23. Doth God Pervert Justice?

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Hymns: 91 The Lily of the Valley, 90 Love Lifted Me, 93 To God Be the Glory

Job 8:1-7

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, How long wilt thou speak these things? and 2 how long shallthe words of thy mouth be likea strong wind? 3Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 5 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; 6 If thou wertpure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. 7Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Doth God Pervert Judgment?

OUTLINE

  • No, God does not (v1-6)
  • God vindicates the Righteous (v7)

INTRODUCTION

It is observed well in “Theology for Every Christian” that the Christian concept of justice is founded upon the character and will of God as revealed in Scriptures. The justice of God naturally stems from His holiness. 

The Hebrew word tsaddiqmeans “straight” and the Greek word dikaios means “upright”. Both words refer to the justice of a holy God. God’s justice is the outward expression of His holiness and is seen to apply to believers and non-believers.”

The Westminster Divines have chosen Exodus 34:6-7 as the proof text for the justice of God. I believe the second part of verse 7 is directly to teach the justice of God – “that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” The just character of God requires that transgressions against God and His laws be duly dealt with. 

The infinite justice of God teaches that there is no escape for any who transgresses His laws. The eternal justice of God teaches no man that lives or exists in time can escape the judgment of God for wrongdoing. And the unchangeable nature of God’s justice tells us that justice will surely or always be meted out according to God’s law. This attribute of God’s character gives hope to the oppressed of His people that God will vindicate and strikes fear in the heart of the oppressor that God will catch up with them for their evil deeds.

It is indeed the just nature of God that He has to send His only begotten Son to justify sinners for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If God did not send Jesus Christ to die on the cross then there would have been no remedy for sin and the justice of God requires that all be condemned to the destruction of eternal hell fire. 

Hence, the remedy for the sin that separates God and sinners is the finished work of Christ on the cross. Man transgresses the law of God summarized in the Ten Commandments as their will is in bondage to sin. This is the result of the fall. But all who accept Jesus Christ is justified in the sight of God and there is no righteousness in them. It is an unmerited relationship with God for sinners by the mediation of His Son.

Justification of sinners is therefore the outworking of God’s salvation plan as a result of God’s love as taught in John 3:13-21 “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” 

Hence, we see that there is a separation between the just and the unjust in this world by Jesus Christ’s mediation. But there seemed to be still so much injustice in this world. This is because Satan is allowed by God for now to “rule” on earth whilst God completes His salvation plan for all who should be saved. The injustice in this world is described by often the psalmist who sought refuge in God for the injustice that they have experienced. 

Psalm 92 speaks of God’s ability as a just God to vindicate His people who are oppressed. The word “just” is the word “upright” in Psalm 92:15 “To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Because of His very just nature, there is no escape for the unjust before God. His people are taught to wait patiently for God to act rather than take matters into their own hands. God’s justice will certainly prevail for all oppression. 

Justice in the Bible involves God’s wrath on evil, Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” God is just as the sovereign Creator of the universe. The justice of God is a part of His communicable attribute. God is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His justice. 

This is reinforced to us in Psalms 99:1-4 “The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. The king’s strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.” His justice follows from His holiness. He cannot tolerate violations to His law for He is a holy God and His almighty power is therefore His ability to bring to pass His sovereign will. 

The justice of God has to do with God intervening in the affairs of men in order to mete out judgment to make right the wrong committed by men against His laws. Justice therefore is the order God seeks to reestablish in His creation where all people receive the benefits of life with Him. 

God is particularly as the defender of all the oppressed of the earth – Psalm 76:9 “When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.” Psalm 103:6 “The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.” 

God’s justice is the source of all human justice. Proverbs 29:26” Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.” 

Also, the King Jehoshaphat instructed the judges in Judah to make judgment according to God’s laws. This is the infallible measure. They are to enforce the God’s judgment for the good of God’s people. This is given in 2 Chronicles 19:6-9 “And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem. And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.” 

The justice of God that will prevail is a universal truth taught in Psalms 9:7-9 “But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

God executes judgment or justice to help the fatherless and widows and the strangers as a manifestation of His just character for He is a just God, Deuteronomy 10:17-20 “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.”

This attribute of God’s character gives hope to the oppressed of His people that God will vindicate and strikes fear in the heart of the oppressor that God will catch up with them for their evil deeds. Justice will prevail for God is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His justice. There is therefore no escape for every evil-doer. May we make right with God in every aspect of our life for a just God demands a payment for every transgression of His law. May we flee to the cross for cleansing where we have fallen and be patient to wait upon the Lord in prayer where we have experienced injustice.

Job was pronounced guilty of sinning against God by Bildad, the second friend who began to accuse him, after Job refuted Eliphaz, maintaining his innocence before his friends.

  • No, God does not (1-5)

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, How long wilt thou speak these things? and 2 how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 5 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

Bildad was not wrong to extol God’s justice. God is truly just as we saw in the overall tenet of Scriptures in our introduction. Indeed, justice will not be perverted. What is wrong here is Bildad making his own judgment on Job not according to God’s viewpoint of what constitutes justice. 

In the sight of God, Job was a man who fears God and hates evil. He was described as a perfect and upright man (Job 1:1) in God’s perspective.

God said in Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

God’s people are instructed to be sober and vigiliant against the onslaught of the devil’s accusation to trip and trap His dear ones.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Here we see a real-life example of such an encounter between Job and the adversary-led friend Bildad.

Bildad’s accusation was that Job’s children have died because of their transgressions therefore following that, if Job was truly righteous, surely God would have intervened to help him and not leave him in such a sorry state of complete loss. Surely, Job has not kept himself pure before God and God’s judgment has come upon him. In other words, there is not inkling of evidence God is vindicating Job. He is still in such a terrible state of loss. 

The Apostle Paul rightly states in Romans 3:5-6 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

Man is without excuse when he falls into God’s wrath after wilfully rejecting the gracious gift of the gospel. God had provided an escape from the judgement of sin through the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Job was a man who make right with God daily and prays and offered burnt offerings on their behalf for his children – and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

It was a picture of the atonement of the coming Christ. They were seeking God according to God’s way for the forgiveness of sins. Bildad surely couldn’t have missed that when he made these accusations.

He was not speaking the words of God and meting out justice according to God’s heart. 

God will prosper Job in the later. It was not God’s time. He allowed Satan to test Job to prove Job’s integrity.

(2)   God vindincates the righteous (v7)

7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

This statement was precisely true for Job in chapter 42. God will vindicate him – Job 42:10-13 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.

God wrath was kindled against Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar for wrongly accusing Job and misrepresenting Him. 

Job 42:7-9 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

CONCLUSION

In the meantime, Job had to endure such cruel accusations. God’s grace was upon him to endure. All praise and thanksgiving to God. Amen.