How does understanding Job 31:15 impact our view on social justice issues? Setting the Stage “Did not He who formed me in the womb also form them? Did not the same One form us both in the womb?” Job’s rhetorical question is crystal-clear: every human being shares the same Designer, the same careful crafting in the womb by the living God. Taking the verse at face value shapes our approach to every modern discussion of justice. Shared Origin, Shared Worth • Same Maker = Same Value – Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His own image…” – No human life falls outside that image; dignity is not earned, it is endowed. • Worth Begins at Conception – Psalm 139:13-16 affirms God’s hands-on involvement “in the womb,” matching Job’s testimony. – The unborn, the elderly, the disabled, the refugee all carry the same divine fingerprints. Justice Starts with How We Treat People One-on-One • No Room for Favoritism – James 2:1-9 forbids showing partiality based on status, wealth, ethnicity, or influence. – Matthew 7:12’s Golden Rule flows naturally out of Job 31:15—treat others as handcrafted by God. • Speech and Attitudes – Ephesians 4:29 calls every word to build up; tearing down another image-bearer insults the Artist. Protecting the Unborn and the Vulnerable • Pro-Life Foundation – If God forms each child, abortion strikes at a life God is actively shaping. – Proverbs 24:11-12 urges rescue of those being led away to death; silence is not neutral. • Elderly and Disabled – Leviticus 19:32, “You shall stand up before the gray head,” flows from the same logic: God formed them, too. Economic and Workplace Fairness • Fair Wages and Honest Business – Colossians 4:1: “Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair…” – Deuteronomy 24:14-15 condemns withholding wages; every worker is God-made. • Responsibility over Envy – Biblical justice protects the poor (Proverbs 14:31) without demonizing the successful; it calls all to integrity. Racial and Ethnic Unity • One Creator, Many Cultures – Acts 17:26: “From one man He made every nation…” – Racism is rebellion against the equal-creation truth of Job 31:15. • Gospel Level Ground – Galatians 3:28 celebrates unity in Christ without erasing God-given distinctions. Government, Charity, and the Church • Dual Call – Romans 13 affirms the state’s role in restraining evil; Micah 6:8 enjoins personal and communal action. – The church models voluntary compassion (Acts 4:34-35) while advocating for laws that honor God’s design. Avoiding Ideological Detours • Scripture, Not Trends, Sets Definitions – Popular movements may use “justice” language yet redefine truth, gender, or family contrary to God’s Word. – Staying anchored in Job 31:15 guards against trading biblical compassion for fashionable activism. Practical Takeaways • See every face—born or unborn—as crafted by the same Potter. • Refuse partiality in church, workplace, school, and politics. • Speak for those who cannot speak (Proverbs 31:8-9). • Give generously, lend skills, create jobs, welcome refugees—because God formed them. • Test every “justice” cause by whether it honors the Creator’s design and commands. |
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