Revival and Renewal

Isaiah 42

Justice is a loaded word. Get it on your side, and you’ve won the argument. In the Bible, the word “justice” is mis-pat, and it simply means judgment. It is the quality of kings and captains, fathers and friends, in which they judge issues, disputes, and even their daily life against the law of God. To have justice is to live by the law of God. But alongside justice is almost always another word: se-deq, or “righteousness” (v.6, 21; see Psalm 33:5; 89:14; 97:2). While justice describes the act of judging by the law, righteousness describes walking in that path (Psalm 23:4). It is living rightly, walking the walk, relating to all of life in accordance with God’s will (Romans 12:2). 

Justice, then is nothing short of God’s will for how we should live, act, and treat His image-bearers in our world. It is not an unfeeling decision-making metric, but rather it is the mercy of God, by which he protects the vulnerable and punishes the wicked. Justice and mercy are not opposed to one another, but rather are found in each other as God acts in our world. 

In Isaiah 42, when the King comes, he brings justice to the nations (v.1), but he also acts in compassion toward the bruised, beaten down, and forgotten (v.3, 7, 16). He comes with righteousness, but this righteousness is a kindness and a grace to a plundered and joyless people (v.22). Justice served is mercy given, and it breaks forth in new songs of hope (v.10). Justice and righteousness are promised as a balm to wounded souls, restoration to those robbed of life and peace, and light to the blind.

When we think of Christ’s rule and reign, we are tempted to see him as an unfeeling judge who doles out judgment with nothing but a frown. Yet this is not how we see Jesus in the Bible. His judgments are true and right, but they are also full of compassion (Matthew 9:36). John tells us that Jesus is full of “grace and truth” (John1:14). These two virtues may exist in tension in our mind and world, but not in the Savior. For our King comes with kindness, and a “bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” (v.3).