In some ways, we are studying the attributes of God as if they fit easily in the squares of a waffle. God most holy. God most loving. God most good. And now, God most just. Individually, they are separate and strong. Reassuring and foundational. But just because these characteristics can be dissected one by one does not mean they stand alone. I mean, they could. This is God. He could be holy and only holy. He could be loving and only loving. But He's not; at least, that's not how the Bible describes Him. In some situations, we learn of His holiness or His goodness or His love more than others but that doesn't stop Him from being all those things all at the same time.
In other words, He is more like spaghetti. Individual pieces of pasta that intertwine in and out of each other to come together as a whole. Sure, the separate characteristics are important to study and learn and know but what seems to be more valuable is working to see how all the separate characteristics fit together in support of each other ... how God's love is impacted by His holiness which impacts His goodness. Multi-dimensional. Each attribute intertwined with the others.As I studied this week's focus on "God Most Just," I am struck by his role as Judge. What does a judge do? What does it take to be a good judge? If you were accused of a crime you didn't commit, what kind of judge would you hope to present your case?
On page 59 in In His Image, Jen Wilkin describes God as "a judge who possesses every fact of every case. Though earthly courts labor to reconstruct what really happened, God knows exactly who did what to whom, on what day, in which location, and for what purpose. He knows not only the external facts of the case, but the internal motives of all involved. Not only is He the Judge, He is also the eyewitness who testifies to the facts -- perfectly clear-sighted in his recollections."
In Deuteronomy 10:17, we read, "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes."
Then, in Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Moses wrote (or, maybe even SANG), "I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."
How does this apply to God as Judge? Think about it. Shows no partiality. Accepts no bribes. Does no wrong. Upright. Just. Is it possible for a human judge to ALWAYS be just and fair? Of course not. He doesn't always know all the facts. He can be pressured to make the wrong judgment by someone more powerful. He is a sinner himself. Here's an example:
In May of 1978, an anonymous caller told police that four men living in Chicago had committed a horrible crime. Dennis Williams, Verneal Jimerson, Kenny Adams, and Willie Rainge were arrested and soon convicted of the crime. The men insisted they were innocent, but the judge declared them guilty and had them taken to prison.
Eighteen years later, new evidence was sent to the police department. The evidence proved that the men from Chicago were indeed innocent! Judge Thomas Fitzgerald overturned (reversed) their convictions and the prisoners were released. The evidence also helped the police capture the real criminals. (http://dg4kids.com/bible-time/day-one-god-is-just/print.html)
What caused the first judge to make the wrong decision in this case? He didn't have all the evidence! Remember what we read on page 59 about God the Judge: He is "a judge who possesses every fact of every case." He is both a "personal, loving Father AND an impartial Judge of the hearts of men." Think of it as two sides of a coin: God most loving ... flip it over ... God most just.In Psalm 89:14, we read, Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you."
It's important for us to remember that God is working justice even when we can't see it. Jen Wilkin reminds us on page 62 that, "by virtue of our humanness, our ability to perceive God's perfect justice and his loving fatherhood is limited. We see only a partial display of God's justice from our marrow perspectives. One lifetime is not always enough to witness justice served."
This made me think of some dear friends whose daughter was raped and murdered shortly before her 21st birthday. The shock and horror of the situation was so hard to comprehend but here it was, right smack dab in front of us. The perpetrator was apprehended within days and put in jail to await trial. We were faced with the awful fact that, when he committed these horrendous crimes, he was actually out on bond or recently released from another arrest. But most found comfort in the fact that he would stand trial, be found guilty, and then incarcerated for the rest of his life. However, during a day trip to a doctor's office, he overpowered the medical staff, and as he attempted to escape through air ducts in the ceiling, was shot and killed. This was not the justice the family had anticipated.
Again, we have to be careful to not cloud our vision of God's ways with our humanness. Instead, we are called to trust the Just Judge who is also our Good Father. "God sees and he knows. And in his justice, he acts. He will by no means clear the guilty. How comforting to know that no injustice we may suffer goes unseen or unrepaid" (63).
Do you get it? The grace we received at the Cross was not God saying, 'your sin was no big deal; let's just move on.' No, it had to be dealt with. Here's one 'earthly' example to try to make sense of this huge concept:
Over the past number of years, we have lent our kids money for different things -- usually it was to cover a debt they incurred unexpectedly that they could not possibly pay back without a huge or prolonged penalty. We lent the money expecting that somehow, someway we would be paid back.
When our son came out of his 18-month rehab experience with Teen Challenge, we 'forgave' his debt. In tangible ways, we considered his commitment to recovery as payment. But, honestly, the truth is, the debt didn't just go away -- there was still a large outlay of money that remained unpaid. But we wanted him to have a fresh start, a chance at a new beginning without this hanging over him, so we made the sacrifice. We covered the debt and said, 'Now, live your life.'
God -- the just God -- says, "The wages of sin is death," eternal separation from God ... and just in case you think you might be exempt, don't forget that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 6:23, 3:23).Something HAS to cover that sin. The JUST God can't just say, 'Poof, it goes away.' Someone has to -- HAD to -- pay the debt. After years and years and years of animal sacrifices to make temporary atonement for sin, God sent Jesus "at the proper time" to be the Ultimate Sacrifice -- once and for all -- not to make it magically all go away but to call us into relationship with Himself ... for us to understand that, without Him, we are nothing. (See Philippians 3:7-11).
A few more scripture to consider:
Psalm 9:7-10
The Lord reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgement. He will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.
Deuteronomy 10:18-19
"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the wido, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
God calls us to respond to the justice we've been shown.
Psalm 82:1-4
God presides in the great assembly; He gives judgement among the 'gods': "How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?" Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Jen Wilkin reminds us that "God's will is that we do justice" (68). The prophet Micah said this first in chapter 6, verse 8: "And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
What might this look like in your life? Dana Spinola of fab'rik offers 'justice and kindness' to women coming out of sex trafficking. Brooke Henze offers 'justice and kindness' to women standing in the gap through foster care and adoption. Need suggestions? Go back to Deuteronomy 10 and Psalm 82: care for the fatherless, the widow, and the "alien."
And finally, a warning of sorts. In Luke 11:42 (NIV), we read, "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and other kinds of garden herbs but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone."
Perhaps it speaks more directly to us from The Message version: "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God's love. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required."
What is God's will for our lives?
- Be holy as He is holy.
- Love as you have been loved.
- Be good as He is good.
- Be just as He is just.
Definitely spaghetti!
