“So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”
(2 Samuel 8:15, ESV)
(2 Samuel 8:15, ESV)
Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray once informed a man who had appeared before him in a lower court and had escaped conviction on a technicality, “I know that you are guilty and you know it, and I wish you to remember that one day you will stand before a better and wiser Judge, and that there you will be dealt with according to justice and not according to law.”
God’s system of justice is unbiased and fair. It is based on God’s ability to see everything and determine the heart of the individual. Human laws are fallible. Human courts can be bribed, manipulated, and politically motivated. I’ve heard many a person say that the court system is unfair. I’ve seen much evidence to substantiate that belief. However, God’s justice is perfect. It is absolutely unequaled on earth.
When King David ruled in Israel, he knew much about God. God had been with him from the days of his youth. God gave him access to King Saul. David’s best friend was the son of King Saul. By divine mandate, David slew the great Philistine, Goliath. David was blessed in his many battles. He was kept safe by God’s direction. David was anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel. Our scripture for today explains that while David “reigned over all Israel”, he made sure to “administer justice and equity to all the people” (2 Samuel 8:15). Why? David knew God well enough to realize that his leadership must emulate God’s leadership. Since God was just and righteous, David needed to follow the same prescription in his kingship. Since God was fair and equitable, David needed to set the same example among the people.
When I was pastor of my second church, I learned a valuable lesson about the injustices of our world. A woman at that church was very poor. Her children often lacked adequate food and clothing. Family visits to the doctor were not common. The loss of her husband had wrecked the family finances and made the family suffer. The children were losing weight. The woman began experiencing depression. After months of suffering, the family finally began to receive health care and benefits through a government program. This helped them to scrape by week after week.
After speaking with several members of the church, we got the woman a job interview. She got the job! We were all very excited. Then, we realized that her job was eight miles away and the bus route didn’t go there. So, we all pitched in and bought her a very used vehicle and fixed it up to run reliably. The day before her first day at work, the county social worker called to inform her that she and the children would no longer receive health insurance benefits, welfare, or food stamps. She was devastated. She would not receive her first paycheck for over a month! She inquired as to why this happened. She was told that since the church members had purchased her a car and fixed it up, that was counted as her income. She made so much “money” by receiving this car that she and her family no longer qualified for any help from the government! Though she couldn’t work without the car, though she had never received one cent from any of us, she was penalized for our help. It just wasn’t fair.
There are many stories I could tell you why life isn’t fair or about how people treated others without mercy or grace. Despite the fact that the world does not promote God’s idea of justice, that does not mean justice and righteousness and equity are not expected from you. Even if a person treats you unfairly, it does not give you the right to be cruel in return. That’s why the scripture states that vengeance is the Lord’s job (Romans 12:19). God knows best what is righteous and what is not. God knows best how to administer justice. If you want to be a faithful follower of our God, remember David’s example from the scripture today. David learned to “administer justice and equity to all his people”. David wasn’t acting fair and righteous in order to be well liked by his countrymen. He was reigning as a fair king to show respect for God. Since God is just, your ways must be just. You must be equitable to ALL the people, whether they deserve it or not. Do it out of love for God.
Recently, I noticed a chant coming from rioters in Portland, Oregon. They yelled from bullhorns, “No justice, no peace!”. Sadly, it wasn’t God’s justice they wanted to see occur. It was their own brand of justice they were enforcing. Therefore, when they saw a person who carried a different point of view, they attacked the person. On many occasions, they even attacked people who were on their side and believed in their cause. That’s the main problem with human ideas of “justice”. They usually aren’t fair or equitable or righteous.
King David of Israel was determined to follow God’s idea of justice. At times, he succeeded wonderfully. At times, he failed miserably. Still, he was convinced that God’s laws needed to apply to all of life. That is why David was able to administer true justice and equity to the people. In your life, strive to follow God’s idea of justice and righteousness and equity. Someday, you will face that “better and wiser Judge”. You will want that meeting to go well!
Is there a way you can help God’s justice to be applied to a situation? Does someone you know need a little extra measure of grace or mercy? Our world craves God’s justice. Maybe there’s a way to promote God’s justice in your small part of our world.
God’s system of justice is unbiased and fair. It is based on God’s ability to see everything and determine the heart of the individual. Human laws are fallible. Human courts can be bribed, manipulated, and politically motivated. I’ve heard many a person say that the court system is unfair. I’ve seen much evidence to substantiate that belief. However, God’s justice is perfect. It is absolutely unequaled on earth.
When King David ruled in Israel, he knew much about God. God had been with him from the days of his youth. God gave him access to King Saul. David’s best friend was the son of King Saul. By divine mandate, David slew the great Philistine, Goliath. David was blessed in his many battles. He was kept safe by God’s direction. David was anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel. Our scripture for today explains that while David “reigned over all Israel”, he made sure to “administer justice and equity to all the people” (2 Samuel 8:15). Why? David knew God well enough to realize that his leadership must emulate God’s leadership. Since God was just and righteous, David needed to follow the same prescription in his kingship. Since God was fair and equitable, David needed to set the same example among the people.
When I was pastor of my second church, I learned a valuable lesson about the injustices of our world. A woman at that church was very poor. Her children often lacked adequate food and clothing. Family visits to the doctor were not common. The loss of her husband had wrecked the family finances and made the family suffer. The children were losing weight. The woman began experiencing depression. After months of suffering, the family finally began to receive health care and benefits through a government program. This helped them to scrape by week after week.
After speaking with several members of the church, we got the woman a job interview. She got the job! We were all very excited. Then, we realized that her job was eight miles away and the bus route didn’t go there. So, we all pitched in and bought her a very used vehicle and fixed it up to run reliably. The day before her first day at work, the county social worker called to inform her that she and the children would no longer receive health insurance benefits, welfare, or food stamps. She was devastated. She would not receive her first paycheck for over a month! She inquired as to why this happened. She was told that since the church members had purchased her a car and fixed it up, that was counted as her income. She made so much “money” by receiving this car that she and her family no longer qualified for any help from the government! Though she couldn’t work without the car, though she had never received one cent from any of us, she was penalized for our help. It just wasn’t fair.
There are many stories I could tell you why life isn’t fair or about how people treated others without mercy or grace. Despite the fact that the world does not promote God’s idea of justice, that does not mean justice and righteousness and equity are not expected from you. Even if a person treats you unfairly, it does not give you the right to be cruel in return. That’s why the scripture states that vengeance is the Lord’s job (Romans 12:19). God knows best what is righteous and what is not. God knows best how to administer justice. If you want to be a faithful follower of our God, remember David’s example from the scripture today. David learned to “administer justice and equity to all his people”. David wasn’t acting fair and righteous in order to be well liked by his countrymen. He was reigning as a fair king to show respect for God. Since God is just, your ways must be just. You must be equitable to ALL the people, whether they deserve it or not. Do it out of love for God.
Recently, I noticed a chant coming from rioters in Portland, Oregon. They yelled from bullhorns, “No justice, no peace!”. Sadly, it wasn’t God’s justice they wanted to see occur. It was their own brand of justice they were enforcing. Therefore, when they saw a person who carried a different point of view, they attacked the person. On many occasions, they even attacked people who were on their side and believed in their cause. That’s the main problem with human ideas of “justice”. They usually aren’t fair or equitable or righteous.
King David of Israel was determined to follow God’s idea of justice. At times, he succeeded wonderfully. At times, he failed miserably. Still, he was convinced that God’s laws needed to apply to all of life. That is why David was able to administer true justice and equity to the people. In your life, strive to follow God’s idea of justice and righteousness and equity. Someday, you will face that “better and wiser Judge”. You will want that meeting to go well!
Is there a way you can help God’s justice to be applied to a situation? Does someone you know need a little extra measure of grace or mercy? Our world craves God’s justice. Maybe there’s a way to promote God’s justice in your small part of our world.