Waiting for the God of Justice
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It’s unfashionable in secular society to speak of God as our Judge and many Christians now feel uncomfortable about it. But it’s clear from the moral outrage about issues like the Post Office scandal, that people of all persuasions have a keen sense of justice/injustice. From my perspective, this is an example of how society wants to retain the equivalent ethic of its Judaeo-Christian heritage – a strong sense of fairness – without its foundation, the God of Justice.
My go-to verse at the moment is Isaiah 30:18
‘Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
Therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.’
These truths strongly resonate with me right now; personal circumstances have rendered me more acutely aware of the anguish of those who are wrongly treated by others but never receive justice in this life. In the home, workplace, institutions and at the hands of the state, all kinds of folk fall foul of people who harm others by exploiting their power or position. Our news feeds are saturated with examples and sadly these are the tip of the iceberg as most cases are never reported.
Unlike in the crime dramas filling our screens, human justice is often absent and, even if perpetrators are caught and ‘punished,’ their sentences/fines are often paltry in comparison to the lifelong ways their victims have been affected. Even when human justice ‘succeeds,’ it cannot restore what has been lost or damaged to the victim. Human justice is at best, pitifully inadequate and at worst, silent.
I believe there is an all-knowing, impartial, gracious, compassionate God who sees, cares and judges righteously.
‘Will not the judge of all the earth do right?’ asked Abraham (Genesis 18:25). The Bible resounds with the answer – yes. But where does this leave us flawed human beings? We are all both victims and perpetrators of harm, to a greater or lesser extent. All humanity falls under God’s judgement.
All except the God-Man, Jesus Christ. He lived a life of love, and in the providence of God, he fell foul of human justice and was wrongly condemned and executed. He died with his arms outstretched to the world of fallen humanity.
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Jesus welcomes all, who repent and trust in him, to find refuge in his righteousness both now and on The Day when God will judge the living and the dead. On that day, as we stand before our Maker, we will finally see the fulfilment of God’s perfect justice. Each of us will answer for our wrongdoing – either we will rely on God’s mercy and say, ‘Jesus has paid my debt’ or we will persist in self-reliance and be left to pay ourselves.
That’s only half the story - God’s justice is also restorative - restorative of all the wrongs suffered in this life and more, to all those who receive Him. His Life and Love will restore wholeness to all who have been wronged.
‘When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.’ (Psalm 126: 1, 2)
However unpopular and ‘outdated’ it may be to have a sense of impending divine judgement, it brings me indescribable assurance – true justice will be done. I’m waiting for it.
‘For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.’
