Morning Musings: Jeremiah 22:3

“Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed.  And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Over and over again in the prophets we see that God’s chief concern for the people was not that they got religion right, but that they got justice right.  He complained about their offerings and sacrifices not because they weren’t done strictly according to the guidelines set out in the law, but because they pursued them without the accompanying set of behaviors (namely, a generous pursuit of justice for the least, last, and lost in their midst). Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Isaiah 29:13-14

“And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again to wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Throughout the book of Isaiah (and really throughout all the prophets), there are three sins that are consistently held up as triggers for the judgment from the Lord the people were facing.  The first is injustice.  God is just.  Justice and righteousness are fundamental parts of His character.  He is passionately concerned about what is right.  When we violate that by doing what’s wrong (taking advantage of the poor and weak, for example), judgment will ensue. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

If we are going to be in a relationship with God, it is going to be on His terms, not ours.  In spite of our sinful nature, we naturally recognize that there is something wrong with the world; something wrong with us.  This is the result of our being created in God’s image along with the echoes of eternity still ringing in our hearts.   Read the rest…