Justice Is Grace Micah 6:8

God’s Justice 3 “I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! 4 The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4)

God’s Justice 23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24) For I, the Lord, love justice… (Isaiah 61:8)

Justice Helps 7 [The Lord] executes justice for the oppressed; He gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous; 9 the Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked. 10 The Lord will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:7-10)

Justice Helps Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Justice is Love 4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love. (Psalm 33:4-5)

Justice is Defense 14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and He chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. 16 So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. 17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Justice is Defense 18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. 19 So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:16-19)

Justice and Rights “There shall be one standard [mishpat] for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 24:22) 1 Woe to those who enact evil statutes and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, 2 so as to deprive the needy of justice and rob the poor of My people of their rights [mishpat], making widows their prey and robbing the orphans. (Isaiah 10:1-2)

Justice and Rights 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the oppressed and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Justice and Rights 9 “Thus says the Lord Almighty, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness [hesed] and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the foreigner or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’” (Zechariah 7:9-11)

Justice and the Poor The righteous man is concerned for the rights of the poor, the wicked man does not understand such concern. (Proverbs 29:7) He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. (Proverbs 14:31)

Justice and Deliverance “In the widest sense, justice means ‘to put things right,’ to intervene in a situation that is wrong, oppressive, or out of control and to ‘fix’ it. This may include confronting wrongdoers, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, vindicating and delivering those who have been wronged… That is why the figures in the book of Judges have that name. They ‘judged’ Israel by putting things right – militarily, religiously, legally – with Samuel being the model of all three… Justice…means taking upon oneself the cause of those who are weak in their own defense.” - Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God

Justice and Righteousness Thus says the Lord, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place...” (Jeremiah 22:3)

Justice and Righteousness 1 Give the king Your justice, O God, and Your righteousness to the king’s son. 2 May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice. (Psalm 72:1-2) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You. (Psalm 89:14)

Justice and Righteousness So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people. (1 Chronicles 18:14) How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times! (Psalm 106:3)

Justice and Righteousness 6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase 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 9:6-7)

True Justice “The mishpat, or justness, of a society, according to the Bible, is evaluated by how it treats these groups. Any neglect shown to the needs of the members of this quartet [the widow, the orphan, the refugee or poor] is not called merely a lack of mercy or charity, but a violation of justice, of mishpat. God loves and defends those with the least economic and social power, and so should we. That is what it means to ‘do justice.’” - Keller, Generous Justice

Do Justice 18 “‘Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 19 Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” (Deuteronomy 27:18-19)

Do Justice 1 God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. 2 How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?... 3 Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:1-4)

Justice Proves… 13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. 14 He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red. 15 Are you a king because you have a beautiful cedar palace? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

Justice Proves… 16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord. 17 But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.” (Jeremiah 22:13-17)

Justice Is Fundamental “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” (Genesis 18:19)

Doing Justice 6 With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? 7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness [hesed], and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8)

Doing Justice To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice. (Proverbs 21:3) “…you have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23)

Justice Is Grace Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you…For the Lord is a God of justice… (Isaiah 30:18)

Justice Is Grace 17 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, 18 but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. 19 When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 24:17-19)