Living in the Spirit

August 10, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 82
God has taken his place in the divine council;
   in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
‘How long will you judge unjustly
   and show partiality to the wicked?

Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
   maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
   deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’

They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
   they walk around in darkness;
   all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I say, ‘You are gods,
   children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
   and fall like any prince.’

Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
   for all the nations belong to you!

Do we think of justice when we consider judgment?  They spring from the same Hebrew word. We are judged by how just we are. specifically decide controversy, discriminate between Persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions*.

I just read the book The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. It tells the story of death penalty cases determined by unscientific science without regard to the possibly deadly consequences—judgment without justice. I also just heard that Congress had passed a bill to provide health care to veterans who returned from Afghanistan with various illnesses resulting from their assignment to work around toxic fire pits. The bill passed with flying colors in the House. The Senate made an important technical change, passed it, and sent it back to the house which once again passed it with even more support, I assume because they agreed on the technical change. It then went back to the Senate for final approval where some Senators now do not want to pass it apparently for reasons unrelated to the bill. Some of these veterans have waited for years to get their needed help—judgment without justice.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to provide justice not just render our brand of justice. Amen.
*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8199.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.