Justice

David was frustrated. Even angry. Looking at the actions of other people, he found much to criticize. Many did not seem concerned about doing the right thing or concerned about the consequences of their actions.

To the contrary, many seemed self-centered and didn’t care about the impact of their actions. They weren’t bothered when they took advantage of others or failed to keep their word.

David saw a pattern, as many people seemed to go “astray from birth.” Often people really weren’t concerned with telling the truth. The impact was like “the venom of a serpent,” stinging deeply, hurting. And they closed their ears to the cries of the needy.

David was so passionate about the wounds he witnessed that he cried out to God to take action. It wasn’t enough that He knew what was going on: David desired that He would make things right. That He would “break the teeth in their mouths.”

He desired that those with these kinds of attitudes would “vanish like water that runs away.” His prayer was that God would display His righteous indignation and pour out His wrath on all those who lived in such a way. He felt that “the righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance.” When they saw justice being done.

How frustrating it can be to be a victim of these broken promises, even knowing that some were made by well-intentioned people.

The Bible reminds us that all people are flawed. That we all make mistakes and commit sins. The fact is that other people may fall short. Some may make promises they don’t keep. But God is faithful. He promises that, eventually, justice will be done. That everyone, in every nation, will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”