Righteousness and Justice

Deuteronomy 32: 3-4 NKJV

3 For I proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.

4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect;

For all His ways are justice,

A God of truth and without injustice;

Righteous and upright is He.

God is both Righteous and Just.  You can't have righteousness without justice.  They go hand in hand. (Psalm 89:14NKJV Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; )There is no lawlessness in God and His actions are carried out perfectly.  His standards of what's right and wrong have been defined for us through the word of God.  A law can be changed as an attempt to redefine right and wrong but, that has no bearing on the truth as revealed to us in the word of God.  Isaiah 5:20  20 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! We need to be careful what we label right and wrong and what set of standards we are living by as believers.

Hosea 6:1-3 NJKV

6 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him.  As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

The people in Hosea's time rejected God's ways, the land was full of sin and the people were exploiting one another.  Sin breaks the heart of God.  When we sin against one another we are ultimately sinning against God.  When you read this account you presume that the people were indeed sincere in their repentance but, in fact they were not.  They thought just a couple of days and everything will be better.  When we truly repent, (change our minds) then our actions will follow.  The cry was for healing and a plea for God to fix the problem but, there was not a sincere cry for repentance.  Much like today, many want things to go back to "normal" yet what was deemed "normal" was and is in opposition to God.  There is nothing normal and pleasing to God about human trafficking, abortion, oppression, injustice, the rich exploiting the poor, bribery, violence, corruption etc.  Instead of bitter poisonous water (Amos 6:12 NIV But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness— ), righteousness and justice should "run down" and be like a "mighty stream"  It should be like a cleansing refreshing rain. (Amos 5:24 NKJV But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream).  Perfect righteousness and justice is found in Christ but that in no way means we do nothing.  As salt and light in the earth we should be the influencers. We as believers know what is required of us:  Micah 6:8 NIV He has shown you, O mortal, 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.  Much like in Hosea's time we are in need of God's cleansing.  Psalm 51:1-2 NKJV Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

God does not want our vain, empty shallow words.  We can fast and pray and bring all of our offerings to God but, what is our true intent?  Are we coming with the right heart posture?  Isaiah 58 shows us if we want to please God and truly worship Him then we need to change how we are treating one another and then healing comes v.8 "your healing shall spring forth speedily."  Our relationship with God flows over into the relationship we have with one another.  The mark of a believer is shown forth by the love of Christ  we show towards others.  John 13:34-35 NKJV 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Isaiah 58: 2-10 NKJV 

Yet they seek Me daily,

And delight to know My ways,

As a nation that did righteousness,

And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.

They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;

They take delight in approaching God.

3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?

Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’

“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,

And exploit all your laborers.

4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate,

And to strike with the fist of wickedness.

You will not fast as you do this day,

To make your voice heard on high.

5 Is it a fast that I have chosen,

A day for a man to afflict his soul?

Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,

And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?

Would you call this a fast,

And an acceptable day to the Lord?

6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,

The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

10 If you extend your soul to the hungry

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

God is a merciful God.  We should be repenting over the heinous crimes we have committed against God, weeping over how we have broken His heart.  We need to break up the hardness of heart we have toward God and His word, not denying our guilt when in fact the evidence against us has been made clear.  No one is exempt from the law of reaping and sowing.  We certainly have a choice as to whether or not we heed the commands but, we also reap what we sow.  God is calling us and calling us back to Him, to seek His face and not the face of another.  We are to walk in His ways and sow righteousness not wickedness.  

Hosea 10:12 NKJV

Sow for yourselves righteousness;

Reap in mercy;

Break up your fallow ground,

For it is time to seek the Lord,

Till He comes and rains righteousness on you

Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.