February 7 – Sense of Justice

       Psalm 7:11a – "God is a just judge..."

       If there is one thing with which most of the world agrees, both Christians and pagans, it is a sense of justice – especially when one feels as if he has been wronged. We all have an intrinsic sense of fairness, whether we have all the facts or not. Even small children have this sense when they see things going awry. This phenomenon alone should point us to the natural law of wrong and right. But let us dig deeper into this concept.

       In Psalm 7, David explores three related angles of justice, as he cries for God to save him from his personal or perceived enemies. The first two verses are a prayer to God for help and rescue. The next four verses are quite introspective and are the first leg of this triangle. 1) He concedes that justice should be done to him, if he so deserves it. This is quite an attitude of humility, even if it implies his belief in his own integrity. 2) The following eight verses then expounds David's trust in God as a just judge, one who is continually angry at the injustices in the world, and one who metes out judgment. 3) Then verses 14-17 explain the details of reaping and sowing, as summarized in Galatians 6:7.

       Of course, in all of David's Psalms in which he asks God to rescue him from injustice, he is expecting it during his lifetime. He even expects justice when Nathan tells him the story of the extorted sheep, which is a parable of his own sins against Uriah, when he basically "took" Bathsheba from an innocent man. In due time, David does get justice, as Bathsheba's pregnancy ends in the death of the newborn baby. This is an example of God's justice through reaping and sowing.

       Regarding that sense of justice mentioned at the beginning, sometimes there is a perceived injustice that we can't prove or that is hard for us to put a finger upon. This happens when we see cronyism or something that "smacks" of corruption in political officials or even in elected leaders. It may not be a personal attack upon me, but a general attack upon the public. The principle of reaping and sowing still applies to individuals, but that may not line up with what I deem to be the deserved justice. God definitely sees wrongdoing, but he has the ultimate view of the facts, knowing every detail of what physically happened, along with the thoughts and intentions of the hearts of those acting immorally (verse 9). When I personally have been wronged in a non-legal sense, I should not seek my own justice, but I should allow God to handle the situation, because he sees all the facts and is not blinded by his own emotions. (Pursuing legal recourse for wrongs against us – while related to this subject – is another topic in itself and for another time). Paul tells us in Romans 12:19: "Do not avenge yourselves; leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, 'Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay.' [Deutoronomy 32:35]" God knows how to perfectly exact justice on my behalf, while simultaneously overseeing the reaping of what we have sown.

       This latter thought also turns our attention to the radical ideas of Jesus given in Matthew 6:38-45. "Turn the other cheek...give your cloak as well, when sued for your own shirt...go the extra mile when compelled to go the first mile...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Each of these concepts can be further examined for deeper clarity; however, on the surface, Jesus is asking us to extend grace to someone who does not deserve it. Why? Because all of us are more sinful than we even realize. Jesus has just finished revealing our sinful hearts in Matthew chapter 5, when his radical statements in chapter 6 appear. We need to be very careful when asking God for personal revenge, as David did in Psalm 7:3-7. 

      We should also consider Psalm 130:3 – "Yahweh, if you kept track of iniquities, who could stand before you?" More on that topic for February 8.