According to ‘The Council of State Governments Justice Center’ website, “Failing to arrest people who commit violent crime undermines justice, safety, and trust in government. More accountability, instead of arbitrary punishment, is urgently needed.Failing to solve violent crime means less justice for victims and their families, less trust in the justice system’s ability to protect and respond, and a greater risk of retaliatory violence” (1) King Solomon put it this way, “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.” (Ec.8:11 nlt) The same Justice Center reports, “Unsolved violent crime is a national issue facing nearly every state. In 2022, more than 50 percent of violent crimes reported to law enforcement went unsolved in 38 states. And in 6 states, over two-thirds of all violent crime went unsolved.” (1)
There is definitely a problem in America punishing violent crime or any non-violent crime. What exasperates the problem is the failure not to convict those guilty of a crime but to release them without any consequences back into society. We should all agree that Solomon is right when he says, people then feel it is OK and safe to do wrong. “After all, it looks like I got away with it. I got off.” But every parent knows if you let your little ones get away with the small things, bigger ones are not far behind. The criminal justice system does have its challenges, but it must be more forceful in punishing the small offenders not sending them out with a ‘get out of jail free card’ to use against the innocent.
It is never safe to do wrong even if our district attorneys fail to prosecute and our court judges release the guilty. There is one greater who will enact perfect justice. Solomon also wrote, “The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.” (Ec.8:13 nlt) We can rest comfortably their day will come. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb.10:31 nlt) In the meantime we should all be praying for safety and justice in the streets of America and around the world.
“Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.” Habakkuk 1:3 NLT
The prophet Habakkuk had a couple complaints for God he wanted to get off his chest. First, Habakkuk was in doubt God was hearing his prayers. If He was, God wasn’t responding. Secondly, Habakkuk doesn’t understand why he must witness all the evil around him while the culprits go unpunished. Sound familiar? Habakkuk saw nothing but misery through destruction, violence, people fighting, and no justice in the courts. Again, sound familiar. The old saying is true, ‘the more things change the more they stay the same.’
Habakkuk was writing over 2,500 years ago and his words are just as relevant today and could be posted on any social media website. If you ever thought about or have questioned God, you’re not alone. When we see the same things that the old prophet saw in his day it makes us want to cry out with him, why? And perhaps we feel God is not listening to us as Habakkuk felt. But we are both wrong in our assessment of God’s attention to our prayers. He does listen and answers in His timing and according to His will.
God told Habakkuk the guilty will not go unpunished. The guilty, in this case, was his own people, the people of Judah. “The LORD replied, ‘Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.’” (Hab.1:5 nlt) God was going to use the evil Babylonian Empire to bring justice to His own people. This of course caused Habakkuk to question God even more, but through it all he rested in God working His plan which included bringing judgment on the Babylonians.
We do not understand the fine workings of God. They are too high for us, as high as the heavens. But we can rest that God hears our prayers as we tell Him what we see asking for justice in our world. God will bring about justice according to His plan and use people and nations we would never consider, but then again, we are not God. Only He can bring about true justice. So, it’s OK to question God and tell Him what we see, just remember He has the perfect plan already worked out.
The United States’ New Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) released its latest savings report of $155 billion as of April 14, 2025. It is a ‘Combination of asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions.” (1) Living in a fallen world, it should come as no surprise that there would be fraud and inefficiency in those who are to uphold the law. Government, their institutions, their departments, and each agency is run by people, fallen people living in our sin sick world. No government is a machine that is not accountable to its citizens. There needs to be justice.
There is plenty of controversy and political wrangling over some of the cuts made by DOGE in the list above. But it is safe to say there were people with good intentions who approved the money for special programs but then saw an opportunity to siphon money out to non-essential areas, even lining their own pockets. Which brings me to my main point. These tactics damage the credibility and integrity of the government but more specifically, it hurts the people who work in government, both the guilty and the innocent.
For Christians working in government, now is the time for them to show grace to those impacted by the uncovering of the abuse of power over the years. Perhaps they find themselves being caught in the game of politics participating in the expansion of irrelevant programs passed off as essential, or under the guise of something else. King Solomon knew a lot about politics, government, and money. He wrote, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.” (Pr.11:1 esv) The Lord expects honesty and justice within the governments on the earth. All authority comes from Him and He delegates it to those He chooses. Those in positions of leadership in the government are accountable to its citizens and to God. It’s a good thing to make the country more efficient and get rid of fraud, but a better thing to change hearts and minds of those who are using ‘a false balance.’
“When I heard their complaints, I was very angry……You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.” Nehemiah 5:6, 11 NLT
As we come to chapter 5, this is a passage in Scripture that seems to be misplaced chronologically. When Nehemiah was sent to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls he was also installed as governor by King Artaxerxes. It is suggested by some commentators that the events of chapter 5 take place later in Nehemiah’s first twelve years as governor rather than when the walls were being rebuilt. But then there are others who think not. To me, it does seem it fits better later in Nehemiah’s first stay in Jerusalem as governor, and I will work from that viewpoint in this week’s insight. Whether at the time of rebuilding the walls or later in his governorship, Nehemiah exhibits a godly leader who administers justice, is generous, and leads by example.
Some of the men of Judah, along with their wives, raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. They were being taken advantage of due to financial hardship. There had been a famine in the land sometime earlier and many needed to sell their farmlands and homes for food to survive and borrowed money to pay their taxes to the Persian king. (Neh.5:3-4) Of course the wealthy saw an opportunity to make themselves richer and bought up property and loaned out money with interest against the Law of Moses. Some of the poor sold their sons and daughters to the nobles as slaves to make payments on their debt. The rich got richer, and the poor got poorer. I think we can identify with that even in our day.
When Nehemiah heard their cry, he was filled with righteous anger. “When I heard their complaints, I was very angry.” (Neh.5:6 nlt) Nehemiah reacted quickly to the injustice that was occurring to his Jewish brothers and sisters who were under his leadership. He called in the nobles, (the wealthy) who had taken advantage of this plight to the poor and brought charges against them. He then called a public meeting and said, ‘“We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?’ And they had nothing to say in their defense.” (Neh.5:8 nlt) Nehemiah reminded them that he and others were working towards buying back those who sold themselves as slaves and ended up in the hands of pagan foreigners. And now the nobles were selling them back again into slavery, their Jewish brethren. After Nehemiah’s rebuke there was silence among the rich and famous in Jerusalem. Their greed was uncovered. Justice was about to be restored.
Nehemiah commanded the nobles to restore all the property they had confiscated and to return the money they collected in interest payments. They responded, “We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” (Neh.5:12a nlt) This was followed by Nehemiah’s insistence that their promise be confirmed with an oath. “Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised.” (Neh.5:12b nlt) Nehemiah shook out the folds of his robe signifying God will shake them if they break their oath. “The whole assembly responded, ‘Amen,’ and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.” (Neh.5:13b nlt) One commentator noted, “The Cancellation of the debt had unifying effects.” Acting and correcting an injustice enabling the wrongdoers to see the error of their ways and planting a seed for unity is the mark of a godly leader.
Nehemiah was not only an administrator of justice, but he was a generous man. Here is where we see Nehemiah’s first term as governor. “For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes—neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance.” (Neh.5:14 nlt) Nehemiah served for twelve years as governor before being called back to Susa by the king. It is noted Nehemiah did not take anything that he was entitled to as governor. He took no salary and accepted no food allowance. It should be also noted that Nehemiah was a very wealthy man drawing a substantial salary for being King Artaxerxes cupbearer. But nonetheless, governors before him took what they were entitled to, Nehemiah did not. He also had the right to collect taxes for himself, but again, he chose not to. He did not want to put an extra burden on the people.
Governors were expected to entertain diplomats from other territories on an on-going basis. All the provisions for these eloquent banquets were paid for by Nehemiah himself. He also fed all his officials every day from his own personal account. I think it is safe to say there are not many leaders today who show that kind of generosity. To be fair, there have been some leaders in recent history who did accept their salary, forgoing it to serve the people. But there are others who are only interested in gaining as much wealth as they kind. Nehemiah is an example of a leader truly in it to serve the people.
Last for this week, an additional insight of Nehemiah’s leading by example. “I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall.” (Neh.5:16 nlt) Nehemiah was alongside the workers in rebuilding the walls. He also had all his servants participate in the work. Nehemiah set the example that he would not ask anyone to do something he was not willing to do himself. That is another mark of a true godly leader. Overall, Nehemiah set an unselfish example for all the people. From administering justice, to his generous spirit, and to his willingness to put his hands to work, Nehemiah is an example much needed among our leaders today. May we pray for more Nehemiah’s in leadership, and may we pray for a little of Nehemiah in ourselves.
“If they twist justice in the courts—doesn’t the Lord see all these things? Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?” Lamentations 3:36-37 NLT
The United States of America prides itself as having the worlds best justice system. As the motto states, ‘lady justice is blind.’ The justice system does not show partiality or judge on appearance. Over the last decade that motto has been challenged by some of the court decisions from both the state and federal courts. Recent rulings have shown that prejudice and bias have made their way into the judicial system of America. Having made note of that, most verdicts from juries of the American people and from the bench are just, but lady justice is starting to let her blindfold slip and looking around is persuaded by what she sees.
For the Christian living in America or anywhere else in the world we are assured that God is the ultimate judge. The psalmist writes, “But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.” (Ps.9:7-8 nlt) No unjust verdict is sent down without His knowledge and He will execute His righteous judgement in His good time. God will overturn all injustices and make all things right in His heavenly kingdom.
The United States is struggling with the divisions in the nation cause by prejudices and biases. Laws are being enacted either by legislation or executive order, deepening the divide and blurring the vision of what is right and wrong, furthering confusion in the judicial system. Our responsibility as Christians is to pray for all those in authority over us. May we pray for wisdom, a spirit to work together for the sake of the people, and justice to be done in every court case. The Lord is going to clear the slate one day overturning all injustices. Why don’t we decide to get a head start.
“Tell all the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’ The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly……for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.” (Ps.96:10, 13 nlt)
“Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” Amos 5:23-24 NLT
There are many lessons in the pages of Scripture to learn from today. After all, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change. His love for us is the same. His laws do not change over time. All His holy attributes do not change as the attribute of the Immutability of God tells us. We can be confident God doesn’t change and His Word doesn’t change either. It is the same and valid for all eternity, including the year 2024.
In the Old Testament book of Amos, the prophet was called to issue a warning to the northern tribes of Israel. They were to repent of their social evils and pagan worship. Their only hope to prevent judgment from God was total repentance from the blasphemous worship of God they were performing and their lack justice among the people. The Lord wanted a complete change of mind and heart towards Him, the Lord their God, which in turn would result in ‘a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.’ (Amos 5:24 nlt)
Christians today may not equate themselves with all the sins of ancient Israel, but there are similarities to be considered. Are we always just in our dealings with others? Are we more than fair in areas which are under our control? When we worship God are our hearts in the right place? Have we been living righteously throughout week as we enter to worship God on Sunday morning? No, none of us are righteous, but we can walk in step with God through the Holy Spirit. Are we doing that? As with nation of Israel in Amos’s day, the Lord wants to see justice and an endless river of righteous flowing in our lives when we come to worship Him along with our noisy hymns of praise!
“He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.” 1 Peter 2:22-23 NLT
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The American judicial system is based on justice being administered represented on the facts of the case. The defendant is found guilty or not guilty by a judge or jury. The outcome is to ensure that justice was served by not punishing the innocent or letting the guilty go free. The courts, although not perfect, strive to uphold the law as established in the United States Constitution. There have been many cases over the years, even though brought properly through the judicial process, that have clearly not resulted in justice. The innocent is guilty and the guilty go free. It is extremely difficult for one who has been tried and convicted of a crime they did not commit to patiently endure the injustice done to them. But our Lord Jesus did just that on our behalf.
Jesus was arrested by the Jewish rulers for claiming the truth that He is the Messiah and claiming to be God in the flesh, another truth. Jesus was upending the Pharisees and the scribes’ rule over the Jewish people, so they sought to have Him arrested, put on trial, found guilty, and be put to death. Even in Jesus’ day, you need witnesses to confirm a crime was committed. Jewish law demanded at least two witnesses to agree, and after patiently waiting two came forward. “The leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death…. Finally, two men came forward.” (Mt. 26:59-60 nlt) The false testimony they gave along with Jesus’ truthful response satisfied the rulers as to the decision they made.
Jesus went through the mockery of perceived justice in the various trials He went through enduring the injustice done to Him. Peter writes, “He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.” (1 Pt. 2:22 nlt) Jesus, God the Son, never sinned. How could He commit a crime? Peter goes on to say, “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.” (1 Pt. 2:23 nlt) God always judges fairly, and in this case, Jesus endured the injustice as God’s plan of justice for the payment of sin. Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, was sacrificed for our sin making us just and righteous in the sight of God as we accept Christ as our savior. False witnesses may have lied abut Jesus, but it was all part of God’s plan of salvation for all who believe.
“God says, ‘At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.’ ……It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.” Psalm 75:2, 7 NLT
There seems to be more heartbreaking news every day. The world in which we live is being shattered by evil, injustice, war, and natural disasters. Adding to the problem is the political unrest around the globe, a failing economy with rising prices, and a secular worldview that disregards any mention of the God of the Bible in solving our problems. There is no safe haven in which to turn, or so we think. But there is, for the Christian and the non-Christian alike, it is the Lord God, the God of the Bible.
Psalm 75 in the Old Testament can easily be applied to today’s world. Israel’s security as a nation was in jeopardy by godless worldly forces. Being threaten by outside nations Israel put their trust in God in this thanksgiving psalm. The psalmist begins by praising God and is assured by God in the next verse of His plan. “God says, ‘At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.’” (Ps. 75:2) As Israel depended on the God of the Bible thousands of years ago, we can still depend on Him to bring about justice in our world that has gone awry.
The foundations of the world are held safely by God. He is the one who has firmly planted them. No natural catastrophe, war, or political chaos will be able to upheave them. (Ps. 75:3) Those who shake their fists at God over such events are warned by God Himself not to be boastful and proud. Their defiant arrogant speaking is both evil and foolish. God is still in control of the events in this world, and He will judge according to His righteous judgement. (Ps. 75:4-7)
The Lord will pour out His fury, His righteous judgement, on the wicked. All who do evil will not escape the justice due them by a Holy God. (Ps. 75:8) The world’s safe haven is in the God of the Bible who will bring about true justice. Those deserving His righteous judgment will experience God’s wrath, and those in need justice from the wicked will be rewarded God’s favor. “For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.” (Ps. 75:10)
Take heart in the news of the day remembering that God is in control and that He is the one who said, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.”
The Old Testament law provided for equal justice in civil cases by ensuring that the punishment fit the offense. Jesus affirmed this in the Sermon on the Mount by saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” (Mt. 5:38 ESV) The problem for so many in Jesus’s day was that the premise of the law was also being used for personal disputes. Personal retaliation was justified by misinterpreting the true nature of the law. Those seeking personal revenge would justify “an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.” It is still somewhat common today by the phrase, “don’t get mad, get even.” But Jesus has a better way.
I am sure Jesus’s proposals for His better way were met with some resistance on the mountain that day. They certainly are met today with push back preserving our rights. We have the right to defend ourselves (yes we do), we have the right to protect what is ours (yes we do), we have the right to not be forced into any service against our will (agreed), and we have the right to keep what is ours. But by ensuing personal revenge to protect our personal rights we destroy any opportunity we had to show the mercy and the love of God. Christians are to follow Jesus’s example, “The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” (Is. 50:5-6 ESV)
It is not always easy to pursue the better way, especially in unprovoked, unjust circumstances. But our Lord set the example and He will help us through it. Dr. Benjamin Mays speaking of the unjust sufferings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said the following, “If any man knew the meaning of suffering, King knew…….and yet this man had no bitterness in his heart, no rancour in his soul, no revenge in his mind; and he went up and down the length and breadth of this world preaching non-violence and the redemptive power of love.” (1) Yes, there is ‘a better way.’
Coretta Scott King, My life with Martin Luther King Jr (Hodder & Stoughton, 1970), pp.365-369.
“This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’” Zechariah 7:9-10 NIV
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 NIV
Are you an advocate for the administering of true justice with mercy and compassion? Where do you find the source for true justice, mercy, and compassion? There can only be one source, the Word of God. The prophet Micah confirms this by saying ‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.’ (Mic. 6:8a) Therefore by following the principles and guidelines found in Scripture we have a solid foundation to build upon in administering justice with mercy and compassion.
Every Christian is to be outspoken with the injustices committed in our society. Whether it is the neglect of the poor and homeless, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, Christians should be out front not only with calls for justice, but with the actions to back it up. The New Testament book of 1 John tells us, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (3:17, 18)
The key word in in I John 3:18 is ‘truth.’ Our advocacy must be based on truth. The truth of God’s Word. There is a problem today for many Christians and it has made its way into many Christian churches. God’s justice (Biblical justice) is being intermingled with the world’s term of ‘social justice.’ They are not one and the same. It is true caring for the poor, the homeless, and standing in the face of discrimination are some tenets of ‘social justice’, but not all the tenets of ‘social justice’ are tenets of ‘God’s justice.’
As Christians we are to be wise and discerning in what constitutes ‘social justice’ of our day. The cries of each injustice are to be examined in the light of Scripture to test and prove it is a Biblical principle that has been violated. It is to be understood that it also does not contradict any other of God’s principles in Scripture. If it passes the test then we are to be an advocate for the injustice by following Micah’s exhortation, “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8b)
Word for the Soul 