Isaiah
59 reminds me how easy it is to confuse the word “Justice” with
the words “Just Us”. We easily recognize when our kids whine,
“That’s Not Fair!” but it is much harder to see that same
attitude in ourselves. There is now an entire area of our legal
system built on the premise of making someone pay punitive damages to
get even with them. Many have the same attitude toward God. Isaiah
makes his case, “Surely the arm
of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear“.
Then he turns to us and adds, “Your
iniquities have separated you from your God“.
With all eyes on him Isaiah continues, “Your
hands are stained with
blood, your
fingers with guilt. Your
lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things“.
Just as no one in prison is guilty, we tend to compare ourselves
with the vilest villain. When it comes to our own judgment, “No
one calls for justice“.
Isaiah notes the illusion of anonymity found in the mob mentality,
“they conceive trouble and give
birth to evil… evil deeds, and
acts of violence are in their hands… Their feet rush into sin…
The way of peace they do not know“.
Mobs react to unfairness with destruction, “no
one who walks along them will know peace“.
Do not miss the point; God brings each of us alone to offer our
defense. Faced with the evidence, “we
moan mournfully like doves” as
“our sins testify against us“.
How
do we react? We blame, we get angry, and we get defiant. “We
acknowledge our iniquities… turning our backs on our God…
uttering lies our hearts have conceived… So justice is driven back…
Truth is nowhere to be found“.
As long as we continue to pretend that we are blameless, our
acquittal relies exclusively on “just us”. Isaiah writes, “The
LORD looked and was displeased“.
Maybe you see an angry vindictive God, but listen to the rest of the
sentence, “He was appalled that
there was no one to intervene“.
Are you standing alone in your defense?
Isaiah
concludes the chapter by teaching God is perfect in Justice and
perfect in Mercy. “So His
own arm achieved salvation for
him“. Sin and rebellion are
defeated by God Himself, “He
put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in zeal as in a
cloak“. No sin goes
unpunished, “so will He repay
wrath to His enemies and
retribution to His foes“.
Isn’t that justice? God has placed warning labels on items too hot
to touch and things that are a danger to your health and yet you
ignore them. Do you have a claim against God’s judgment? Please
listen to the final ruling. God
does not overlook our sin; no He found a way to pay for it the only
way possible. On the cross, Jesus took on the sin of mankind, but
more importantly He took the punishment for each individual. Jesus
was born flesh and blood, fully God and fully man to be our sinless
sacrifice. No pain was muted and no punishment was withheld, He bore
my sin so that I can receive redemption. “The
Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their
sins“. Isaiah concludes,
“My Spirit, who is on you, will
not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will
always be on your lips… forever“.
The Word of God is not for Just Us, it is for all who will accept
His Mercy. Will you trust His
Justice?