What does "justice is far from us" teach about God's righteousness? The Text at a Glance “Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us; we look for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.” (Isaiah 59:9) Immediate Context: Why Justice Is Distant • Verses 1–8 lay out a catalogue of sins—hands “defiled with blood,” lips that “speak lies,” feet that “run to evil.” • Sin isn’t just individual; it’s collective, permeating society. • God’s arm is not short (v. 1); the problem is unconfessed iniquity separating the people from Him (v. 2). • Thus, when Isaiah says “justice is far from us,” the distance is self-imposed by sin, not caused by any deficiency in God. What the Absence of Justice Reveals about God’s Righteousness • God’s righteousness is fixed and flawless. It doesn’t bend to accommodate sin (Psalm 119:142). • True justice flows only from His character (Psalm 89:14). If justice is missing among people, it simply shows they have drifted from the Source. • The phrase underscores God’s moral clarity: He defines justice; we don’t. When we violate His standards, justice literally moves “far” away from us. • God’s righteousness is unimpeachable. Human failure magnifies, rather than diminishes, His perfection (Romans 3:3–4). • Because His righteousness is intrinsic, He neither ignores nor re-labels evil. Instead, He exposes it so that repentance becomes possible (Isaiah 59:12–13). Contrasting Human Failure with Divine Righteousness • Human effort: “We look for light…for brightness.” • Divine reality: “There is darkness…we walk in gloom.” • Our best intentions cannot manufacture the justice we crave; only alignment with God’s righteous standard restores it (Micah 6:8). God’s Response: Upholding Righteousness • Isaiah 59:15–17: “The LORD saw that there was no justice…so His own arm brought salvation.” He “put on righteousness as a breastplate.” • God personally intervenes; He will not allow injustice to prevail indefinitely. • His righteousness propels both judgment on sin and mercy toward sinners (Isaiah 59:18–20). Fulfillment in Christ • Isaiah’s vision finds culmination in Jesus, “who became for us wisdom from God—our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). • At the cross, God’s righteousness meets humanity’s injustice: sin is punished, sinners are justified (Romans 3:25–26). Takeaway Truths • When justice feels distant, the first diagnostic question is our alignment with God, not His proximity to us. • God’s righteousness is the unwavering plumb line against which all human justice is measured. • He exposes injustice to draw us back, then supplies the righteousness we lack through the Redeemer. |
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