The Preamble
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
"...Justice..."
Justice is seeing that citizens and government officials do what is right. Measurements are made based on law. Enforcement brings harmony, peace and prosperity.
Scripture places the emphasis on "doing justice" while society places the emphasis on getting justice. This is the difference between a selfish and humanistic society and a society governed by God.
There is a high priority placed on justice in the Scriptures. When a person is a witness to sin, he is to immediately expose it, even if the offender is his own relative and the punishment is death.
Deuteronomy 13:6-10, "If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."
A whole period of Israeli history came from not having any other leadership than a God-appointed judge (the book of Judges). Things would work out well until the judge died. At that point, injustices would occur in society, and soon the people would enter severe servitude. They would repent, and God would grant another judge to put things in order.
There is even a Psalm that cries against the injustice from the government, Psalm 58. The first two verses are as follows:
Psalm 58:1-2, "Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth."
Justice is clearly defined as doing what is right, even if the popular way is wrong, someone involved is poor, or if it involves an enemy. To enforce this, checks and balances must be implemented.
Exodus 23:1-8, "Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous."
To insure justice is done, the people were to appoint officers and judges that would bring justice. If they did not do their job, it would keep them from inheriting their land and cause them to die.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20, "Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
Even in the New Testament, we find that we need to learn to not make decisions based on outward appearance, but instead arrive at righteous judgment.
John 7:24, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
We are promised to be blessed if we do justice, because the day of salvation is near.
Isaiah 56:1-2, "Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil."
The Lord is soon to return to set up His Kingdom and establish justice for all. Until that day come, citizens will be subject to the whims of heir government, unless they hold their government to the confines of God's law.
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