Isaiah 30:18-19 (NIV)
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.
“For the Lord is a God of justice.” We certainly live in a world where justice is at the center of seemingly every debate. One of the modern definitions of justice is, “The quality of being just, impartial, or fair.” Those three terms certainly define God. God is just, and because of His gift, we can be justified with Him. We know that God is impartial, as multiple passages of Scripture teach us that God doesn’t show any preferences. Finally, we know God is fair because of His impartiality. With that in mind, let’s look into God’s idea of justice and how we can carry it out in our pursuit of the Kingdom.
God’s Heart for the Persecuted
Exodus 6:5-7 (NIV)
“Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore, say to the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgement. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the toke of the Egyptians.’”
When the Book of Exodus opens, we quickly find out that things had changed for the Israelites. At the closing of the Book of Genesis, Joseph had moved his entire family (both immediate and extended) to Egypt because there was food there while Israel was dealing with a famine. In addition to the availability of food, Pharaoh had also placed Joseph in a high-ranking position, which meant that his family would be well taken care of. However, between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus, that Pharaoh died, and another man took his place.
Unfortunately for Joseph and the rest of the 600,000-plus Israelites who had moved to Egypt by that point, that Pharaoh didn’t know Joseph. He also didn’t care about any type of agreement that the old Pharaoh had with the Israelites. In an instant, the Israelites went from being residents of Egypt to slaves. That bondage is something that would follow them throughout the rest of the Old Testament. While God supernaturally delivered them from Egypt, their disobedience would continue to get them dragged back into slavery by different nations.
The verse that we just read makes it perfectly clear how God feels about injustice. The only reason that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt was that they looked different. That means that racial tensions and poor race relations, while a hot-button topic in the 21st century, are anything but new. The Israelites were forced into slavery based on being a different race than the Egyptians.
With that in mind, the passage that we just read reveals God’s heart to those who face injustice. While we’re looking at God’s justice in the context of slavery in this passage, the declarations that God made to Moses for His people can apply to any situation where injustices are being performed.
God said that He had heard the groanings of the people who weren’t receiving justice. He then went on to explain that He would remember His covenant, He would deliver them, and He would bring them out. Those promises reveal how God feels about people who don’t receive justice. Conversely, the way that He overthrew Egypt with plagues indicates how He feels about those who inflict those injustices.
Whether it’s racial or along another type of line, God loves justice. He wants everyone treated fairly because everyone is made in His image. The story of Israel being supernaturally delivered from Egyptian captivity reveals God’s heart for those who need justice.
It’s Not Optional
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Many people, especially those who are relatively new in their walk with Christ, often ask about what God really wants from them. Does God want me to go to church every week? Does God want me to give to the Church? Does God want me to share the Gospel? Obviously, more seasoned Christians know that the answer to all those questions is, “Yes, He does,” but the answer to the question concerning God’s will for the lives of His people is found in this verse in Micah.
Micah is considered one of the “minor prophets” of the Old Testament, so it’s very possible that you have never read the book bearing his name. Even if you haven’t read it before, you’ve likely heard part of this verse referenced. What you may not have realized is that God calls the pursuit of justice a requirement for His people.
You probably don’t have the power to create justice within society. While you can support certain causes that promote justice, you cannot single-handedly create a world where perfect justice prevails. However, you can promote justice in your own life. When you commit to treating people the way that God wants you to, you’re meeting the requirements of God.
How Much Does God Care About Justice?
Amos 5:24 (NIV)
But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Christians often ask how much God really cares about justice. In this passage from Amos, another of the “minor prophets” from the Old Testament, we get a pretty good idea of the answer to that question. In Amos 5, God speaks to His people at length about the amount of care that He had provided them. However, He also told them about some things that He wants them to do.
For instance, in Amos 5:11-12, God told the people of Israel that they were carrying out injustices similar to the ones that He had delivered them from in Egypt. According to those passages, Israel was overtaxing the poor, knowing that they couldn’t pay. At that point, the leaders would take the land of the poor people for their own profit. God considered this injustice.
God was so angered by the injustice that Israel was carrying out against the poor that He threatened to cut off the remnant of people that He was still protecting. God refused to stand for the mistreatment of people based on socioeconomic status then, and He refuses to do so today.
We saw in the Book of Exodus how passionate God was about freeing people from slavery based on race. We see in the Book of Amos how much God detests injustice against the poor. In the New Testament, God crossed racial and religious lines in order to get people the Gospel. God loves justice, and He expects His people to pursue and practice it today.
This doesn’t mean that you’re in charge of changing the world. However, it does mean that you’re responsible for changing your world.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me a passion for justice that matches Yours. Help me to recognize injustices against those who cannot fight for themselves so I can offer them help. In Christ’s name, Amen.