In this year’s season of Elul we have attempted as a group, and also as individuals, to draw closer to God through prayer and study and meditation.
ELUL MEDITATION FOR DAY 21 – JUSTICE AND TRUTH
As we approach the Days of Awe, The Feast of Trumpets and The Day of Atonement we are now considering how closely our lives reflect God’s will and God’s ways.
Our goal is to look back over the past year of our lives and to correct, or change what we now see as things that we did in error.
Each year in the season of Elul on the Hebraic calendar we do this in preparation for the Fall Holy Days through times of reflection, repentance and turning.
The Jewish people call it Teshuva.
You might say we do “Teshuva” from a Christian perspective.
A CHRISTIAN FORM OF TESHUVA
Already, through the first days of Elul we have examined the details and looked at all of God’s Ten Commandments. In the course of our studies we have considered how these commandments are being kept within the days of our own personal lives.
The question is asked from each heart; “Am I walking in God’s way with all that I do in my life?”
We’ve meditated, examined, repented, prayed and asked God to help us to turn around if we have found ourselves wanting and needing to change before entering the new civil year of the Hebraic calendar which is coming up in only a few days.
A TIME TO GROW IN GOD’S GRACE
This is a wonderful time of growing closer to God and reaching out and receiving His grace, love and healing. The Jewish people say that The King is in the field; meaning symbolically that God is paying close attention to His people who are wanting to draw closer and work with Him in The Kingdom of God.
Now that we have covered a simple and brief study of The Ten Commandments; we are considering other ways that we can grow closer and closer to God as He leads us into a new and exciting year. One of those ways is to consider the attributes of God’s nature. In doing this we hope to learn how our own lives can better reflect these attributes of God.
Of course God is perfect in all of his ways (yet another attribute;) and we are only human.
There is no way our own natures will ever equal or measure up to God’s nature; but the point is that we can try. If we only succeed in a few things throughout the coming year; our lives will still be better and more full than before.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
The scriptures tell us that God draws close to those who draw close to Him.
We have already discussed the fact that God is compassionate, and God is love. The Hebrew word for this type of love and compassion is Chesed. We all need more Chesed in our lives. It is important that we dwell on these attributes concerning love and compassion to see and understand better how they can increase the work of God’s Kingdom in our own days. These attributes have us started down the right path to discover more of Who God is and how we can try to imitate more of His holiness in our lives.
THE ATTRIBUTES OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE
Today we will add two more attributes of God to our list of reflections and meditations; as we look at more scriptural facts which show us that God is just and true.
It was decided that we would study these two attributes (justice and truth) together because justice and truth can’t really exist alone; one must have the other in order to thrive.
Justice is never real if it is based on lies; and falsehoods cannot ever bring us to true justice.
So; how do we see both of these wonderful characteristics when we look at the personality of God?
LISTENING TO ISAIAH
We can start by thinking of the famous words of Isaiah found in Isaiah 1:17 when that very godly prophet said; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Many people, while trying to define Christianity, will quote this verse first.
But; what exactly does it mean to us?
Before we go passionately out into the world to implement our own version of godly changes; it helps a lot to have previously educated ourselves on the true meanings of “doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God.”
So often well-intentioned humans just trying to do good only cause more harm.
FIRST DO NO HARM
To prevent that from happening; some organizations have been successful in their missions by adopting a great motto; “First do no harm.”
In order to be sure we “first do no harm” in what could be an already bad situation; we must educate ourselves in the truths of whatever the situation shows to us.
We know that God does this because we have read portions of scripture that speak of how God sends the angels to and fro over the earth, so that they may gather accurate information on the happenings of the earth and bring them before God’s throne.
This same protocol was how Sodom and Gomorrah came to be extinct; because the people in the areas around them had been praying and seeking God’s face. They prayed and the angels of God listened and carried their messages up to heaven and brought the matter before God.
THE ANGELS ARE ALWAYS LISTENING
In this case (as in every other case); God did not want to harm the innocent while bringing justice.
Abraham had prayed for his nephew Lot by asking God “if there were only so many godly men in the city; would the city be spared?” God patiently listened to Abraham and made the best decision based on the truth before him.
Lot (though he was not perfect) was not guilty of the sins of the city; and God sent angels to bring him out before the city was destroyed. God chose to “first do no harm” toward the innocent; and to only punish the guilty. Lot and his family were the only ones that could be saved.
WHAT ABOUT NOW?
Most of us think we could be living in end-times today. Knowing this part of Lot’s story is comforting.
When I think of this motto of “first do no harm” I can’t help but remember in days gone by of the times I have punished ALL of my children for something when I did not know exactly who was guilty. These were times when none of them would be a tattle-tale and fib on the others in order to let me know the truth.
At the time I thought I had no choice. It seemed the only way to find out the truth, but it didn’t work out that way.
Looking back after so many years now, I can see that it wasn’t fair to punish all for the crimes on only one; and God doesn’t work that way whenever he makes judgements.
Now I would consider that old way of punishment to be a very unfair way to raise children, or even to run a country, for that matter.
EVERYONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SUFFER WHEN ONLY A FEW ARE GUILTY
In many ways it is uncanny to think that raising children and looking after the citizens of a country have a lot of similarities. Most of the same ideas and theories apply to both sets of people.
Children constantly need guidance and help to get back on the right track.
Citizens also need encouragement and help in order to continue to be good citizens.
Everyone should not have to suffer when only a few are guilty. Each child/citizen is different and has approached their life through the lens of their own circumstances. One blanket mandate can never work for all parties’ best interest.
A good judge will take this into consideration. God is a good and fair judge. He looks at each of us for who we are and judges us by the talents that we have been given.
God always seeks the truth and examines it until He can use the truth to bring about fair justice.
WE MUST WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION
Perhaps this is a good starting place in our lives; a beginning place where we can now begin to improve on our own humanity. I know it applies to many areas of my own life.
Have there been instances in your life over the past year where you have made just decisions that punished the innocent along with the guilty? If so; this does not reflect the nature of God and it is not a good practice to follow in the coming year.
We all know the correct answers.
Repent, turn and receive the blessings of an obedient child who is doing their very best to follow The Master of The Universe.
Let’s look at this passage a little further though in light of the godly attributes of truth and justice. How would reflecting these attributes of God help us live better?
LIVING BETTER BY TRUSTING GOD’S GUIDANCE
What defines God’s truth?
What defines God’s justice?
It surely seems that God has a very strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. This could be defined further as a perfect sense of righteousness; which is yet another awesome trait of God’s immense goodness.
Truth and justice are carved out from a solid knowing of what is right and what is wrong.
How does this attribute of God’s personality affect the way we should be living?
It means that we should be acting out and doing things that are right instead of things that are wrong. We too must have our own solid way of knowing the difference. Not only must we have a strong sense of the difference between right and wrong and live it out; but we are to be teaching the generations after us to do so also.
WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG?
How do you imagine God establishes right from wrong?
To begin with; if you are perfectly holy as God is; you automatically know right from wrong. That is exactly why He is God! However; we do know that God has helped us with this by clearly spelling His ways out for us in the words of The Ten Commandments (which we have just studied) as well as the rest of The Holy Scriptures. It takes following the commandments and knowing God’s Word to establish truth and justice in all circumstances and all cases.
Some humans today try to move around this principal.
They think they can make up their own definitions of what is right and what is wrong and twist the words of the commandments to have new and different meanings than the ones we hear about in the Ten Commandments and/or the Holy Scriptures.
When this is attempted and tried though; the truth gets watered down and justice gets pushed aside in order to let a weaker way prevail. Given enough time these ways only build crumbly walls that are soon toppled and destroyed by the ways of the world. We are left with no justice and no truth and the enemy wins.
HAVING AN ATTITUDE THAT REFLECTS GOD’S WAYS
So what would be the most godly way to go about reflecting God’s attributes of truth and justice today?
First; we must love truth and justice as much as God does.
We do not need to be wimpy reeds bending and breaking every time the wind blows. Somehow we must stand firm and stand strong in every thing that we do.
We must work steadily to seek justice for the helpless and to defend those who are oppressed. There must be goods supplied to those living in poverty and want. Our voices must speak out to defend those who are abused, hurt, hopeless and without medical care or even the basic needs for living out life. We must be willing to provide hope and help for widows and orphans and help them find a way to a happier future.
THE CHURCH; NOT THE GOVERNMENT
We need to quit depending on government hand-outs and work on being good neighbors.
If churches stopped operating on government grants for their community needs; they would not have to conform to government mandates.
It doesn’t have to start at a community building though; it can start in your own front yard.
Share your garden, your advice, your food. Be aware of how the people living all around you are surviving, how they feel, whether or not they have overwhelming needs or problems that you can help them to solve.
Open up the closed fist and give away some of your financial blessings to someone who needs a hand-up. Be true to your calling and an advocate for those who need help.
In all that you do; seek truth and justice.
THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE
The scriptures tell us that Jesus said “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:22)
Mature Christians have discerned that God is truth.
Therefore; knowing God is knowing truth.
In order to know God we must diligently study the scriptures, pray and worship. When we have discerned divine truth; we will be more ready to bring true justice.
ONE RULER OF ALL
God; the One who judges with divine justice is the One who truly governs the earth.
Follow Him with your whole heart.
Our great judge has declared us all to be equal. He is our law-giver and our sovereign King.
God and God alone will one day bring a final justice to all of mankind.
Our part in this moment of time is to be very sure that we are doing everything within our power to imitate His justice and His truth in all of our ways.
If we reflect this part of God’s nature; everything concerned will turn toward righteousness and peace and there will be harmony among every nation. It will be a TRUE harmony; not a forced or fake one.
It only takes one person to start the spark that lights the flame.
Words are easy; but doing is everything.