Let Justice Roll

 

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:18-24 ESV).

 

Yesterday I used a wonderful prophecy by Isaiah to being a short series dealing with the Second Coming of Jesus. Today, as I being to write I am reminded of a very old common saying: Be careful what you ask for… Perhaps you are like I am and have heard this many times. I cannot remember how old I was when I first heard it, though it was very early. It was always used in a way to remind me that not everything I thought was good and fair was actually so. Usually I would be angry with my Dad about something I wanted. When I was told no it precipitated a rant of how unfair (translate “unjust) his decision to deny me my desire was. Then the inevitable saying was said, and left hanging in the quietness that followed the end of the discussion.

 

It is not unusual to be saved through faith in God and yet suffer under oppression. A person may walk with Jesus each day and yet have to labor under discrimination, deal with unfair working conditions, or face religious persecution with little chance of getting out from under the grindstone. It certainly doesn’t seem fair, or just. In our reading today, the particularly scorching truth of Amos’s prophecy is that some of the worst oppressors were Israelites who were zealous in their religious rituals. They brought sacrifices to God; they observed all the religious holidays. They followed the law of God to the letter. But they had no concern for other people. Through Isaiah, God said, similarly, “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. . . . Your hands are full of blood! Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:13-17).

 

Wherever this charge may apply today, it calls for self-examination of our attitudes and actions. Ultimately, on the day of the Lord, the Judge of all humankind will usher in complete justice. And for those who have repented and turned to Christ, all oppression and poverty will cease. On that day, justice will roll down like a mighty river. Which side of the judgment will you be on?