They didn’t understand God’s justice, and I think neither do we. When someone asks, “Why would God send anyone to hell?” They don’t understand justice (or that it’s not Him but us).
Justice is intrinsic to our very being. If someone brutally murders someone in our family, we want justice. If someone kidnaps and rapes children, we want justice. If someone steals from us, we want justice.
We want justice for others, but never for ourselves.
The truth is we think God is wrong to give justice for sins such as gossiping, mocking, lying, etc… There are multiple problems with this.
First, we must understand that it is we who order sins. What I mean is that in a village where one of my friends lived in Africa, the worst sin was losing your temper. Another of my co-workers lives in Papua New Guinea and their village the worst sin of all is unforgiveness (and I think they actually have Scriptural support for this). The severity of sin that we set is cultural. But God doesn’t see sin the way we see sin.
Second, we have no idea how deep the consequences of sin. We might think of mocking as normal and as virtually harmless. People just need to have thicker skin. But how many school shooters have reacted in anger for the mocking? Mockery is deadly.
Third, we don’t understand the holiness of God. All sin separates. God is so holy and so pure, that all sin separates and is worthy of judgment.
Ok so back to the text. The people of Judah were mired in sin. It says they really didn’t believe God would do anything about it. That is because he hadn’t for a long time as he was giving them time to repent. He disciplined them in lesser measures but they still refused to return.
“Roam through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and take note; search in the squares. If you find one person, any who acts justly, who seeks to be faithful, then I will forgiver her” (v. 1).
God did try to warn them. Even send less less discipline. But they persisted in their evil.
“You have struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They made their faces harder than rock, and they refused to return” (v. 3).
Why?
“For they don’t understand the way of the LORD, the justice of their God” (v. 4).
God has to punish for sins, or he wouldn’t be good. If someone attacked and raped you (whether you are a male or female) and you went to court with the criminal, but the judge let him go and did nothing, that would not be a good judge.
So what were their sins?
- “Your children have abandoned Me and sword by those who are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery” (v. 7).
- “They are well-fed (lit – “well-equipped”), eager (lit – “early-rising”), stallions each neighing after someone else’s wife” (v. 8)
- They are “full of deceit” (v. 27
- “They have excelled in evil matters”(v. 28)
- “They have not taken up cases, such as the case of the fatherless…and they have no defended the rights of the needy” (v. 28)
But like so many times, they were convinced nothing would happen, partly because there were many false prophets proclaiming peace.
“They have contradicted the LORD and insisted, “It won’t happen. Harm won’t come to us; we won’t see sword or famine.” The prophets become only wind, for the LORD’s word is not in them. This will in fact happen to them” (v. 12-13).
“A horrible, terrible thing has taken place in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?” (v. 30-31).
But God says things will not return to normal. Rather a nation will come violently against them (14-17). And the people will see, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ (v. 19).
The Lord answers, “Just as you abandon Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that is not yours” (v. 19). In essence they will get the desires of their heart and find out what it’s really like.
My Thoughts and Response
- Truly the justice of God is not understood by Christians and non-Christians alike. Justice is his goodness. Because without justice, life is mayhem. Those who commit crimes should face righteous and justice punishment. And in the kingdom, that means all humanity. Which is why we need Jesus because we can never escape the righteous judgment we deserve.
- Verse 8 is a lot more picturesque of their lust than translated. :0 (they are well-fed (lit – “well-equipped”), eager (lit – “early-rising”), stallions each neighing after someone else’s wife” (v. 8))
- Creation speaks of a God way bigger than our understanding. So why would we not submit to the ways of God? And not culture? (v. 22)
- Just because someone proclaims themselves as a prophet doesn’t mean they are prophesying what is of the Lord (v. 12-13). I can think of many popular YouTube Prophets that in my opinion are abhorrent, charging a chunk of change for baptisms, proclaiming “God told me” which speaks of no humility and that what they say is infallible, and other nonsense. And the fruit of their constant prophecies are that people more run to them than they do the Word of God or seeking Him in prayer. What is their fruit?
- I never stop being astonished at how strongly the Lord cares for the poor and needy (v. 28-29). It is not a suggestion but an expectation.
- This verse is just scary to me. The “priests rule by their own authority” (v. 31). Is it that they are saying whatever they feel is right and not what the Lord says is right? If so, this is the descriptor of many a church pastor/preach. And also is there more to this?
