if you reject Jesus Christ, you will face his justice for your rebellion. 

In Hebrews, it says,

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.   (Hebrews 10:26-31).

So let us not rebel against God any longer.  He longs to show us mercy.  All we have to do is turn to him. 

If you haven’t done so, won’t you do so today?  As 2 Corinthians 6:2 says,

Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.