Righteousness and justice
are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14
Some people wonder where God's
justice is in this world. The problem God has is he must work through his
people to have justice on the earth. This is earth, not heaven, where justice
reigns. Evil people outnumber the godly people and therefore there is injustice
and horrible crimes committed every day. God does reach out himself to save
many people's lives, but he can't turn this world into a heaven. Not yet. Evil
must be played out to its bitter end so it never rises up again in the universe.
Isaiah, a
prophet of God, wrote about the people of his time who questioned God. They asked
him, “Why have we humbled ourselves and fasted but you have not noticed?” They
didn’t understand why their prayers went unanswered.
This is God’s
answer, “On the day of your fasting you do what you want and exploit all your
workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife and in striking each other
with wicked fists. You cannot fast like this and expect your voice to be heard
on high!
Is that the
kind of fast I want? Do you call this an acceptable day of the Lord?
This is the
kind of fast I desire: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of
the yoke, to set free the oppressed. It is a day to share your food with the
hungry, to provide the poor wanderer with shelter. When you see the naked, to
clothe them and not turn away from your own flesh and blood.
If you do
this, your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly
appear. Then your goodness will go in front of you and I will bring up the
rear. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and
he will say, ‘Here I am!’
If you get
rid of the burden of oppression that goes with pointing your fingers and cruel words,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of
the oppressed, then your light will rise in darkness, and your night will
become like the noonday.
The Lord
will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and
strengthen your body. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a stream
whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:3-11
But let justice roll down
like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24
This is what the LORD says:
Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the
hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless,
or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place. Jeremiah 22:3
