What other scriptures emphasize the importance of justice and righteousness like Psalm 58:1? Psalm 58:1—The Call for Upright Judgment “Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?” Justice Rooted in God’s Law • Deuteronomy 16:18-20 — “You are to appoint judges and officials… They shall judge the people with righteous judgment… Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.” • Leviticus 19:15 — “You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.” • Exodus 23:6, 8 — “You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits… Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the righteous.” Prophets Crying Out for Right Living • Isaiah 1:17 — “Learn to do right; seek justice, correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the cause of the widow.” • Amos 5:24 — “But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” • Micah 6:8 — “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” • Jeremiah 22:3 — “Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor… Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.” Wisdom Literature Echoes the Theme • Proverbs 21:3 — “Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” • Proverbs 31:8-9 — “Open your mouth for those with no voice… Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.” • Psalm 82:3-4 — “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.” Jesus Centers the Kingdom on Justice • Matthew 5:6 — “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” • Matthew 23:23 — “You have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” • Luke 4:18 — “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor… to release the oppressed.” Apostolic Teaching for the Church • James 1:27 — “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” • James 2:1 — “My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.” • 1 John 3:17-18 — “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no compassion on him, how can the love of God abide in him?… let us love not in word and speech but in action and truth.” Living the Truth Today 1. Treat people impartially, because the Judge of all the earth does so. 2. Protect the weak, because the Shepherd binds up the broken. 3. Reject bribery and favoritism, because nothing escapes God’s sight. 4. Practice justice with mercy, because the cross weds both perfectly. Our righteous King will one day “judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). |
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