Tuesday: God Loves Justice
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 18th of March 2025
Scripture declares that God loves justice and hates evil (for example, Psalms 33:5, Isaiah 61:8), and He is deeply concerned about injustice, which evokes righteous indignation on behalf of all those who are the victims of injustice. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God is consistently passionate in favor of the downtrodden and oppressed while expressing righteous anger against the victimizers and oppressors.
Read Psalms 82:1-8. How does this psalm express God’s concern for justice in this world? What might it mean for us today?
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
As many commentators understand it, this passage decries both the earthly rulers responsible for the injustice in society and is also a reference to when God judges the celestial rulers (the “gods”) behind corrupt earthly judges and rulers (demonic forces, obviously). Specifically, the rulers are asked, “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” (Psalms 82:2, NKJV).
Further, they are charged: “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalms 82:3-4, NKJV). Here and elsewhere, the prophets of the Old Testament set forth a clarion call for justice. This is no peripheral concern of Scripture; it is central to the message of the prophets throughout the Old Testament and to what Jesus spoke when here in the flesh.
It is no secret what God desires and requires of those who would claim to love and obey Him. He specifies very clearly in Micah 6:8 (and in similar passages elsewhere): “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NKJV).
This sentiment is echoed throughout Scripture. For example, Jesus said: “ ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ ” (John 13:35, NKJV; compare with 1 John 4:8-16).
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What would our families and churches look like if we focused on Micah 6:8 and intentionally put it into practice in both word and deed? In whatever context you are in, how could the application of these principles be made manifest better? |
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Today, I have collected all the verses in Psalms that mention Justice. I leave it as a hoework excercise to read these to see the big picture of not only God's justice but our resoponsibility.
The Church should be a champion of justice within its structures and in the society. In a loving and firm stance, the church leadership should actively promote justice in all its operations, policies, and theology. In the context of Micah 6:8, the church is God’s platform here on earth and it should be as white as snow in all matters of justice, mercy and humility. What should the church leadership do to execute this role faithfully?
A) The church should act justly:
1. The church should speak/advocate for the oppressed. Never should the church be silent in the face of corruption, discrimination, oppression or any social injustice (Proverbs 31:8-9). In the first instance, the church leadership must not participate in any form or shape in these evils.
2. The church should uphold integrity in matters of financial management, decision-making and discipline. Unfortunately, in some cases, church leadership has been engulfed in financial and leadership scandals. The church’s integrity should be beyond reproach within its leadership.
3. The church needs to be the voice and source of refuge to vulnerable (the poor, widows, orphans, and marginalized (Isaiah 1:17). Unfortunately, in some cases, the voice of the rich and the powerful overshadows justice and fairness.
4. The church should administer fair discipline. Unfortunately, in some cases, favouritism is practiced towards the more influential members of the church. Favouristism is evil and must not be part of God’s church.
B) The church in all its operations must exercise love and mercy:
1. The church must support the needy in its programs and policies. God has allowed us to love Him through our fellow human beings. The church must be relevant to the needs of the vulnerable, otherwise it ceases to be God’s church. How can we say that the money belongs to God when the church neighborhoods are ravaged with hunger!
2. The church discipline is to restore and not to condemn. Those who have fallen into the devil’s trap should be rehabilitated, mentored, counselled and reconciled into the family of God.
3. The church should be the strongest platform for promoting peace and forgiveness. As much as possible, the church should advocate for the resolution of disputes biblically (Matthew 18:15-17).
C) Church leadership should lead by humility:
1. Church leaders should be “servant leaders”. They should seek to serve and not seek power and control (Mark 10:45).
2. Church leaders should avoid being led by the spirit of materialism. Financial gains should not be the prime motive for seeking office. Display of excessive affinity for materialism goes against Christ’s humility.
3. Church leaders should promote unity and equality. All church members should be treated with the same respect and dignity regardless of social class, race, or gender (Galatians 3:28). Unfortunately, in some cases, members are treated according to the size of their financial pockets. This should never, ever be the case!
4. Church leaders need to seek God’s guidance at all times when making decisions, big or small. Church leaders need to fortify their actions through constant prayer. Also, church members ought to pray for their leaders always.
"To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice" - Proverbs 21:3