Which other scriptures emphasize the importance of justice for the righteous? Setting the Anchor: Proverbs 21:15 “Justice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers.” Justice Gladdens the Righteous—Key Old-Testament Echoes • Deuteronomy 16:20 — “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live, and you may possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.” • Psalm 37:28-29 — “For the LORD loves justice and will not abandon His faithful ones… The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.” • Proverbs 28:5 — “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully.” Prophetic Thunder for Justice • Isaiah 1:17 — “Learn to do right; seek justice, correct the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for 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 act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” • Zechariah 7:9-10 — “Administer true justice… Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” Wisdom’s Continuing Call • Proverbs 17:15 — “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.” • Proverbs 24:24-25 — “Whoever says to the guilty, ‘You are innocent’—people will curse him… But it will go well with those who convict the guilty.” • Proverbs 29:7 — “The righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked have no regard for such concern.” Psalms: Songs of Vindication • Psalm 82:3-4 — “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless… Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.” • Psalm 9:7-8 — “The LORD reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; He will govern the peoples with equity.” New-Testament Clarity on Justice • Matthew 23:23 — “You have neglected the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.” • Luke 18:7-8 — “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night?... He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf.” • Romans 13:3-4 — Governing authorities are “God’s servant… an avenger who brings wrath on the wrongdoer.” • 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 — “It is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted.” Ultimate Vindication in Revelation • Revelation 6:10 — The martyrs cry, “How long… until You avenge our blood?” • Revelation 19:2 — “For His judgments are true and just… He has avenged the blood of His servants.” Taken together, these passages underline and reinforce Proverbs 21:15: justice delights the righteous, terrifies evildoers, and showcases the unwavering character of our God who loves righteousness and will ultimately set all things right. |
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