Lesson Six: GOD’S LOVE OF JUSTICE
Introduction: On with this week’s study, we see that goodness, mercy, love and justice are all naturally part of God’s character. These attibutes reveal His deep concern for justice and righteousness. Given the fact that love and justice belong together, loving justice is unchanging and it takes repentance into account as well.
Memory Text: Jeremiah 9:24(NKJV)
But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
SABBATH; During the ancient times, the false gods were immoral, unpredictable and demanded sacrifices of children from the people as well. But even adhering to this, the people were always scared of making them angry. According to Scripture, these gods are demons and worshipping them only leads one to spiritual darkness. Unlike these false gods of the past and present times, our Lord God is very concerned about evil, suffering, injustice and oppression for He constantly condemned them and He will one day eradicate all evil at the end of the age.
(READ Deuteronomy 32:17; 1 Corinthians 10:20&21)
SUNDAY; Love and justice complement each other. God’s love is righteous and He seeks to see justice done in this world. Throughout Scripture, the faithful to God saw judgement as a good thing because it is through it that the oppressed were relieved and the oppressors punished hence bringing deliverance for the victims involved. Unlike worldly governments that seek for personal gain, God’s government seeks justice. In addition, having shown us what is good through His word, He requires us to reflect on His Character for love, justice and mercy become central and so does walking humbly before Him.
(READ Psalms 33:5; Isaiah 61:8; Jeremiah 9:24; Psalms 85:10; 89:14; Micah 6:8)
MONDAY; God is entirely holy, faithful, righteous and loving as Scripture evidencifies it. However, God not only claims to love justice, call people to do justice but He also shows and gives examples of these traits. God knows what’s best for each of us and He works towards the best outcome out of it all. In Him lies no darkeness, or wrong of injustice. He is perfectly good. He cannot be tempted by evil and no doubt that His goodness and glory move hand in hand for He exercises His power in a loving manner unlike people who idolise power and use it in wrong ways.
(READ Exodus 33:18&19; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 9:7&8; 92:15; 145:9-17; Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13;)
TUESDAY; Just like a sound government with good execution and judgement holds firmness on the non-random changes of its ruler, likewise, God’s moral character never changes. In the context of the judgment and hope in Malachi 3, God’s people are not destroyed because God never changes due to His moral Covenantal constancy. In addition, good and perfect gifts come from God which further shows us how there are no variations in His moral character. Furthermore God desires His people to return to Him, and in so doing, the positive attitude on God’s part is dependant on their repentance where He responds with love and justice, evidenced by Jesus Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary.
(READ Malachi 3:6&7; James 1:17; 2Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17&18; Hebrews 13:8)
WEDNESDAY; Humans express repentance in an instance where they do wrong. The fact that God is not a man that He should lie, He does not relent and repent the way that man does. The repenting of God, as shown in Scripture, are instances where God withdraws judgement as planned, in response to the wicked people turning from evil. In addition, God always keeps His promises in accordance to His goodness and His word and it is because of this He considers changes in course as humans respond with repentance and their turning from wickedness.
(READ Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 18:4-10; Numbers 23:19; 1Samuel 15:29)
THURSDAY; The Lord promises His people and fulfills His promises as Scripture shows us. His loving faithfulness and mercy are testified to by multiple generations, culminated through Jesus Christ, for He is good and His mercy endures forever that His goodness extends to those who position themselves as His enemies. In the same manner, God calls us to love our enemies because this is perfect love, for He commands us to observe mercy and justice and wait on Him continually. We are called to do this with the continuous hope that God will eradicate all evil and His righteous judgment will be revealed at the end of the age.
(READ Deuteronomy 7:9; Romans 3:25&26; 5:8; Psalms 85:10; 100:5; Luke 11:11-13; Matthew 5:43-48; Revelation 15:3&4; 19:1*2)
FRIDAY; The goodness of the Lord is His glory manifested before us, just as He promised and showed Moses at his request to see God. Through nature, God has sought to reveal Himself to us. However, the enemy of good blinded the minds of men so that they looked upon God with fear, and they thought of Him as severe and unforgiving. The enemy led men to look at God as one with harsh judgement who only looks out for errors and mistakes of His people that He may visit them with severe judgements. However, it was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.
(READ Exodus 33:18&19; “God’s Love for Man” pages 9-15 in Steps to Christ by Ellen G White)
CAPTIONS:
SUNDAY; Love and justice
MONDAY; God is entirely good and righteous
TUESDAY; God’s changeless character
WEDNESDAY; A repenting God?
THURSDAY; Hold fast to love and justice
FRIDAY; Further thought
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS;
- Why is it so important to recognise that God’s glory is bound up with goodness? How does this correct a theology of glory that emphasises sheer power without emphasising the love and character of God?
- Have you ever questioned God’s goodness? Do you know anyone who has questioned God’s goodness because of the way those who claim to follow God sometimes act, or simply because of all the evil in the world? How did you work through that question for yourself, and how might you be able to help someone struggling with the question of God’s goodness? See next week’s lesson.
- Why does such a good God allow so much of the evil that is in this world? How does the reality of the great controversy help us understand all the evil that exists now?
