Justice

For Friday, January 4, 2008
Proverbs 28:5

Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

The wicked don't get it about justice. They despise the weak who, in their minds, deserve their fate of being oppressed. They despise the righteous who must be either hypocritical or repressive. They follow the logic of natural evolution - we are animals controlled by animal instincts for self-protection and self-satisfaction, and the more clever and stronger animals will dominate the weaker. Justice is a man-made idea (enforced by religious hypocrites) that has the semblance of protecting the weak, but in reality is another way for those in power to stay that way.

The righteous who seek the Lord understand justice as the law of God springing from his character. Justice is good because it comes from the God who is good. Justice is needed to control the animal instincts that have been corrupted by the fall. If the fall had not occurred justice would not be a means of enforcement but the very nature of the universe. It is justice, not fallen animal instinct that is eternal. The righteous understand further that justice is not so much about bridling passion, as it is directing passion to what is good - to delighting in what is honorable, pure, and loving. The righteous delight in justice, and it is a truer delight than that of the wicked who delight in their base desires; for it is a delight that will only grown into eternity, while that of the wicked will only lead to their destruction.

Forsaking vs Keeping

For Thursday, January 3, 2008
Proverbs 28:4

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.

The heroes of the wicked are the wicked. Lawbreakers admire successful lawbreakers. They think their fellow transgressors are clever and brave. To them the wicked follow their passions, which is what gives real fulfillment in life. They are those who truly follow their heart. And they are realistic about life. They understand their fellow man, that he is not to be trusted, and that the fool deserves his treatment.

Lawkeepers do not merely disapprove of the wicked; they strive against them. They work to foil the efforts of the wicked to break the law. They recognize such transgressors for what they are - selfish to the point of being cruel, heartless, and reckless. They know that real fulfillment does not lie in trampling the weak and disrupting order. They know the difference between cleverness and ruthlessness, between bravery and defiance of the good. They also understand their fellow man, and so bind the wicked and protect the weak and the foolish.

Society tries to blurr the line between the two, but Scripture is clear. On which side do we stand? If on the side of the lawkeepers, take note that we are not merely to shake our heads at lawbreakers, but strive against them. We are to work for justice; we are to be our brothers' keepers. We are not to turn our gaze from the evil about us, but strive against it.

Beating Rain

For Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Proverbs 28:3

A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.

The first line is a bit unclear. It may be as the translation reads or be translated as "a poor man and an oppressor of the poor." Either way, the primary message is the effect of oppression, whoever commits it.

We look to rain to nourish the ground and to provide water to drink. Rain is welcomed, especially in an arid country such as the Middle East, and especially to the poor who need the rain for crops and quench their thirst. All the more disheartening then that when the rain does come, it comes with such force as to actually destroy the crops. It seems cruel to receive destruction by the very element intended to bring life.

So it is with the oppressor who is in position to help, whether he be a neighbor who can provide mutual support or the person of power and wealth who could use those same resources to strengthen the needy. To turn around and use those resources to oppress is cruel.

Are we using what we possess, however great or small, for the good of our neighbor? Do we leave "food" for our neighbor when he is with us, or do we leave nothing? Apply this to the great wealth that we do have - the Word of God, the Gospel of Christ. Do we use the Word and the Gospel to produce fruit or use those very same resources to beat down with the law? Do we use the Gospel in our hearts to show grace or do we withhold it, so that our neighbor receives no food from the very people who have the Bread of Life?

What will you do with your wealth today?