God’s Justice is Righteousness

In our commitment to dwell on the power of God’s promise for this year’s Daily Lenten Journey, the Church turns our minds toward God’s justice. In our world, justice is enacted by corrupt judges and ‘paid-for’ politicians. What the world calls justice is just another name for vengeance. God’s justice is righteousness, not vengeance.

But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.  Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, fatlings and kids shall feed among the ruins.  Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, who say: “Let him make haste, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!”  Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!  Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!  Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.  Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and smote them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 5.16-25

To better understand any writings of the Prophets of the Old Testament, we must remember their purpose. God spoke to us through the Prophets. His message was clear. “If things continue along this path, bad things will take place.” The prophets were calling us to repentance.

The call to repentance falls on deaf ears if we are focused on our own understanding. In today’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah, we are reminded that depending on our ‘our own sight’ is dangerous. We don’t know how to look at the world like God looks at the world.

If the rules change each time we do something wrong we will never learn. God’s justice is how we learn. As the saying goes, you can’t keep moving the goal post. As human beings we need to know our destination. We need to know where God wants us to go.

His righteousness is expressed in always keeping His word. When He says, “Go this way,” we can be assured He means it. When we depart from His way, He sends us the Prophets to remind us to ‘get back on track’ before it is too late.

One of the many aspects of Great Lent that I love is how many people make an extra effort to draw closer to God. Deep down we know our lives need God. We know that only God can comfort our pain. We know ultimately nothing will change until we return to God’s way.

Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden.  Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.  To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methushael, and Methushael the father of Lamech.  And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.  Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle.  His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.  Zillah bore Tubalcain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.  Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, hearken to what I say: I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.  If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him.”  To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 4.16-26

Calling on God’s help is nothing new. Once Cain and Seth set out for themselves, they realized that life can be difficult. That was when “men began to call upon the name of the Lord.” People don’t call on God when things are going well. That is just a reality. It hurts, but it is true.

Great Lent helps us focus on our need for God so we will call upon His Name. His justice will set us straight. His Righteousness will keep the goal post just where it has always been. Our goal is to live in communion with God.