Tag-Archive for » justice «

The Mark Of The Beast

Friday, April 23rd, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

They are dreaded and feared; their justice and authority originate with themselves.  Habakkuk 1:7

With Themselves – The Chaldeans are coming!  Habakkuk’s warning is a call to immediate repentance in advance of certain destruction.  God’s people are about to be chastised in a most severe way.  As if that isn’t bad enough, Habakkuk provides an insight into the reason the Chaldeans are so dreaded and feared.  What he says about them is true of every nation that does not serve YHWH.  It ought to make us shudder in our shoes.

Mimenu is the Hebrew for “of himself.”  Our English translation makes it into a plural because we normally view a group of people (the Chaldeans) as plural.  The Hebrew language merely recognizes that this people comes as if it were a single enemy.  Just like Israel, the Chaldeans are one – one dreaded executor of God’s justice.  Why are they so dreaded and fearful?  Because they make up their own rules to the game.  Their view of justice and authority does not depend on the character of YHWH.  They have assumed the role of God’s sovereignty.  They come to do their own bidding.  Run while you can.

If history teaches us anything at all, it teaches us that men are the harbingers of hell on earth.  Ha-satan hardly needs to enlist fallen angels to bring death, destruction, suffering, torture and torment to humanity.  We are more than capable of inflicting unspeakable evil upon our own kind.  Without YHWH’s standard of justice and authority, human civilization quickly becomes human degradation.  Any people who believe that they make up the rules as they go along is a people to be feared.  They may offer many apparent rewards, but in the end, they serve themselves at cost to everyone else.  Habakkuk knew what was coming.  Mimenu is the religion of “I am my own god.”  Apparently we have learned very little since the Chaldeans.

What do the righteous do in circumstances like these?  Actually, they inherit collateral damage.  When the people fall, the righteous usually go with them.  No wonder Proverbs says that the righteous weep when the wicked come to power.  They know what Habakkuk knew.  Sometimes being salt and light stings and burns.  Sometimes the only way to be the redemptive change-agents in a world in collapse is to be carried off with the powerless or to die with those who take a stand.  Being God’s man or women doesn’t seem to mean escape.

The mark of the beast might be 666 in some books, but for most of us, the mark of the beast is the self-proclamation of divinity.  The mark of the beast is not doing justice, not loving mercy and not walking humbly with God.  That should be a lot easier to identify.

Topical Index:  mimenu, of himself, Chaldeans, Habakkuk 1:7, justice, authority

ISRAEL DVDs:  If you haven’t ordered yet, please do so.  The lessons are wonderful and your purchase is really needed now.  Thanks.  Click here.

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: , , , , ,  | 10 Comments

Duty Calls

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

He has declared to you, man, what is good; and what does YHWH require of you, but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

What Is Good – Pilate asked, “What is truth?”  He didn’t realize that he was asking the wrong question.  The question he asked is deeply rooted in Hellenism.  Greeks search for truth.  Hebrews search for the good.

Abraham Heschel clarified the difference when he said that the real question of life is “What does God require of me?”  No other question matters much until this one is answered.  And no man is able to give the answer to this question.  The answer must come from God Himself.  Only God is able to tell us what He requires.  Fortunately, He has not been silent about the matter.  Micah voices God’s answer as clearly as possible.  What does God require?  Justice, mercy and humility.

Did you notice that the “truth” is not one of the requirements?  Does that seem odd to you?  Haven’t we heard one thousand times that God wants us to have the right answers to the right questions.  Are you saved?  Should you be baptized?  Does the Bible teach a literal seven-day creation?  Should women be pastors?  Is hell a real place?  Just tune into the Bible answer man and get the truth.  You’ll have all your information correctly cataloged, systematized and certified.  But God asked for something else.

Justice, mercy and humility.  Ah, those with a storehouse of “truth” might still miss the point of it all.  Having the correct answers is not the same as the behavior exemplified by doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God.  You might notice that all three of these requirements are verbs.  Propositional truths are nouns, but God is looking for verbs.

So, here’s the little self-examination, a reasonable test of your “truth” quotient.  If you asked someone who really knows you, what kind of score would you get on the scale of doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with your God?  I am quite sure that Micah would have expected you to deal with these issues before he pointed you to doctrinal integrity.

“What is good?”  Actually, in this Hebrew verse, it’s not a question.  It is a declaration. higid lekha ma-tov.  “You have been told what good is.”  Are you a “good” person?  Then you will find yourself doing justice (ah, now what does that mean?) and loving mercy (and how does this manifest itself?) and walking humbly.  Did you realize that each of these are public?  Others will see them and glorify God because they know you well enough to know you could not do any of these on your own.

It’s not the Good, the True and the Beautiful.  Those are Greek ideals.  God is interested in justice, mercy and humility.  Those are Hebrew ideals.  The Good, the True and the Beautiful may exist in some eternal, ethereal heavenly domain, but justice, mercy and humility have to happen right here.  If you want to know the sum of all duty before YHWH, look no further than Micah.  I’m guessing that we all have quite a bit of work to do.

Topical Index:  good, justice, mercy, humility, ma-tov, Micah 6:8

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: , , , , ,  | 20 Comments

Law and Grace: Part 3

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 | Author: Skip Moen

Baruch Levine emphasizes one of the most important characteristics of the Hebrew view of law when he says:

. . . the laws of the Torah did not permit Israelites to expiate intentional or premeditated offenses by means of sacrifice.  There was no vicarious, ritual remedy – substitution of one’s property or wealth – for such violations, whether they were perpetrated against other individuals or against God Himself.  In those cases, the law dealt directly with the offender, imposing real punishments and acting to prevent recurrences.  The entire expiatory system ordained in the Torah must be understood in this light.  Ritual expiation was restricted to situations where a reasonable doubt existed as to the willfulness of the offence.  Even then, restitution was always required where loss or injury to another person had occurred.  The mistaken notion that ritual worship could atone for criminality or intentional religious desecration was persistently attached by the prophets of Israel, who considered it a major threat to the entire covenantal relationship between Israel and God.[1]

What a mistake it is to think that the sacrificial system of the Hebrew Scripture provided forgiveness for intentional sins.  It did not!  Intentional sins fell under the governance of justice and justice demanded punishment.  The sacrificial system existed in order to insure ritual purity for those offenses that occurred without willful intention.  But deliberate sins precipitated legal sanctions.  “Forgiveness” for premeditated sins was really a matter of restitution, not removal of guilt, and was only accomplished by means of the enactment of punishment.  Willful sins required payment, sometime with your life.

The failure to recognize this crucial distinction has led Christians to claim that the Old Testament view of atonement was based on a “works” righteousness.  Thinking that sacrifices were a means for seeking forgiveness for deliberate sins, Christians espoused the position that the sacrificial system was eliminated with the death of the Messiah.  His sacrifice for sin was viewed as the final substitute for the Old Testament sacrificial system.  Christians believed that it was no longer necessary to offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins since the final atonement had been accomplished by the blood of Yeshua on the cross.  But Levine’s comment demonstrates that the Christian view is a comparison of apples and oranges.  Since there was no provision for the forgiveness of deliberate sin in the Hebrew sacrificial system, it is simply illogical to suggest that the atoning death of the Messiah replaced the previous sacrifices.  The previous sacrifices never had any effect on deliberate sins, so the Messiah’s death could not be a replacement.  There was nothing in the Hebrew system to replace.  What the death of the Messiah accomplished did not replace the Hebrew sacrifices.  It fulfilled a need that the sacrificial system could not address.  The atoning death of the Messiah was the answer to the question, “What do I do about my deliberate sins?”  That answer was just as important to the Jew as it was to the Gentile.

With the correction in mind, let’s reconsider the place of sacrifice.  First, the purpose of sacrifice is to properly approach a holy God.  God Himself specifies the protocol for worship.  Worship requires purity.  The Scriptures provide us with instructions concerning purity in order that we might come into the presence of the holy God.  Those instructions include the necessity of ritual purity concerning unintentional violations of the holiness code.  In other words, if I am devoutly serious about my condition before the Lord, I will want to make sure that I have done nothing accidentally that would diminish my purity in His presence.  Therefore, I will need instructions to cover the eventuality that I may have inadvertently dishonored Him in some way.  The sacrificial system provides a means to insure that I may enter into His presence purified of my unintentional mistakes.

Secondly, the sacrificial system specifies the proper steps required to approach holiness.  God provides exact instructions for my behavior if I wish to be ritually pure before Him.  He alone has the authority to determine the proper methods.  The sacrifices are proscribed behaviors that allow me to be acceptable to Him.  But since they do not affect deliberate sin, the acceptability achieved with the sacrifices does not in any way offer me the possibility of removing my guilt through human action.  These are God’s divinely ordained rituals for proper worship.  They are not negotiable and they are quite specific in their application and circumstances.  Unless all of the conditions apply, the sacrifice does not accomplish its purpose.  Today some of the critical conditions of the sacrifices are not possible.  Until they are, the sacrifices cannot be effectively performed.

Finally, we must notice that removing the error concerning deliberate sins shifts the issue from grace to justice and the application of punishment.  Guilt is “expiated” within the society by the proper application of required punishment.  If a man deliberately sins, the proper expiation of that sin within the society is the application of the required punishment.  So, a man who steals must be brought to justice and he must repay with penalty what he has taken.  A man who injures another is subject to the general provision of “measure for measure.”  A man who murders another must die.  This judicial requirement removes the guilt in the society, but, of course, it does not remove the guilt of the offense before God.  Furthermore, the society that does not execute the required justice leaves the matter unresolved and the forensic debt remains unpaid.  In such cases, the whole society bears the burden.  This is why the proper execution of justice within a community that follows YHWH is critically essential for every member of the community.

Grace, mercy and spiritual forgiveness must be left to God Himself.  So, the social impact of deliberate sin becomes the concern of the judicial system but the religious and spiritual impact of deliberate sin oversteps the sacrificial provision and rests entirely with God.  Until God dealt with this critical issue, no man – from Adam to the present day – could be forgiven of his intentional violations of holiness.  God did deal with this issue in the perfect sacrifice of His Son “before the foundation of the world.”  It is on this basis alone that there is forgiveness of deliberate sin.  The Old Testament and the New Testament do not present two opposing means for forgiveness.  They present one uniform, eternal provision.

[1] Baruch A. Levine, The JPS Torah Commentary: Leviticus (The Jewish Publication Society, New York), 1989, p. 3.

Category: Articles  | Tags: , ,  | Leave a Comment

Justice For Victims

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

When a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall repay five cattle for an ox and four of a flock animal for a sheep. Exodus 21:37

Repay – The biblical principle of justice is straightforward and simple.  Perpetrators repay victims.  You will notice as you read the torah that there is no mention of police, jails, incarceration, or law suits.  The perpetrator does not pay his debt to society.  He pays his debt to the one he wronged.  The victim’s property, dignity or honor is restored.  In the process, the criminal is also restored for he must account for his crime in the face of the one he harmed and make restitution to that person.  There is no anonymous sentencing.

Moses uses the Hebrew word shalam.  The choice is interesting because its primary meaning is to be safe or to be complete.  It is used to describe God’s action to keep His people free from harm.  It is also used to describe being at peace with another person (Psalm 7:5) making a treaty with someone (Joshua 11:19).  Pictographically, the Hebrew consonants could mean “to destroy and control chaos.”  The picture fits.  Repayment restores peace.  It is an essential element in a treaty that sets aside past damages.  It provides a legal means of safety and confidence.  Shalam eliminates the chaos that ensues in the wake of theft.  Everything about the process, including the penalty assessed against the thief, insures that stability and restoration will prevail in the community.

Of course, it takes only a moment’s reflection to see how far contemporary legal practice has wandered from the idea of personal confrontation, restoration and repayment.  The Greek ideal is based on the primacy of Law, not the primacy of Person.  Therefore, the representative of Law is the victim, and this, of course, is the State, not the individual.  In societies based on the Greek concept of Law, criminals repay the anonymous State.  There is no direct connection to the victim.  The injury is against the State and the State exacts payment.  Most often this simply amounts to isolation from society.  The criminal repays by being excluded from the restoration process.  In the ancient Hebrew culture, the criminal has a direct interaction with the victim.  He is not isolated from community nor does he repay the anonymous “society.”  He repays the one he has harmed.

What would happen to our legal entanglements if we simply followed God’s instructions?  Do you think we would find justice rather than technicalities?  Do you think the recidivism rate would drop?  Do you think our communities would be safer?  Do you think that criminals would be punished rather than praised?  And how would we operate if we knew that the laws we followed came from a holy God and were not open to debate or revision?

Read the legislation of the torah from the perspective of social stability.  You might see a completely different way of living; one that respects persons and property at the same time it engages in restoration of sinners.  If you don’t live in a society that understands Law as the word of God, you can never really be safe.  The Law of society serves society and society is not God, is it?

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

Et too

Saturday, April 12th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

“Vengeance and retribution belong to Me; in due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near; and the things prepared are hurrying for them.” Deuteronomy 32:35

In Due Time – God will avenge.  Great!  When?  “In due time.”  So, what time is that?  Coming to terms with the way God deals with retribution is not always easy because God’s view of “due time” is often quite far removed from our view.

The Hebrew, le et, is entirely contextual.  You see, the basic Hebrew word for time, et, is really not very specific.  It can mean a specific time of occurrence, or a general sense of time, or a specific date, or a part of a day, or a duration of time in the past, present or future.  The famous passage in Ecclesiastes uses this word nineteen times (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3).  In general, the Hebrew view of time is given its context from the perspective of the author.  So, et can designate the “proper” time in Proverbs and be used for an “uncertain” time in Ecclesiastes (see 9:11).  This is a very flexible word indeed.

That doesn’t make us feel very good when it comes to dealing with those who abuse us.  We would like God to use et in the same sense that we expect a speedy trial and verdict.  We don’t want retribution to be delayed.  But, of course, we don’t see things from God’s perspective.  If we were to execute vengeance with summary dispatch, there is no telling how much chaos we would ultimately cause in the moral governance of the universe.  It’s so much better to leave it in God’s hands!

However, if we leave it in God’s hands, that means we are required to wait until He decides it is due time.  For Abraham, that was 400 years.  For the coming of the Messiah, it was thousands.  While God is never late, His version of “due time” often arrives long after we are gone from the scene.  The patience of Job is not simply a virtue.  With God, it is a requirement!

Of course, sometimes the verdict is instantaneous.  Nebuchadnezzar discovered in an instant that pride comes before a mighty fall.  So did Ananias and Sapphira.  Others experienced some reprieve.  Lot and his family, David and Bathsheba, Tamar and Judah, Jonah, Peter and Paul all knew God’s retribution delayed in order to bring about repentance or rescue.  When we think about it, most of us are probably in this camp.  We really are glad that God doesn’t execute revenge immediately.  Since we are in desperate need of His delay, maybe we need to take the same view toward those who are our enemies.  They deserve the same et too.

The lesson embedded in this critical verse in the Torah is this:  I either trust that God is indeed sovereign and is fully in charge of justice in the world, or I deny God’s sovereignty and decide to act as my own avenger.  If I allow God the right to be God, then I am assured that the evil will be punished, but I am not given any right to expect it now.  Unless God specifically provides for social justice according to His laws, I will have to wait, remembering that waiting is a function of grace, for me and for my enemies.  God guarantees the what and the when, in due time.

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

The God of Justice (6)

Friday, April 11th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.  He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:9

Will Bring Me Out – There is nothing more destructive than secrets.  In fact, you can probably measure the depth of your walk with God by the absence of secrets in your life.  The more we hide in the closets, the less we find that perfect peace God promises.  In this verse, Micah tells us that God’s justice includes bringing us into the light.  God intends to expose who we are.

If that sounds terrifying to you, you’re not alone.  In a world where personal reputation plays an enormous part in self-identity, most of us have more than a few things we would just as soon keep in the dark.  Just thinking about exposing the secrets of our shattered lives sends shock waves of humiliation through us.  We can’t imagine the shame and embarrassment we would have to endure if everything about our lives came to light.  That’s why we need to pay very close attention to what Micah says.

First, we notice that God is the active agent here.  In Hebrew, it is yotsi.eni la.or (He will bring me out to the light).  The basic verb (yotset) has dozens of nuances surrounding the idea of go out or come in.  Did you notice that the verb has a dynamic continuum of motion?  It represents the movement, not the direction, so “going out” or “coming in” are tied together in the same kind of motion.  It is God’s action that carries me out or in.  I don’t do this myself.  In fact, I am almost incapable of doing this.  After all, I bear His wrath because of my sin.  Not only must God plead my case, He must also act as my transporter.  If He doesn’t take me into the light, I will never get there.

Second, when I come out into the light, I do not see a purified “me”.  I am not suddenly transformed into a dazzling white, sinless person.  No, what I see is God’s righteousness, not mine.  Why?  Because the righteousness that I experience in the light is alien to me.  It doesn’t belong to me.  It belongs to God.  When He pleads my case and carries me into the light, when my secret sins are burned away by His holiness, then what is left is His righteousness.  God deals with my sin by ushering me into His blamelessness.  I am guilty of acting against His will.  He knows that.  But God acts as my advocate.  He executes justice for me by taking the punishment on Himself and, in the process, He leads me into the light of His holiness.  In the end, justice is only about the holy God of Israel.  I am either carried into His blamelessness or I fall under His indignation.  There is no other option.

So, what happens to those secrets?  God deals with them as only He can.  That does not mean that He won’t use someone else as part of this movement into the light.  He will do precisely what is necessary to bring me out of the dark.  But only He can do this.  No self-help regimen, no therapy, no confessional, no accountability group will ever remove the grip of the secrets in my life until God brings me out of the dark.  And when He does being me out, I am a witness to His amazing grace.

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

The God of Justice (5)

Thursday, April 10th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.  He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:9

Justice – Justice at last.  The path to justice includes experiencing my guilt, carrying the impending storm of God’s wrath, waiting for God to act and discovering that the holy Victim stands in my place.  Now we come to the summary word, mishpat.

Actually, mishpat is the end result of justice.  It is the legal decision, the proper claim and the correct verdict.  Insofar as it is the result of the legal proceeding, it summarizes justice, but it does so in a very practical way.  A mishpat is not an ethical theory.  It’s not a legal opinion.  It is an executed judgment.  In the Hebraic mind, the mishpat is the action of rectitude.  This is God’s intended goal for His people (see Jeremiah 7:5) – to do what is right before Him.

In our world, executing justice is often quite confusing.  It seems that in many cases we simply don’t know what is the right thing to do.  Our view of justice is so mingled with the fairness doctrine, the “rights” philosophy and the blameless society that we walk away from case after case shaking our heads in disbelief.  We know that the system failed us.  We have an inner sense of injured conscience.  But we don’t quite know where we missed the mark.  It’s just one big muddle.

Micah (and God) calls us back to the original design.  The solution to our muddle is really simple.  Give up trying to figure it out.  Abandon the Greek idea that reason alone can bring sanity and sanctification.  No man is able to know the final truth in a world of dynamic relationships.  If we want justice, we will have to turn over the legal proceedings to God.  We will have to listen to His ethical instructions and adopt them as our own.  Will a man negotiate with God?  Apparently, we think so.  We systematically ignore the clear directions God gives regarding everything from education to execution.  We believe in ourselves.  So, we try to figure it all out through legislation and case law.  What insane arrogance!

The end of justice takes us right back to the beginning.  How long will I bear the indignation of the Lord?  As long as I continue to act as though His judgments do not matter any more.  I can pretend that God has grown up and put the legislation of morality in the hands of those who have earned their degrees in the subject, but to do so insults the King of creation.  How long will I bear His indignation?  As long as it takes me to realize that my version of “legally correct” is a pitiful proclamation of self-independence.  As long as legal technicalities prevent proper execution of God’s moral standards.  As long as I think that I can change the law to fit my desires.

Justice finally belongs only to God.  It is nothing more than doing what He deems to be right.  Maybe Micah wasn’t far removed from the commentator in Ecclesiastes.  “Fear God and keep His commandments.  For this is the whole duty of humanity.  For God will bring every deed into judgment.”

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

The God of Justice (4)

Wednesday, April 09th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.  He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:9

Pleads – You’re caught.  You are arrested and charged.  There’s not much point in resisting since you know you are guilty.  You stand before the judge, ashamed and humiliated.  What can you do?  There is no way out of this unless someone pleads your case.  But who would plead the case of a man who has already confessed to the crime?  Actually, only one person could do such a thing – the injured party.  The only person able to speak for the criminal is the victim.

That’s the scenario in Micah’s courtroom description.  I have offended the Most High God.  He is the injured party.  There is no question about my guilt.  Therefore, only He is able to take up my case and bring about justice.  The law demands punishment, but the victim can plead for mercy.  If God doesn’t act on my behalf, there is nothing ahead but wrath and misery.

The Hebrew word riyv comes directly from the courtroom.  It means to conduct a lawsuit, to contest and dispute in legal proceedings.  God Himself uses this word to describe His accusation against idolatrous Israel (Isaiah 3:13).  Now Micah says that unless God takes up our sorrowful verdict, we are lost.  In the court of heaven, I need the best attorney in all creation, and that, of course, is the merciful Lord Himself.

This is a legal proceeding like no other.  God is victim, judge and defense counsel.  It may seem a bit strange to us, but this is the way it must be.  God is judge by right of creation.  He made it all.  He owns it all.  He sets the rules in place for the governance of it all.  God is also the victim here because, in spite of His right to require obedience, I have spurned Him.  I have refused to live according to the decrees of the Owner of all.  He is the injured party in this proceeding.

But Micah also tells me that God is the defense counsel.  I discover that God is not simply the moral policeman of the universe.  He is exactly as He describes Himself in Exodus 34:6 – compassionate and full of mercy.  God steps in to plead my case when there is absolutely no excuse for my actions.

So, what does pleading mean when I am a confessed criminal?  From my perspective, it can only mean one thing – a cry for a merciful verdict.  In these circumstances, that’s all I could come up with.  That, however, is not God’s way.  God’s way is amazingly controversial, completely unanticipated and absolutely unique.  The victim voluntarily dies in the place of the guilty.  This is the whole creation turned upside-down.  Nothing could have prepared us for this solution.  The law is upheld. The judge is satisfied.  The guilty are forgiven.  Mercy triumphs over wrath without compromising justice.

This might be a good day to praise the God Who died in your place.  It’s the only reason you are free.

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

The God of Justice (3)

Tuesday, April 08th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.  He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:9

Until – “How long, O Lord, how long?”  Until.  That’s the word ‘ad.  The phrase is actually ‘ad asher (“as far as when”).  I will carry the impending storm of God’s wrath as far as the point when He does something, not me.  Do you see that calming the storm, avoiding the disaster, does not depend on my action?  It depends on God taking up my case.  No matter what I do, the storm will come because I bear His wrath for my sin.  And there is nothing I can do to take it away.

Don’t get confused.  Asking forgiveness does not avert God’s wrath.  Begging for mercy doesn’t change the direction of the weather.  Unless God does something on my behalf, I am in for it.  Salvation belongs to Him.  Ultimately, it has nothing to do with me.

We learn two important facts about justice from the middle of this verse.  First, we learn that God must provide the rescue.  He is the offended one and only He can bring about the reconciliation.  That’s not the same as saying that we don’t have to confess.  Once we realize our situation, confession is the only reasonable response.  But by the time we realize where we stand, by the time we see the storm clouds on the horizon, it’s too late to do anything but confess.  The rest has to be up to God.

Second, we learn that there is no rescue for those who have not embraced the consequences of their sin.  God doesn’t save those who think they can save themselves.  God doesn’t provide reinforcements to those who pretend they do not bear the burden of His wrath.  God lets them sink.  Why?  Because only drowning men know they need a savior.  Those who think they can tread water in the perfect storm haven’t faced their reality yet.  So, God applies ‘ad – until.  David knew the truth of the matter.  “Until I was afflicted, I did not follow You” (Psalm 119:67).  Pain has purpose.  Use it wisely.

It’s easy to think that God will come to the aid of all who call on Him.  We’ve been taught that  God is loving and compassionate, so we conclude that this must mean He would never turn away from anyone in trouble.  We see only one side of the coin.  Mercy depends on wrath.  If you don’t like the pain, you will never experience the gain.  God told Jeremiah not to pray for Israel before He sent them into captivity.  Why?  Because they thought treading water would save them.  It’s very easy today to pretend that God will not arrive in the storm clouds.  We have been seduced by the “kindly old grandfather” theology.  Our morality is mixed up with a doctrine of fairness.  But Micah is beginning to clear our confusion.  God isn’t fair; He’s just.  And justice is tied to “until” He acts.

Is there a storm in your life?  Have you tried to hold your breath under the waves?  Do you see that your salvation is delayed until He acts?  What good is your remorse now?  Rescue is God’s choice to act, not mine to demand.

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment

The God of Justice (2)

Monday, April 07th, 2008 | Author: Skip Moen

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.  He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:9

Indignation – The storm warnings are out.  There is a fury in the sky, headed this way.  This is the big one, a 5.0 tornado, a category 5 hurricane, a sandstorm that none will survive.  That’s the impact of the Hebrew word za’aph.  God’s fury has arrived.  Most importantly, in the Hebrew Bible, this is the first word in the verse.  Za’aph YHWH is Micah’s cry.  God’s storm is pouring out on me.

Did you notice that Micah’s real focus is not on his personal guilt but rather on God’s anger?  I just might be able to bear up under guilt.  After all, I can always find excuses or resignation or denial.  Guilt is internal psychological distress.  There are pills for this.  But there is no remedy for God’s storm.  No denial, no excuse, no deflection can remove the lightning and wind that will destroy me.  There are no pills to keep the tornado from tearing my home apart.  God’s wrath is a cross no man can bear!

This recognition is crucial.  Our world would love to just deal with the guilt.  We could point to Jesus and happily say, “Oh, He paid for it all,” as though His death makes us immune.  We live in a religious atmosphere where believing is the equivalent of political endorsement.  Just put a “Jesus” sign on your car or wear a “WWJD” bracelet, and life will be wonderful.  We haven’t heard Micah.  It’s not guilt that he fears.  It’s God’s wrath.  My sin might produce an inner discomfort that I call “feeling guilty,” but it is not likely to place me in the hands of an angry God until I understand what justice means.  That’s a mistake Micah doesn’t make.  The first thing on his mind is God’s impending storm.  There is no avoiding the rushing disaster.

There are two results to za’aph.  The first is unsettled anger.  The storm clouds in the heart of a holy God will be unleashed.  The Bible calls this rage.  The second result is another emotional catastrophe.  Za’aph can also result in dejection (see Genesis 40:6).  There is a kind of hopelessness that comes as a result of those who refuse to act on the truth.  I’m not sure if God ever feels this way, but it wouldn’t surprise me.  Remember what He said about the evil of men before He washed the earth of them?  He grieved over their rebellion (Genesis 6:6).  Then the storm came.

One more look will cement the picture.  Jesus faces the same storm in the Garden on the night of His arrest.  “If this cup can pass,” is His recognition of the truth in Micah’s announcement.  The cup of God’s wrath is beyond bearing.  It took the life of the Son.  It will most certainly take our lives since we are far less human than He was.

Justice begins here.  It begins with the personal awareness that God’s storm clouds are coming for me.  Do you want to know what justice means?  Are you willing to look into the gale and see yourself?

Topical Index:  Justice

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment
« Previous Entries