The AMI QT devotionals from July 16-22 are provided by Cami King. Cami, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is currently serving as a staff at Journey Community Church in Raleigh.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Guardians of Justice”
Jeremiah 22:1-5 (NET Bible)
The Lord told me, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Give him a message from me there. 2 Say: ‘Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession. You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to what the Lord says. 3 The Lord says, “Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows. Do not kill innocent people in this land. 4 If you are careful to obey these commands, then the kings who follow in David’s succession and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to come through the gates of this palace, as will their officials and their subjects. 5 But, if you do not obey these commands, I solemnly swear that this palace will become a pile of rubble. I, the Lord, affirm it!”
“The administration of justice was one of the main duties of kings all over the Near East. The king was the guardian of justice.” (Thompson)
Think about that for a moment—those in power are charged by God with the responsibility of guarding justice for all. We no longer have a monarchy with inherited leadership. We have the freedom (privilege and responsibility) to choose our leaders. And, if our hearts are aligned to the heart of God, justice toward the oppressed and vulnerable should be as high on our list of priorities for leaders as it is on God’s. Leadership comes in many forms, and whether it’s in our churches, companies, local or national governments, our leaders should be those whom we trust to faithfully serve as “Guardians of Justice.”
Furthermore, God offers a very specific list of people in need of special care as it relates to the administration of justice (v.3). This list is not arbitrary—it includes the most vulnerable and most likely to be exploited and denied justice.
(1) Those robbed by oppressors: This is not incidental stealing (e.g. someone steals your wallet), but systemic oppression where people (particularly laborers) are unfairly compensated and defrauded by those in power.
(2) Foreigners: Throughout the Scriptures God takes very seriously the way in which a nation cares for those who’ve come to them from other lands, peoples, and cultures.
(3) Those without protection and provision: In Jeremiah’s society, where men served as providers and protectors of the family (i.e. those with power), children without fathers and women without husbands were extremely vulnerable and therefore demanded special care.
With this specific list in mind, let’s revisit a question we considered yesterday. Who are the vulnerable in our world today (those who fit into the categories God gives us in the verses above)? And are we a people who take seriously the cause of justice for exploited laborers, immigrants, orphans, and vulnerable women and children? What would it look like to hold our leaders in various arenas accountable for their role as “Guardians of Justice”?
Prayer: Almighty God, open my eyes to see those in need of justice in my community and the society in which I live. Help me to not only personally exercise the justice You require, but to also wield my agency to demand that those in leadership to do the same. May Your Church be “guardians of justice” in the world. Forgive us for the ways we’ve fallen short. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 12
Lunch Break Study
Read Romans 13:1-10 (NRSV): Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Questions to Consider
- What are Paul’s instructions regarding the believer’s posture toward governing authorities? What do you think about what he says? How do these instructions affect how you understand the weight of responsibility we have in selecting or electing leadership in various arenas?
- How do Paul’s words guide us when we are dealing with corrupt governing authorities (e.g. those who are “a terror to good conduct” or who refuse to approve what is good – v.3)? With the overall witness of Scripture (and God’s call for justice that we’ve discussed this week) in mind, what do you think should be your response/posture in those cases?
- How does Paul end these instructions? Why is this important? Spend some time reflecting on vv.8-10—how would you summarize these instructions in your own words?
Notes
- Paul suggests that believers should be subject to the laws of the land (and by extension those who govern/make the laws). He believes that God “institutes” authorities (via passive allowing or active willing, Paul does not specify). I do find that Scripture suggest that God affirms culture and societies (the space and place where peoples come together to do life and build community in the fullness of their unique histories and gifts)—included in which are the languages, cultural milieu, and, of course, government structures—because God affirms the integrity and agency of humans created in the image of God. // This is a sobering reality when we think about our responsibility in electing governing officials. Societies have a real and profound impact on the people within them (and around them), and we are to take that impact very seriously.
- Consider one commentator’s reflections on this question. These reflections are, of course, not exhaustive (and admittedly moderate).
- “The problem, of course, is that rulers are sometimes, perhaps often, a cause of fear for those who do right. Government authorities sometimes abuse their powers for selfish ends. If they do not but serve the welfare of the people as they should, we have no fear of them and can submit to them fairly easily. What if they are evil?
- “The first way some people have interpreted this verse is to assume that Paul was speaking only of the norm. The normal situation would be a good government that punishes evil and rewards good. Obviously rebellion and revolution would be wrong in such a situation. However those actions might not be wrong if the state ceased to serve its God-given function and began denying the rights and removing the liberties of its citizens. Moderate advocates of this interpretation usually do not suggest that the church as an institution should lead a revolution. Most of them would say, however, that Christians as individuals could justifiably participate in a revolution against such a government. Christians should speak out against such abuses at least. We must be careful not to confuse submission with silence. Silence can express approval.
- “The second way of interpreting this verse is to take Paul’s words at face value and trust in the fact expressed in 8:28. The Christian who takes this view would not participate in a revolution though he might speak out against a government’s evils. He should prepare himself to accept the consequences of his actions. Such was the position of some pastors in Nazi Germany during World War II, for example, who went to prison not for revolting against the government but for speaking out against it. Another alternative might be to flee from the persecution of a hostile government (cf. Matt. 10:23). This is what the Huguenots, who fled from France to England, and the Puritans, who fled from England to America, did.” (Constable)
- Jesus summed up the law in two moves: love God and love your neighbor. In the commentary on social/horizontal interactions (our relationships with one another as opposed to our relationship with God) in Romans 13, Paul summarizes the law very similarly—“love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, every commandment given from God finds its origin and telos, it’s purpose and meaning, in God’s intent that we love our neighbor as ourselves. This is important because any interpretation or application of God’s commands that do not align with this central mandate (to love our neighbor) cannot be what God intended. Please see Luke 10:29-37 for help with understanding the term “neighbor” in the New Testament.
Evening Reflection
Twentieth century German pastor, Lutheran theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer said:
“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”
Consider Bonhoeffer’s statement above. What do you think about his assertion? How do you think it aligns with the heart of God? How might God empower you to “drive a spoke into the wheel [of injustice]”? Spend some time considering these things with the Lord this evening.
One thing clear to me throughout the witness of Scripture is that God is very serious about JUSTICE. Oftentimes, when Christians think of God’s justice, we think of it in terms of our transgressions against God. We sin against God and God’s justice requires that we atone for our sin– atonement that Jesus completed on our behalf so that we can be reconciled to God (hallelujah!). Scriptures certainly speak of justice in this way. But more often than not, the Bible speaks of justice as it relates to our dealings with one another. We do sin against God, yes, but just as both arms of the Great Commandment (to love God & love neighbor) serve as two sides of the same coin, our sins against God are linked to our sins against each other.
A famous poem in American literature (popular internationally as well) is Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” which famously ends: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
As has been fairly consistent throughout this book, the people of God are in trouble (to say the least). They failed to uphold their end of their covenant (promise/contract) with God. Like disobedient children to a parent or defiant subjects to a good king, the people rebelled and went their own way. As a result, instead of enjoying covenant blessings (what God promised to do for them) of protection and prosperity, they faced covenant curses (how God promised to punish them). The Babylonians were coming, and it wouldn’t be pretty. One commentator keenly noted: “The Lord promised that not only the Babylonians but He, too, would fight against the city. He would bring His strong arm against Jerusalem in anger and would strike down its inhabitants. Normally the Divine Warrior fought for His people, but now He would fight against them.” (Constable)
The AMI QT devotionals from July 16-22 are provided by Cami King. Cami, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is currently serving as a staff at Journey Community Church in Raleigh.
Many of us have heard stories like this one: “A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.” (Dr. Helen Roseveare, mid-twentieth century missionary to the Congo)
During a four-month hiatus between the mission field and stepping into my current job, I didn’t have any concrete plans for what I would do after my time-off. A close friend wrote to me, saying, “I can’t wait for what God has in store for you. I think He trusts you so much.” I was overwhelmed with this encouragement—even though I didn’t deserve such a comment. But her words led me to ponder about the nature of trust in my relationship to Jesus. I always knew following Jesus involved me trusting Jesus, while Jesus leads; however, I never interacted with the possibility of Jesus trusting me. Why would Jesus trust me? It’s not like He needs to rely on me or count on me. I thought trust is one-way, from me to Him, since all the power and strength is in Him anyways. In diving more into this perspective, I realized that our relationship with Jesus is not only a love relationship between the Redeemer and the redeemed, but it is indeed also a trust relationship between Master and servant, as many of Jesus’ teachings, such as the parable of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30), teach so clearly.
When I was in elementary school, I was signed up to try various sports, including badminton. After my first lesson, I wanted to quit because when I tried to hit the birdie coming towards me, it flew straight towards my forehead and got stuck in my hair. Being of low-esteem, I felt an incredible sense of humiliation in front of the people I was playing with, since they didn’t seem to have any trouble with the sport. I often wanted to quit sports and I would end up quitting very easily when I felt like it was a little bit hard.
Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Tina Hsu. Tina, a graduate of Biola University and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), currently serves as a staff at the Church of Southland, Anaheim, California.
Have you ever had news that you could barely hold in and couldn’t wait to share? This could be a birth announcement, a gender reveal, a new job, an opportunity of a lifetime in a new city, a dream fulfilled, or an answered prayer after long seasons of waiting. You celebrated in your heart and couldn’t wait to celebrate with others about the news.
In this morning’s passage, we get to see how Pashhur the priest finishes his life. Pashhur had great influence being the chief officer in the temple of the Lord. However, his role in Jerusalem did not spare him from the destruction and years of exile that Judah was about to face. After hearing of Jeremiah breaking the clay jar as a message to Judah of impending judgment, Pashhur was angry at Jeremiah and put him in prison overnight. After a painful and humiliating night, Jeremiah was released and foretold Pashhur the terrible pain he was about to experience. He would not only be taken into exile along with Judah, but he and his household would also die in exile. The main reason for a painful end to his life is that he falsely prophesied to many people while being entrusted with the role as a priest. The words he spoke stuck with many of his friends, and they also would be buried in exile.
One of the wisest choices my mother made for my sister and me was when she signed us up for a Divorce Care Group for kids when we were young. She told us that she did this because she was aware that we may have emotions such as anger, sadness, or disappointment that we were afraid to express to her, but she didn’t want us to harbor it in our hearts. She told us to tell it to our care group and she wouldn’t be mad about anything we said in those sessions. I remember those sessions being a safe place to share and listen, but I honestly was too young to process. However, her choice set me up well for my college years when I started to have pent up emotions about my parent’s divorce, and I knew it was permissible to grieve. In fact, allowing myself to grieve and find a counselor led to a season of healing and restoration.