Justice And The Prophets

Justice and the Prophets

(Part Two of Spirit, Love, Justice and Truth)

Consider how many times justice toward one another is the theme of the prophets:

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(Read this series from its beginning here.)

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 9:7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Isaiah 16:5 In love a throne will be established;

in faithfulness a man will sit on it—

one from the house of David—

one who in judging seeks justice

and speeds the cause of righteousness.

Isaiah 28:6 He will be a spirit of justice

to the one who sits in judgment,

a source of strength

to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

Isaiah 28:17 I will make justice the measuring line

and righteousness the plumb line;

hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,

and water will overflow your hiding place.

Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

Isaiah 32:1 See, a king will reign in righteousness

and rulers will rule with justice.

Isaiah 51:4,5 “Listen to me, my people;

hear me, my nation:

Instruction will go out from me;

my justice will become a light to the nations.

My righteousness draws near speedily,

my salvation is on the way,

and my arm will bring justice to the nations.

Jeremiah 9:24 But let the one who boasts boast about this:

that they have the understanding to know me,

that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,

justice and righteousness on earth,

for in these I delight,”

declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 21:12 This is what the LORD says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice every morning;

rescue from the hand of the oppressor

the one who has been robbed,

or my wrath will break out and burn like fire

because of the evil you have done—

burn with no one to quench it.

[Note that the end of this passage from Jeremiah sounds a lot like John the Baptist from the first portion of this week’s reading.]

Ezekiel 34:16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Hosea 2:19 I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,

in love and compassion.

Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good;

maintain justice in the courts.

Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy

on the remnant of Joseph.

Amos 5:24 But let justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Micah 3:1 Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders of Jacob,

you rulers of Israel.

Should you not embrace justice,

Micah 3:8 But as for me, I am filled with power,

with the Spirit of the LORD,

and with justice and might,

Zechariah 7:9 “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.

Malachi 3:5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify . . . against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.

This is the tradition in which both John and Jesus ministered, applying the themes to the situational injustices of their day. We are called to work for justice in our contexts in the same way. What does the justice of the prophets look like in our context today? We’ll take a look at a few possibilities, in Part 3.

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