The living God is holy is his very being and his character; that holiness means that in relation to his creatures his actions are inherently just. Anything else would be a denial of his very person, and his justice is the theme of this week in the church year calendar. Two Psalms that focus on God’s justice are Psalm 10 and Psalm 113. Much of Psalm 10 is a lament, asking God when his justice will be shown against arrogant lawbreakers and oppressors. The Psalm ends in an affirmation of faith that God will act to defend the defenseless, and that the time will surely come when man, who is of the earth, will terrify no more. Similarly, Psalm 113 begins and ends with praise in its assurance that the LORD, whose glory is above the heavens, will indeed act to redeem his own. Indeed, the prototypical redemptive act of the Old Testament is the Exodus, where God, acted in justice to free a nation of slaves in Egypt.
However, the God of heaven is Lord of all the earth; he is no mere tribal deity favoring some groups over others. His own redeemed are also commanded to seek justice and mercy. Amos 5 warns of the impending judgment of God for a nation and a government that oppress the righteous and deprive the poor of justice. The ultimate result of the nation’s refusal to heed such warning from the prophets is the Exile.
Nor does the call for justice end with the Old Testament. Among other places in the gospels, in Matthew 23 and in Luke 18:1-17, Jesus himself calls for justice. He condemns pride and favoritism on the part of both the outwardly pious and those in power; both lead to injustice.
Justice is an intrinsic part of God’s dealing with us; even his grace to us is grounded on justice. The ultimate expression of God’s justice is the nothing less than the cross, where God is both just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). This is the time of grace; the day is coming when God’s justice will be final and in that day of joy, man who is of the earth will terrify no more. Until that bright day dawns, may the reality of our relationship with the God be shown in thankfulness for his grace and lives of increasing justice from our personal lives to our interaction with the life of our nation.