God Judges With Equity

"Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the LORD, ⁹ for He is coming to judge the earth. with righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity."

Psalm 98:8-9

When I heard this verse recently, it illustrated how changes in modern English can hijack the meaning of a text.  In this passage, the psalmist exhorted the earth and everything in it to rejoice in God coming to judge the world in righteousness.  Since man's fall into sin, creation groans to be delivered from the oppression of pride, wickedness, greed, selfishness and violence.

Lately "equity" has taken on a new meaning in modern vernacular, in fact almost the opposite of what it historically has meant.  The first definition in the Webster 1828 Dictionary says, "Justice; right. In practice, equity is the impartial distribution of justice, or the doing that to another which the laws of God and man, and of reason, give him a right to claim. It is the treating of a person according to justice and reason."  Based upon the logic employed by Webster, reason includes the testimony of scripture that reveals the living, loving, almighty God to mankind.  The modern idea of equity does not consider God and is anything but impartial.  This new concept of equity is to be partial towards those who are seen as marginalised and to provide different amounts of resources to provide an equal outcome.

The Bible teaches Jesus Christ is coming to judge the earth in righteousness, and the world ought to be joyful and celebrate the sinful wrongs to be justly put right.  God has provided the Law of Moses and the 10 Commandments so we might know without a doubt we have failed to measure up to His perfect standard.  Those ignorant of His laws are still without excuse, for He has given each of us a conscience.  Out of our own mouths He will judge us, and even if that was our only standard of righteousness to measure up to we could not justify ourselves.  The difficulty of our childhood, the lack of godly counsel or the allure of the deceptions we swallowed down cannot exonerate us from guilt.  God's justice is impartial, just and equitable.

In a parable Jesus told in Luke 14, He appealed to the reason of His hearers:  if a king only had 10,000 soldiers and knew the advancing enemy had 20,000 soldiers, wouldn't he be wise to quickly send a delegation to propose conditions of peace rather than trying to fight a losing battle?  Following this logic, it would be wise to accept God's offer of forgiveness and peace through the Gospel when we lack righteousness in ourselves, knowing we are guilty of wickedness before God and He will judge with equity.  Through the Gospel, God has provided a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and to have righteousness imputed (credited) to us by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who offers eternal life to all who trust in Him.  Christians can rejoice in the justice of God, for 1 John 1:9 affirms, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

On the basis of God's justice those who place their faith in Jesus Christ are born again.  God is impartial, for He extends this offer to every sinner so we might trust in Him, repent of our sin and live.

Oriented to God by Faith

At some point we've all probably done it:  inserted the batteries the wrong direction in a toy, torch or remote control and it did not work properly.  Even when we know batteries need to be in a particular orientation to work, we can still make this simple mistake.  I wonder how many functional items have been discarded due to operator error because batteries were incorrectly installed.

I remember how amazing it was when our family bought a TV that used a remote.  It was far more convenient to turn on the TV or flip through channels while sitting on the couch rather than standing up all the time.  Today there are a myriad of battery powered tools that enable us to do work we cannot perform by hand.  Without a correctly fitted, charged battery, these tools cannot perform the function they were designed for.  A drill can be used as a paperweight, but that is not helpful for drilling holes or countersinking screws.  Imagine, that a person might be content to use a drill as a doorstop because it served their own purpose--ignorant of the power, usefulness and purpose of the tool.

King David had a relationship with the almighty, living God by faith in Him.  In Psalm 28, David identified God as "O LORD my Rock."  He said in Psalm 28:7-8, "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. ⁸ The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed."  Because God does not change, what He was for David He also is for us and all those who trust Him.  It is faith and trust in God and Who He is that enables us to recognise and rejoice in the LORD Who is our strength, shield and saving refuge.  Without faith in God, He will not be our strength, shield and saving refuge even though He is all these things in Himself.  Like the battery enables us to receive the benefit of a remote control or tool, so faith orients us properly to the LORD to receive His help.

Can you affirm the LORD is your strength, shield and saving refuge?  You can if you are born again by faith in Jesus, anointed by the Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 1:21-22 affirms, "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, ²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."  There are undoubtedly many people who have no idea God could be their strength, shield and saving refuge--even among believers.  Knowing Who God is and faith in Him enables us to experience this reality today.  When you face conflict in your life and realise you are weak, vulnerable and helpless in yourself, remember Who God is:  He is your strength, shield, saving refuge and infinitely more.  The LORD is sufficient for all we face by His amazing grace.

Different Numbers, Same Team

When I played baseball on a team as a kid, the coach would bring out a big cardboard box with all the jerseys in it.  It was a mad scramble for people to find their preferred number because, unlike playing positions in the field or placement in the batting lineup that could change, this was the number you would wear all season long.  It was obvious that there could only be one pitcher on the mound and one #7 jersey, and this was difficult for some teammates to process.  Thankfully disappointment and grumbling didn't last long, and important life-lessons were learned:  sometimes you won't get the number you want, but it is fun to wear that jersey and contribute as part of the team by doing your best.

In His wisdom God chose to arrange the camp of the Hebrews as He led them through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt.  His presence in the tabernacle was the point of reference to orient the campsite of each tribe.  The same was true for the Levites that were broken up into families with distinct roles in the service of the LORD.  For instance, Numbers 3:29-31 says, "The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. ³⁰ And the leader of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. ³¹ Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them."  Compare this with Numbers 3:35-37:  "The leader of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. ³⁶ And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, ³⁷ and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords."

I am sure the families of the Kohath and Merari had their preferences when it came to where they set up camp or what their responsibilities were in ministering before the LORD.  It is likely handing the ark, table of showbread and the menorah seemed a bit more important than planks of wood, pegs, sockets and cords, yet these were all necessary and vital to set up and facilitate the worship of God.  Even as God made a distinction between the families of Levi, so He made a distinction between different tribes of Israel and the order they were to break camp and travel according to His guidance.  This was not up for each tribe or individual to decide.  The only decision that people needed to make is whether they would submit to God and obey Him--and this decision needed to be made daily.

A similar dynamic exists in the body of Christ, the church.  Like a human body is comprised of many parts, so God has united Jews and Gentiles as one in the church with Jesus as our Head.  All members of the church are to care for one another, even if they are from a different denomination or "tribe."  No believer is gifted or called to do all things, but God gives responsibility and gifts to each one according to His will.  Let not the one God has called to carry boards think his role is less important than the ones that carry the ark of the Covenant, for we all serve the LORD Jesus Christ.  When we all submit to Jesus Christ in love and thanksgiving we will be able to serve Him together, united in His wisdom, grace and truth by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Regardless of our current roles in a church, it is wonderful and fun knowing we have been chosen, called and are being equipped to contribute to the health and fruitfulness of the Body of Christ, giving all glory and honour to Him.  Let's be team players that follow Christ's humble example, doing faithfully what God directs us to do joyfully for Him.

Wise To Satan's Devices

Yesterday I read an article about a couple of male orcas named "Port" and "Starboard" that live off the cost of South Africa and are serial shark killers.  Over a short period of time, locals discovered large female sharks washed up on the shore with their livers and sometimes the heart expertly removed.  It is believed these killer whales single out their target shark, ram it suddenly from underneath, and this causes tonic immobility.  While the shark remains in this defenseless, catatonic state, the orcas are able to easily access and eat the parts of the shark they prize without much effort before seeking their next victim.

Similar to orcas which are the apex predator in the ocean, lions hold this title on land in Africa.  Lions are opportunistic hunters that stalk their prey, targeting the young or sickly.  They are not as picky as the infamous orcas Port and Starboard tend to be and will also feed on carrion or steal a kill from hyenas or dogs.  While lions do not have any natural predators, they are cautious about the animals they will try to engage.  The epic "Battle at Kruger" video shot during a safari shows a fierce conflict between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo and crocodiles shows lions can try to bite off more than they can chew.  The strength of a few lions are no match for the strength of the herd.

The Bible compares Satan to a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  It is important to point out Satan, unlike orcas and lions, is not an apex predator.  As the Creator of all things, God has power and authority over everything and everyone He has made--including Satan.  Like orcas, lions and hyenas have tactics they use in hunting, Satan does as well.  He prowls around seeking isolated, sickly and easy targets.  Satan looks for people who are in sin and are too proud to confess it and repent.  When we walk according to the flesh, pride and the wisdom of the world we are most vulnerable.  An unguarded heart is  like leaving the front door of a house wide open for a squatter to settle down in.  It is no surprise Satan waited to tempt Jesus until He was alone and hungry in the wilderness after a long fast.  After being rebuffed three times by Jesus Who spoke the word of God, Satan departed without success.

Paul's exhortation to the church is most relevant today in 2 Corinthians 2:8-11:  "Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."  Previously Paul wrote to the church and told them to excommunicate a man in the church who was in open and unrepentant sin.  Having done so, now they were to receive the man who repented and reaffirm their love to him with total forgiveness.  Paul urged them not to hold a grudge or have animosity towards anyone--even for his sake.  Then Paul revealed their lack of love and refusal to forgive would allow Satan to take advantage of them.  Like orcas and lions, Satan uses tactics to devour prey Christian believers ought to be aware of.

Those who are born again by faith in Jesus can resist the devil and he will flee.  Yet if we justify disobedience to God and refuse to love or forgive others, we give Satan opportunities to attack and devour us.  The devil does not deserve the credit for many of our troubles, for many are self-inflicted wounds by unbelief and countless other sins.  It would be foolish for a sheep who chose to wander from the shepherd and the flock at night to blame being caught and cut in a fence on the existence of wolves.  When the sheep stay close to a vigilant shepherd the wolves will have little opportunity.  Having knowledge of Satan's tactics to divide, confuse and capitalise on our unloving and unforgiving hearts, we are equipped with God's wisdom and strength to avoid these common pitfalls.