David Coltart
Blog
22nd August 2018
One thing is very clear in my mind this morning is that the good Lord desires justice – it goes to the very root of His character. Indeed that is what the cross is all about – the Lord’s requirement that there be justice.
So as we contemplate Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court hearing the Presidential case today I thought a few verses illustrating this would be appropriate.
First we have verses which speak of the Lord’s desire for justice.
Dt 16:20
“Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Proverbs 21:3
“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”
Isa 56:1
“This is what the Lord says:
‘Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed'”.
Then we have verses which condemn injustice.
Psalm 82:2
“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?”
Ecc 3:16
“And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment – wickedness was there, in the place of justice- wickedness was there.”
Lev 19:15
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbour fairly.”
Finally there are consequences for those who are responsible for injustice.
Mal 2:9
“So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”
These verses of course apply to all of us. But there is no doubt that a much greater burden is imposed on those who have been granted greater authority in society, who have reposed in them the trust of a Nation to do justice. And there are dire consequences for those found untrustworthy.
Jesus speaks about this in Luke 16:10-15:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy with handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight”.
The Judges in the Constitutional Court today have the same choice. They have a stark choice to make between, on the one hand, serving men, serving the powerful, the rich in our society, doing what is highly valued amongst those powerful, violent and corrupt men, or , on the other hand, respecting truth, doing justice, doing what is right in God’s sight.
The choice is for them to make.