The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 21:1,
"During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, 'It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.'"
The Lord brought a famine to the land of Israel that had lasted three years. In inquiring of the Lord about it, the Lord told David it was due to the injustice done to the Gibeonites by Saul (who was now dead) when he was king of Israel. It was time for reparations and the Lord's judgment of Israel would not end until justice was done for the Gibeonites for Saul's attempt to annihilate them.
David had to go to the Gibeonites to see what needed to be done to satisfy the injustice done them by Saul. The Gibeonites did not want a monetary payoff or to exact punishment of Jews indiscriminately, but they wanted seven descendants of Saul to be put to death and their bodies put on humiliating display.
When it was all said and done (following the descendants of Saul being put to death), we read, "After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land." 2 Samuel 21:14b. God required vengeance be carried out before he would remove his judgment of the famine! I don't know all the details, but it seems as though Saul's children and grandchildren had to pay a price for something Saul had done.
Was this fair, just, equitable of God? Some may not think it so. To these I say that God's own character and nature provides us the very definition of what is fair, just and equitable. I may not know every detail of any account that involves the application of justice, punishment and reparations. However, I do know God. I know that his sense of justice is the fountain from which springs mankind's sense of justice. God's definition of justice is our only source of the appropriate application of justice. I am reminded of Jeremiah 9:24, "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,"
The political left's use of the term "justice" has nothing to do with real justice - justice defined as God defines it. It is simply the application of using a legitimate term to hide an agenda of pursuing socialist outcomes in an effort to dominate free people. It is to God we must go to find what is just, what is right and what is fair.
"During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, 'It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.'"
The Lord brought a famine to the land of Israel that had lasted three years. In inquiring of the Lord about it, the Lord told David it was due to the injustice done to the Gibeonites by Saul (who was now dead) when he was king of Israel. It was time for reparations and the Lord's judgment of Israel would not end until justice was done for the Gibeonites for Saul's attempt to annihilate them.
David had to go to the Gibeonites to see what needed to be done to satisfy the injustice done them by Saul. The Gibeonites did not want a monetary payoff or to exact punishment of Jews indiscriminately, but they wanted seven descendants of Saul to be put to death and their bodies put on humiliating display.
When it was all said and done (following the descendants of Saul being put to death), we read, "After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land." 2 Samuel 21:14b. God required vengeance be carried out before he would remove his judgment of the famine! I don't know all the details, but it seems as though Saul's children and grandchildren had to pay a price for something Saul had done.
Was this fair, just, equitable of God? Some may not think it so. To these I say that God's own character and nature provides us the very definition of what is fair, just and equitable. I may not know every detail of any account that involves the application of justice, punishment and reparations. However, I do know God. I know that his sense of justice is the fountain from which springs mankind's sense of justice. God's definition of justice is our only source of the appropriate application of justice. I am reminded of Jeremiah 9:24, "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,"
The political left's use of the term "justice" has nothing to do with real justice - justice defined as God defines it. It is simply the application of using a legitimate term to hide an agenda of pursuing socialist outcomes in an effort to dominate free people. It is to God we must go to find what is just, what is right and what is fair.
Far be it from me to ever question God's sense of justice. He is the personification of justice and fairness. And, at the end of this age, it will be God's justice exercised at the great white throne judgment when those who rejected God's invitation in the gospel are cast into that fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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