Justice is foundational to the work of caring for the vulnerable. If we have no standard for how human beings should be treated, then we also have no reason to help those experiencing oppression. What we see in the Bible though is that God is characterized by concern for justice, and he actively enforces it (Deut. 10:18; Is. 61:8; Ps. 37:27-29). We know how to “do justice” ourselves because God has told us what is good and what is evil.
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Psalm 82:3
Blessed are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! Psalm 106:3
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17
Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. Jeremiah 22:3
Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. Deuteronomy 27:19
This Bible Project video helps us see that as the author of justice, God ultimately gets to define what it means to act justly. As you watch, consider how the Bible’s definition of justice might differ from culture’s and what the biblical expectations might mean for your own life.
Reflection Questions:
- What stood out to you from the video’s interpretation of justice in the Bible? What themes or Scriptures seem the most relevant in our culture today?
- In what ways are you already reflecting the justice of God in your daily activities? What did this video expose about ways that you should be choosing justice but aren’t presently?
- How does recognizing that you have also been redeemed by Jesus impact how you think about yourself and others?
