A Word on Justice: How do you roll?

Justice is difficult, to the point that it appears unreachable—a mistrial. This week a judge declared a mistrial after the jury remained deadlocked in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy for killing her three children. Her defense is she was suffering from postpartum depression. Was this case, one of premedication or psychosis?

When it comes to the justice of men—of witnesses, attorneys, judges, and jurors—men have spoken. But their word—the word mistrial—is not the final word on justice. Justice, though complicated, is possible. God is not silent:

²⁴ "But let justice roll down like waters, And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24 

In Amos 5, unspeakable moral, national and spiritual health was on trial. God told the prophet, fig farmer and shepherd to tell the people, especially the religious elite, to examine their empty worship, their corrupt offerings, their irreverent religion, their injustice of the disenfranchised; the noise of their anthems and the sound of their harps. Unless your justice rolls like mine, I will not accept your counterfeit church, if you will. There will be no mistrial.

What is that justice, that mishpat? It is divinely righteous actions whether it be of man or God, that promotes equality, uplifting righteousness, and denouncing hate.

Who is called to do this justice? Look to the major verb of Amos 5:24—let justice roll—and its mood. Grammatical mood shows the action of a verb from the speaker’s point of view. Here, the speaker—God—His point of view is that of a sovereign God giving a command. The command to His wayward people is to “let justice roll”. They had dammed up righteousness and turned off the spicket of fairness to the whole expanse of the social order. Many were disenfranchised, left out. God expects His people to be full participants and recipients of His justice. Mishpat is not a suggestion. It is a command.

And how is this justice to be administered?  Justice is to be a continuously flow. It is not to flow like the mighty Mississippi one day, then ebb to a trickle like a drying wadi the next, as it suits men and their motives. Justice is not intermittent, but an ever-flowing, mighty stream.

The fact that God had to admonish His people for their inconsistent justice, and command them to do justice without interruption and partiality, tells us that mishpat may not always be on everyone’s agenda. But justice will have its day.

¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Revelation 20:12-13 

As we dress up in our finest this Sunday, tune up our Hammond organs for passionate praise and worship, and power up our power points for poignant preaching, know this, Church: Unless we open up the dammed-up gates of justice to let it flow and flood everywhere over everyone, God is not accepting your worship noise and sacred anthems.

Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. Amos 5:23 

Church, you are on trial. How does your justice roll? God will gavel you. There will be no mistrial.

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Justice of men is not always fair. Justice of God never burns out. Johnnie Roy Houston's story is living proof. Read A Forgiving Fire on sale now. Go to aforgivingfire.com.