To Encourage You

2 Samuel 8:15 “So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”

Everywhere we turn today, people are demanding justice.  We saw it in the trial concerning the death of George Floyd. We saw it in the demands of the Black Lives Matter movement. We hear it in the complaints some have made about various elections, questioning whether they were just and fair.  I suppose the spirit of this age could be exemplified in the statement, “things aren’t just and things aren’t fair.”  No matter where one lands on the political spectrum, this common complaint is heard.

So, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the law of the land was perfectly just and wouldn’t it be wonderful if those laws were then carried out with justice and equity?  In the verse above from 2 Samuel 8 we are told that that is what it was like during the reign of King David.  His was a kingdom in which justice and equity prevailed for all people.  You see, David knew what it was like to be treated unjustly.  Prior to his reign it was the unjust treatment of people like King Saul that marked David’s life. Wonderfully, David wasn’t like Saul. He made certain that the way he had been treated would not be the way that he treated others.  Wouldn’t that be a wonderful condition in which to live? Or would it? 

So, let’s think about this a little more deeply.  We are told throughout the Scriptures that there is one whose reign would follow the model of David’s, but in a much more perfect sense. The Bible tells us of a King of kings, one of whom we are told, “righteousness and justice are the foundation of (his) throne” (Psalm 89:14).  We think this is wonderful when we think about the wrongs we see others do in this world, or better yet, when we think about the wrongs that have been done to us.  It should give us hope when we think of the fact that God has decreed, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7-9).  In other words, no one really ever gets away with anything. That includes the person I read about in the news some time ago that severely beat and then spit upon an 83-year-old Korean woman but for whom all charges were dropped because of a lack of evidence.  Isn’t it good to know that despite this injustice, this person’s day of justice will indeed come, or God’s Word isn’t true? 

But then think about justice regarding the things you and I have done rather than justice for what everyone else has done “out there.” What if we never get away with anything?   If God truly rules with justice and equity, what is true for others is also true for me.  Interestingly David found out that this was true for him after his sin with Bathsheba that included his murder of her husband Uriah.  After this sin, the prophet Nathan came to David and told him a story which is recorded in 2 Samuel 12.  He said, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”  At this we are told, “Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’” And to this, Nathan replied, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”

You see, David found out that not even the king is above the law – and neither, of course, are we.  All of us will be judged one day with justice and equity.  Rich and poor, young and old, black and white – no matter what, we will all be judged this way.  So, is there any remedy?  Is there any hope for us in light of the judgment that will be proclaimed on our sins?  Wonderfully, there is.  1 John 1:9 proclaims to us these wonderful words, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

But how can God be “just” to forgive us our sins. How can he cleanse us from all the unrighteousness that has most certainly defined our life?  It is only because the just King of kings gave his life for our sins. It’s only because He took on Himself the guilt of the sins of the whole world.  But the benefits of His sin-bearing can only be ours if we indeed confess our sins to Him and receive the free gift of forgiveness that can be ours because of the cross. Otherwise, we will be justly judged for our own sins. We will bear the penalty for it all. 

So, have you turned to the only King Who reigns with perfect justice and equity in the world? As you cry out for justice regarding the sins of others, have you realized the guilt of your own sin?  And have you received the only just remedy for that sin that exists?