Prayer: Father, we hear a lot these days about justice. I pray for Your perspective on justice. May I embrace Your perspective about justice. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
Reading: Genesis 18 key: vs. 20 -21 & 24
20 Then Adonai said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great indeed, and their sin is very grievous indeed. 21 I want to go down now, and see if they deserve destruction, as its outcry has come to Me. And if not, I will know.”
24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you really sweep away and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous who are in it?
Attention: We hear a lot about justice in our society today. The outcry is over what is viewed as discrimination, favoritism, in the criminal judicial system, workplace hiring, the entire educational system, voting, social rights, and access to justice.
Can we begin with one point of agreement? Man is not capable of justice unless it is grounded in God’s definition of justice. Unless we all fall under the same definition of justice, unless we embrace the same principles of justice, we cannot begin to bring justice to any situation.
Unless we agree with Scripture and the One who inspired the writings, we cannot arrive at the origin of justice. Whether we agree or not, we all fall under the law of God. Please read Romans 3, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They (we) are set righteous as a gift of His grace, through redemption that in Messiah Yeshua (vs. 23-24).”
The problem arises when all men do not believe they are under the same law. If God created man (and He did), does He not have the right to determine what is sin and against His law? This premise seems reasonable to me.
This is the crux of the discussion between Abraham and Adonai in vs. 16-33. Once Adonai lets Abraham in on what He is about to do, Abraham feels it is unfair, unjust, that Adonai would destroy a city and people who were both just and unjust. Adonai seems to relent and say ok, I won’t destroy a city and people for the sake of fifty (50). Abraham seems to wonder within himself if he has overestimated the number of righteous people in the area. So, he asks Adonai continuously, decreasing the number, till he arrives at ten (10) people.
My questions to you would be, Adonai relented down to ten people; are there ten (10) righteous in your city that would stay the hand of Adonai from destruction? Are you storming heaven on behalf of those who desperately need Yeshua?
In the next chapter of Genesis, we witness the result, two angels escort in a rush, Lot, his wife and their two daughters out of town before the destruction. Only four (4) people made it out alive.
Are you concerned enough to be counted among the righteous who would be a light to the sinning (evil, wicked) community, representing the hope of Yeshua to the nations? Are you praying against the evil and wickedness in your community? There are only two groups of people, those who are righteous and those who are wicked and evil. In Scripture we do not see righteous, good and then evil people. There are no good people who are righteous. There are righteous who are good.
If we are all under the same law of God and under the same grace. Then Matthew 7: 12 would be the same standard for all men, “So in all things, do to others what you would want them to do to you—for this is the Torah and the Prophets.”
Action: May I always exercise Matthew 7:12 as the principle of treating everyone as I would want to be treated.
Yield: I surrender to Adonai’s justice when I treat everyone as I want to be treated.
Engage: I am engaged with Adonai’s law (Torah) when I treat everyone the way I want to be treated.
Relationship: I am in relationship with Adonai, when I live a lifestyle obedient to His law.
Prayer: Father, if only the world would believe in You. May the righteous live life in a manor which glorifies you and reveals justice as You demonstrate to us. Amen.
Memory Verse: Matthew 7:12
12 So in all things, do to others what you would want them to do to you—for this is the Torah and the Prophets.
Music Video: Desperation Band—Rescue https://youtu.be/fPe9pzxRzo4
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!