Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: Can We All Just Get Along?

God’s Definition, Love, and Demand For Justice

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-08-10

Synopsis: John Weaver teaches that biblical justice is identical to righteousness, rooted in God's unchanging character and revealed in His Word. He contrasts God's justice with humanistic justice, emphasizing personal accountability, restitution, and the necessity of defining terms by Scripture. The sermon calls believers to love justice, obey God's law, and walk humbly, recognizing that ultimate justice is rendered by God through Christ.

[John Weaver] All right. It's good to see each one here and it's certainly good to be back. And I have two things. Number one, when I received the topics and the assignments, I said to myself, Tim Yarbrough did this. I knew it. I knew it. And Pastor Mooney did not quite go as far as Charles had in Spurgeon. Spurgeon has a book commenting on commentaries. And one of his comments was concerning one book. This book is an absolute must for handmaidens who wish to start a good fire each morning. That's exactly what Spurgeon said about one commentary.

[John Weaver] So Let's open our Bibles now, if you would please, to Psalm 11. Psalm 11, and right now we're just simply going to read verse... 7, because we're dealing with biblical justice. And of course, the theme of this conference has already been spoken and read. He has showed the old man what is good and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God. So in Psalm 7, 11 and verse 7, the Bible says, For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright. Now, you might ask, what in the world does Psalm 11 and verse 7 have to do with justice? Because in this verse, the psalmist is talking about righteousness. And I understand that. But you need to understand that justice and righteousness are the same. In fact, justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word, and it's translated in our Bibles as both righteousness and justice. You see, whatever is just is right and whatever is right is just.

[John Weaver] Justice and righteousness are one in the same. If there is no justice, there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness, there is no justice.

[John Weaver] Now, there's another Hebrew word that is used over and over in our Bibles, in fact, 200 times, and that is the word Mishpat, which is translated in our Bibles as equity. Equity is that which is not only just, but is that which is right and equal as well. It is that which fits everyone. So I want you to turn in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 98, and let me show you several passages. where this word is translated as equity. So in Psalm 98 and verse 9, if you would look there, Psalm 98 and verse 9, the Bible says this, Before the Lord, for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness, he judged the world and the people with equity. So with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity. Then if you look in Psalm 99 and verse 4 again, The king's strength also loveth judgment. Thou dost establish equity. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. And then, of course, Isaiah 11 and verse 4. There the word of God says, But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.

[John Weaver] He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. So I want you to see tonight that God does indeed desire justice. God has a unique love for justice. God also demands justice, which we shall see later. But the Bible tells you in Psalm 89 and verse 14 that justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

[John Weaver] Mercy and truth shall be before thy face. But notice he said justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne. God loves justice so much because God himself is just. One of the verses that you should automatically seek to remember is Deuteronomy 32, verse 4, where the Bible says that he is the rock. His work is perfect, for all of His ways are judgment. A God of right and without iniquity, just and right is He. So God is a God of truth, and He is just and right.

[John Weaver] In fact, here's an interesting thing. Scripture teaches us that God prefers justice over sacrifice. God would rather have justice more than anything that you could ever give him. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 21 in verse three, to do justice and judgment are more acceptable unto the Lord than sacrifice. Now, the word acceptable is the Hebrew word for car, and it literally means that God chooses justice over sacrifice and that justice is more excellent than sacrifice. So sacrifice, then, apart from and without justice is unacceptable. Sacrifice apart from obedience is unacceptable. So without the knowledge of God, and without the knowledge of His Word, and without obedience to His law, it is impossible to please Him. Because you're not certainly coming in faith, you're not believing Him, and without faith it's impossible to please Him as well. So the reason that you and I are accepted before God is because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ gave to the law a perfect obedience. And then he gave himself as the perfect, sinless sacrifice before God.

[John Weaver] And thus his obedience and his righteousness are imputed to us as well. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 15 and verse 22, where Samuel said to Saul, have the Lord's great delight, listen now, in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken better than the fat of rams. Now listen to what he said. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams. The fat of rams was the chiefest part of the sacrifice, and it was always given to God. So he said to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken, to listen to God, to hear God, to heed God, and obey God is better than the chiefest part of the sacrifice. It's better than the fat of the rams. Our Lord said it like this in Hosea 6 and verse 6, For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burn offerings. So God would rather have our obedience.

[John Weaver] God would rather have our justice. And that is in acting in righteousness toward him than any of the sacrifice that we could ever give him.

[John Weaver] Now, tonight, what I want to do is share with you three truths. First of all, justice defined. Without a proper definition of justice, without a proper definition of terms, it is impossible to communicate. Oftentimes, we communicate the wrong thoughts using the exact same words. Years ago, there was a nursery up the road from us, and it was owned by the McDonald family, and just everyone referred to it as McDonald's.

[John Weaver] My mother called me and asked if we could meet her for dinner. I said, sure. I said, I tell you what, so that we won't get messed up, let's just meet at McDonald's. Well, I went to McDonald's nursery and I waited and I waited and I waited and I waited.

[John Weaver] Finally, it dawned on me. My mother was at that McDonald's restaurant uptown waiting on us. So without a proper definition of terms, you really and truly cannot communicate. Liberals especially love to play games with words. For instance, if you were to ask a liberal, if you were to ask a modernist, if you were to ask a religious professor, does he really believe that Jesus is the son of God?

[John Weaver] He would probably answer yes. And you would stand there kind of thinking, well, now wait a minute. I know this guy's a modernist. I know he's a liberal. You see what he's doing? He's playing words with words, and he's playing games because his definition is not the same as your definition. Because when he says that he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he means that he believes that Jesus Christ is a Son of God the way you and I are sons of God. He does not believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the Father.

[John Weaver] And that word is monogamous in the Greek. It means He's the only one of a kind. He's unique. There's no one like Him because He is indeed the God-man. He's the Theanthropos. So, what He's doing is playing with words. When the Bible says very plainly in 1st Thessalonians, 1st Timothy, chapter 3 and verse 16, listen carefully and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached on the world, believed on by the Gentiles and received up in the glory. Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you how important it is for you to define justice and for you to understand the definition of justice. Now, I'm an old man. And you might say I'm even kind of decrepit, but I can tell you I can do something that you probably will not believe that I can do. I can jump flat footed with both feet on the ground straight up in the air 20 feet. You say, you can't do that. Sure I can. I'll tell you something else I can do.

[John Weaver] I can lift a thousand pounds with one hand. You say, you cannot do that. I can do that. In fact, I can even lift a thousand pounds with this bad hand, even with that arthritic finger. You say you're lying to me. No, I'm not lying. And I'm not exaggerating. I can jump 20 feet straight in there, flat-footed, and I can lift a thousand pounds with one finger if you allow me to define a foot and a pound. Now, I'm not going to say a foot is 12 inches with my definition, nor am I going to say a pound is 16 ounces with my definition. As high as I can jump, that might be two inches, it might be six inches, but I'm going to define that as twenty feet. And I might can pick up a pound with this finger, but I can define it as a thousand pounds. You see what I'm saying?

[John Weaver] As long as I can define my terms and make terms mean what I want them to mean, I can do whatever I want to do. I can be as holy as I want to be as long as I can define holiness. I can be as righteous as I want to be as long as I can define righteousness. I can be as just as I want to be as long as I can define justice. Definitions matter. If your definition is not God's definition, then you're just simply playing games, just like I played a game with you. Biblical justice is based. on the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word. God is the only perfect, eternal, immovable standard of justice.

[John Weaver] God creates and defines reality and gives meaning to everything. Reality is not what you think. Reality is what God declares. Reality is not what you wish. Reality is what God declares. Reality is not what you determine. Reality is determined by God. Equally true is the fact that God and His law are the standards for justice. Now listen carefully. Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice. Because God is absolute truth. His Word is absolute truth. And any time that you try to come up with a definition in your mind of what you think justice is and what you think righteousness is, you're just playing games.

[John Weaver] But the Bible says it like this in Psalm 94 and verse 11. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity. That is, they're useless. They're worthless. David said in Psalm 119 and verse 113, I hate vain thoughts, but by law do I love. Have you ever had a vain thought? I can assure you, you have. I've had vain thoughts today, worthless, useless, frivolous, and you have to confess them and say, Lord, I don't want that. I refuse that. I repudiate that. I hate vain thoughts.

[John Weaver] And then in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 4, verse 14, God said, O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from thine wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? Do you realize that any time you and I begin to try to define reality in our terms, It's nothing more than vain thoughts because God is the only source of righteousness and justice. And therefore, any pretended justice and any pretended righteousness on our part is nothing more than vanity because it's not in conformity to God and it's not in conformity to his word. It's false and it's vain.

[John Weaver] So let me put it to you like this. Our fundamental problem is rebellion. It's rebellion against God. It's rebellion against God's law. And it's rebellion toward his righteousness and toward his judgment. We don't tend to think usually in terms of God's justice. But what we must do is be able to distinguish between biblical justice. And humanistic justice. All you have to do is look around today. Look at the Department of Justice. And there is no justice, but it's called the Department of Justice. It's kind of like all the rehabilitation centers that you see.

[John Weaver] How many people are they really rehabilitating? I passed by a prison detail in Indiana, and all of these inmates were working beside the road and on their shirts, Indiana Department of Corrections. I told my wife, I sure would love to stop and ask the officer there, how many are they really correcting? I mean, stop and think about this now. Let me show you what I'm talking about when I refer to a difference between a biblical justice and a humanistic justice.

[John Weaver] OK, look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Exodus, Chapter 22, Exodus, Chapter 22. Look at this. Here's a tremendous passage. This whole chapter really deals with the law of restitution. And when you look in Exodus chapter 22 and verse one, the Bible says, if a man steal an ox or sheep and kill it or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.

[John Weaver] If a thief be found breaking up, and he be smitten that he die, then shall no blood be shed for him. Now watch verse three. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him, for he should make full restitution. If he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. So I want you to note here is theft. God says thou shalt not steal.

[John Weaver] So here's a man stealing an ox. Here's a man stealing his sheep. And by the way, I want you to note the ratio The ratio God says you restore, what is it? Four sheep, four sheep? Five oxen for an oxen? Well, there's also a double restitution in the Bible, which we just read about. There's also a seven-fold restitution mentioned in the book of Proverbs, chapter 30. Why is this restitution different? Well, stop and think about a sheep.

[John Weaver] I mean, you can use the wool for clothing. You can eat the meat. I mean, the animal produces. That's good, yeah. But now when you look at an ox, you can only have meat, you can only have his hide that you can use, but he's an animal that works and you can produce with this animal. Not just by breeding the animal, but by actually working the animal. So let me try to put it to you in a good illustration that you can understand. So here you have a car that you only drive say once a week, once every two weeks, something like that.

[John Weaver] But gentlemen, listen, now you've got a work truck and you've got all your tools in your work truck, whether you're a plumber or carpenter or electrician, it doesn't matter. You've got this nice truck and you've got it all loaded with your tools. Now, here's my question. If somebody's going to come to your house and steal either your car or your truck, which do you prefer that he steals? The car that you only drive once or twice every week or two, or the truck that you work with every day and has all of your materials in it. Obviously, that truck is worth far more than your car and the tools in that truck are worth far more.

[John Weaver] So God is saying here is. The ratio for sheep, for sheep, five oxen for an ox, and the ratio of restitution is dependent upon the worth and the value of that which is stolen.

[John Weaver] Now, if a man stole and he got caught before he could kill it or dispose of it, then he only had to restore twofold. Because the owner was inconvenienced, he was not really lost anything. You've heard that old expression, crime doesn't pay. That's only true in biblical justice and biblical law. The reason there's so much crime today is because it does pay. According to humanistic law. OK. Let me show you. We're talking about justice. I said there's no justice to God's justice. So here we go. Here's your work truck.

[John Weaver] You drive it every day. You have all your tools in it. And someone comes along and decides they're going to take it. And they get in that truck and they hot wire it and drive it away. You wake up the next morning to go to work and your truck is gone and your tools are gone. And the next thing you know, you hear something on the radio about there's a chase going on and the cops are chasing this truck and tools are being thrown everywhere. Wow. And you run in and turn the news on and it's your truck. And your tools go on by the road. Come to find out the man who stole your truck was a drunk or a dopehead, and he as high as a kite. And the cops are chasing him, and at breakneck speed, and he goes around a curve, and he loses control and wraps your truck around a tree, totaling it. And the cops pull up on the man and of course he's high as a kite or drunk and he's not hurt.

[John Weaver] So he comes out and says, you caught me and laughs. Now, wait a minute. Let's see if we can work this out. You've been ripped off one time because your truck has been stolen. You get ripped off a second time because even if you have insurance, your rates are now going to go up. You get ripped off a third time because this man is now arrested and thrown in jail. And guess what? Your tax dollars are at work. You get ripped off a fourth time because he can't afford an attorney and therefore one's going to be appointed to him. At your tax dollars. And so now the attorney.

[John Weaver] Represents him, collects his money. The man is convicted, thrown into prison. Guess what?

[John Weaver] Now you get ripped off again because now you get to support him for years while he's in prison. And you actually get to support him while he's learning how to be a better thief because he's now communicating with others who are far more progressed in thievery than he is. Ah, guess what? If he stole that truck and he got caught before he's two blocks down the road, God says He owes you two trucks. So if your truck was worth $20,000, that means that man now owes you $40,000. Hmm.

[John Weaver] Well, you say, Brother Weaver, but you know how these people are. They don't ever have any money. They don't ever have anything. You know, I'm just out. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He still owes you $40,000. Let's see what the Bible said.

[John Weaver] Now, wait a minute now. Let's see, verse 3. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall no bullet be shed for him. He should make full restitution. If he have nothing, he shall be sold for his theft. What's that mean? It means he becomes a slave. He becomes your servant until he works out $40,000. Wait a minute. Now, let's think this thing through. If a man knew. If he got called, he's going to pay two, four or five times what he sold. Do you think that would make him think twice before he sold? And then if he doesn't have any money, he is sold as a servant, as a slave until he works it out. He may be sold to you, but he has to work it out. You know, nothing's going to stop him from running away. He's going to leave me hanging in the bag and holding the bag. Really? Read Deuteronomy 17. Go there. Look in Deuteronomy 17, because now there has been a biblical court of law. And look what the Bible says about anyone who refuses to obey the Court of law.

[John Weaver] Look at it. Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse 11. According to the sentence of the law, which they shall teach thee and according to the judgments which they shall tell thee. We're talking about judges now. Thou shalt do. Thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee to the right hand or to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die, and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. So let me ask you, if you follow biblical law and biblical justice is executed, does crime pay? No. But if you follow humanistic law, crime does pay.

[John Weaver] Do you realize if you will read the original charters and constitutions of the colonies? They will always say something like this. that no one can hold public office unless he confesses faith in Jesus Christ and in the inspiration of both the Old and the New Testaments and many go as far as Massachusetts did when they said the laws of this colony are the laws of God as given through Moses. Wow. Wow. Hmm.

[John Weaver] The point I'm trying to make is what you do today is you take a man and throw him in prison, separating from his family, put him around men who are more wicked than himself and put him at everyone else's expense. I have a friend who was in a Muslim country and he said, yes, they do have prisons. He said, but you know what? If you get thrown in prison in a Muslim country, if your family does not feed you, you starve, you die. They don't pay. They don't feed you. You just die. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this.

[John Weaver] Here's the difference between biblical justice and humanistic justice. Justice is that which is done in agreement with and accord with the nature of God and the revealed Word of God. For instance, if you look in your Bible, so Psalm 45, look at verses 6 and 7. Psalm 45, verses 6 and 7. Here, of course, we're talking really about the Messiah. Notice, if you would, Psalm 45, verse 6, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.

[John Weaver] Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Now, notice if you would, verse 7, Thou lovest righteousness. The word righteousness there is the same exact word for justice. Thou lovest justice and hatest wickedness. Wow! To love justice is to hate wickedness. To love justice is to love righteousness. Biblical justice involves equity. In other words, once you understand that, and once you grasp equity, it means this, that each one is answerable and accountable for their actions, for their sins, for their rebellions, for their transgressions. Biblical law holds everyone accountable. Oh, let's see. If I remember correctly, our Lord in Matthew 12 and verse 26 said it like this, or 36, but I say unto you that every idle word that men speak, listen now, every idle word that men speak, they shall give an account of in the day of judgment. You are accountable. In Romans 14 and verse 12, the word of God said, so then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.

[John Weaver] Let this sink in. You are accountable. For everything that you say, everything that you do, justice demands accountability. The problem is most people do not want to be accountable. We don't want to be men of our word. If we mess up, we don't want to fess up. If we do wrong, we do not want to repent. We do not want others to know that we've done wrong. We have to understand that biblical justice requires personal accountability. God does hold us accountable. Biblical justice is distinct from humanistic justice. Because in biblical justice, we follow God's righteousness and not necessarily the righteousness of man. Therefore, when you and I act justly, we may have to go over the dictionary definition of justice. We may even have to go over and above the legal definition of justice because what we want is biblical justice. So justice is defined By God, it is his standard here. Secondly, I want you to see justice demanded. It may surprise you that God demands justice.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs chapter one. Here's an interesting thought concerning the book of Proverbs. If I were to ask you to name the political books of the Bible, you could probably do so. And Proverbs is in one of those political books. But the book of Proverbs is more than a political book. It is a book on justice and equity. So look in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 1, beginning there with verse 1. Look what he said. The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice and judgment and equity, to give subtlety to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion." Did you see that? God says this book of Proverbs is designed to give you justice and judgment and equity. I suppose one of the clearest passages on God's justice is found in Isaiah 59. I want you to turn there too.

[John Weaver] I want you to look at this. Isaiah 59, and let's begin reading there with verse one, Isaiah 59 in verse one. Here's a passage that most of you are very familiar with, or at least the first part of it. So notice Isaiah 59, verse one. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is the ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

[John Weaver] For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity, your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleaded for truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrices' eggs, and weave the spiders' web. He that eateth their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

[John Weaver] Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Now watch! Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed it as blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, wasting and destruction are in their paths. I want you to think what has been happening in this country in the last several years as you read this.

[John Weaver] The way of peace they have not known, and there is no judgment in their goings. They have made them crooked paths. Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. There is judgment far from us, therefore is judgment far from us. Needed doth justice overtake us? We wait for light, but behold obscurity, for brightness, but we shall walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes.

[John Weaver] We stumble at noonday as in the night. We are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves. We look for judgment, but there is none. For salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them. In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, and conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood, look at it, and judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth far off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

[John Weaver] Yea, truth faileth, and he that departed from evil maketh himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. Do you realize what he's saying? When we forsake God and His standard, there's nothing but chaos and confusion. There's nothing but violence. There's nothing but wickedness. There's nothing but transgression. Look at our country. Look at where we are. I usually tell people I am not a communist. I have no sympathy with communism whatsoever, but there is one communist that said something that I agree with. It was Gus Hall.

[John Weaver] He said the reason we refer to our court system as the halls of justice. Is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls. And that's just about the truth. That's just about the truth.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want you to do is this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 15, because I want you to see what happened then is happening exactly the same today. Look at it. You see, it's not just the fact that we transgress. It's not just the fact that we sin against God. It's not just the fact that we reap what we sow. One of the worst curses in all of this is that we lose the blessings of God. What did He say?

[John Weaver] My ear is not heavy that I cannot hear. My hand is not heavy that I cannot heal or save. I can do that. It's your sins. It's your iniquities. You're the ones that left me. You're the ones that turned from justice and righteousness. So, in all this we lose God's blessings.

[John Weaver] Now, look in 2 Chronicles chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Think about what has happened in this country. Think about this now. Here we go. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, and Benjamin. The Lord is with you, while you be with him.

[John Weaver] And if you seek him, he will be found of you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you. Now, look at this.

[John Weaver] Now, for a long season, Israel has been without the true God. And without a teaching priest and without law, how could Israel have been without the true God? Because they didn't have God's law, they didn't have God's standard. Now, watch verse four, but when they were in their trouble, They did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found of them. But in those times," that is the times before they turned to God, look at it,"...in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor him that came in.

[John Weaver] But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries, and nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city. For God did vex them with all adversity." Isn't that amazing? In those times, there was no peace to him that went out of him came great vexations. And God did vex them with adversities. Look at everything we're going through. And you wonder why? And the answer is because we've sinned against God.

[John Weaver] There is no justice, not his justice. There is no righteousness. So justice is normally defined Justice is demanded. And here's the third thing I want you to see. Justice is desired. I want you to go back to our text. In Psalm 11. And I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 7 again. Psalm 11, verse 7. Look at this. Psalm 11, verse 7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness.

[John Weaver] His countenance doth behold The upright. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. If God, who is perfect in righteousness and hope and justice, loves it. And we desire to be like him. Since he is our father. We too must love righteousness and justice.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to look at this. Look at verse 7 again. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, he loveth justice. His countenance doth behold the upright. The upright are those who are straight, upright, pleasing, righteous, and just. He beholds them with delight. Why? Because they are a reflection of His own nature. They are a reflection of His Word. He observes them. He approves them. He delights in them. He sees His own image in them.

[John Weaver] He looks upon them with the eye of appropriation and blessing and with tender affection. His eye in His countenance doth behold the upright. So God takes pleasure in those who are just and righteous and upright.

[John Weaver] Now, you must also consider the opposite. You must remember every positive has a negative, every negative has a positive. So then, if God is pleased with those who are upright, that means that He must be displeased with those who are not upright. If God is pleased with those who are just, it means He is displeased with those who are unjust. So, let's look in Psalm 11, beginning there with verse 4. Look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] The Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord's throne is in the heavens. His eyes behold, His eyelids try the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall reign snares, and fire, and brimstone, and a horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and His countenance doth behold the upright."

[John Weaver] So, here's a good question. Which do you desire? To be loved by the Lord or hated by the Lord? Which do you desire? His favor or His wrath and vengeance? Which do you desire? For Him to look upon you with blessing. For Him to look upon you with curses. Because the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. He loveth justice. I want you to go in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 33, if you would, please. Isaiah 33. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 5. Isaiah 33. Look, if you would, at verse 5. The Lord is exalted, for He dwelleth on high. He fills Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation, the fear of the Lord is his treasure. Notice you, he said, and wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times. Without wisdom, without knowledge, without righteousness, without justice, there is no stability. Biblical justice is based upon the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God.

[John Weaver] Biblical justice is defined by God and God alone, and it will be ultimately rendered by God to each man after death. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. He said that everyone may receive the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad, that is good or worthless. I want you to turn one more passage, if you would, one more, Romans chapter two, because I want to make A couple of applications. Here's the first one. Man, by nature, despises biblical justice. Why? Because he wants to be the determiner of what justice is. He wants to set his own standard. He wants to set his own definitions so that he can be as just, as righteous, as he wishes to be.

[John Weaver] If he can define it, he can do it. There's a vast difference between biblical righteousness and humanistic righteousness. And humanistic righteousness is loved by the fallen man because he is the originator of humanistic righteousness and justice, and he is also the executioner of humanistic righteousness and justice. So in Romans chapter two, look at it beginning there with verse one. Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, Thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and thou doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? or despises thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance, but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according

[John Weaver] to his deeds. God is ultimately going to give absolute justice to each one. That is why I'm so thankful I'm in Jesus Christ, because the justice of God fell on the Lord Jesus Christ. Years ago, I was preaching in Illinois. And there was a young Mormon boy who came every night to the meeting. But last night, he came up to me and he asked me a question. He said, I'll ask you one thing, preacher. I said, ask away. He said, is not God just? I said, absolutely. He said, well, all I want from God is justice. I said, son, that's exactly what God is going to give you.

[John Weaver] But when you get it, you'll wish you had mercy. God is just. Here's the second application. God requires each of us to do justly. How in the world do we live justly? And that is we live justly by bringing our lives in conformity to his law, applying the principles of justice in our lives and demonstrating those principles and obedience toward God and toward others. And then you have to ask yourself this question, what does God require? And here's the answer.

[John Weaver] He showed the old man what is good. And what does the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God? Justice. is defined by God alone, for He is the just God. And I will tell you this, if whatever you do, whatever you think is not in conformity with the Word of God, It is wicked. It is unjust. It is unrighteous. God requires obedience. And God requires that we walk humbly with Him. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night. We thank You for Your Word. And Lord, we live in such a day and time when there is such injustice and or just simply no justice. And Lord, we need to cry out to Thee for justice. Only You can right so many of these wicked wrongs. Political wrongs. National wrongs. Societal wrongs. Judicial wrongs. Lord, only You can right them. And I pray, Father, that You would help us to see Your divine justice as well as Your divine mercy We ask for your grace, and through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.

God’s Definition, Love, and Demand For Justice

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	81423153335352
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: Can We All Just Get Along?
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-08-10
Dictation Name
Book	Book 082: Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom - Volume 2 — Chapter 35
Source Timed Segments	67

Formatted Transcript

Opening

All right. It's good to see each one here, and it's certainly good to be back. And I have two things. Number one, when I received the topics and the assignments, I said to myself, "Tim Yarbrough did this." I knew it. I knew it. And Pastor Mooney did not quite go as far as Charles had in Spurgeon. Spurgeon has a book commenting on commentaries. And one of his comments was concerning one book: "This book is an absolute must for handmaidens who wish to start a good fire each morning." That's exactly what Spurgeon said about one commentary.

Introduction: Justice and Righteousness Are the Same

Weaver opens by reading Psalm 11:7 and explains that the Hebrew word for righteousness is the same as justice, establishing that whatever is just is right and vice versa.

So let's open our Bibles now, if you would please, to Psalm 11. Psalm 11, and right now we're just simply going to read verse 7, because we're dealing with biblical justice. And of course, the theme of this conference has already been spoken and read: "He has showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" So in Psalm 11, verse 7, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 11:7

"For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright."

Now, you might ask, what in the world does Psalm 11, verse 7 have to do with justice? Because in this verse, the psalmist is talking about righteousness. And I understand that. But you need to understand that justice and righteousness are the same. In fact, justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word, and it's translated in our Bibles as both righteousness and justice. You see, whatever is just is right, and whatever is right is just.

Justice and righteousness are one and the same. If there is no justice, there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness, there is no justice.

The Hebrew Word for Equity (Mishpat)

He introduces the word mishpat, translated as equity, and cites Psalm 98:9, Psalm 99:4, and Isaiah 11:4 to show that God judges with equity, which is right and equal for all.

Now, there's another Hebrew word that is used over and over in our Bibles, in fact, 200 times, and that is the word mishpat, which is translated in our Bibles as equity. Equity is that which is not only just, but is that which is right and equal as well. It is that which fits everyone. So I want you to turn in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 98, and let me show you several passages where this word is translated as equity. So in Psalm 98, verse 9, if you would look there, Psalm 98, verse 9, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 98:9

"Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity."

So with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity. Then if you look in Psalm 99, verse 4 again, "The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob." And then, of course, Isaiah 11, verse 4. There the word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 98:9

"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth."

"He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." So I want you to see tonight that God does indeed desire justice. God has a unique love for justice. God also demands justice, which we shall see later. But the Bible tells you in Psalm 89, verse 14 that "justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne."

God Loves Justice and Prefers It Over Sacrifice

Weaver argues from Psalm 89:14 and Deuteronomy 32:4 that God is just, and from Proverbs 21:3 and 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience and justice are more acceptable to God than sacrifice.

"Mercy and truth shall go before thy face." But notice he said, "justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne." God loves justice so much because God himself is just. One of the verses that you should automatically seek to remember is Deuteronomy 32, verse 4, where the Bible says that

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:4

"he is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

So God is a God of truth, and he is just and right. In fact, here's an interesting thing. Scripture teaches us that God prefers justice over sacrifice. God would rather have justice more than anything that you could ever give him. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 21, verse 3, "To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." Now, the word acceptable is the Hebrew word for "choose," and it literally means that God chooses justice over sacrifice and that justice is more excellent than sacrifice. So sacrifice, then, apart from and without justice is unacceptable. Sacrifice apart from obedience is unacceptable. So without the knowledge of God, and without the knowledge of His Word, and without obedience to His law, it is impossible to please Him. Because you're not certainly coming in faith, you're not believing Him, and without faith it's impossible to please Him as well. So the reason that you and I are accepted before God is because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ gave to the law a perfect obedience. And then he gave himself as the perfect, sinless sacrifice before God.

And thus his obedience and his righteousness are imputed to us as well. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, where Samuel said to Saul,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22

"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

Now listen to what he said.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22

"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams."

The fat of rams was the chiefest part of the sacrifice, and it was always given to God. So he said to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken, to listen to God, to hear God, to heed God, and obey God is better than the chiefest part of the sacrifice. It's better than the fat of the rams. Our Lord said it like this in Hosea 6, verse 6, "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." So God would rather have our obedience.

God would rather have our justice. And that is in acting in righteousness toward him than any of the sacrifice that we could ever give him.

Justice Defined: The Importance of Biblical Definitions

He stresses that without proper definitions, communication fails, and illustrates how liberals redefine terms. Biblical justice is based on God's eternal, fixed standard of righteousness.

Now, tonight, what I want to do is share with you three truths. First of all, justice defined. Without a proper definition of justice, without a proper definition of terms, it is impossible to communicate. Oftentimes, we communicate the wrong thoughts using the exact same words. Years ago, there was a nursery up the road from us, and it was owned by the McDonald family, and just everyone referred to it as McDonald's. My mother called me and asked if we could meet her for dinner. I said, "Sure." I said, "I tell you what, so that we won't get messed up, let's just meet at McDonald's." Well, I went to McDonald's nursery and I waited and I waited and I waited and I waited.

Finally, it dawned on me. My mother was at that McDonald's restaurant uptown waiting on us. So without a proper definition of terms, you really and truly cannot communicate. Liberals especially love to play games with words. For instance, if you were to ask a liberal, if you were to ask a modernist, if you were to ask a religious professor, does he really believe that Jesus is the Son of God? He would probably answer yes. And you would stand there kind of thinking, "Well, now wait a minute. I know this guy's a modernist. I know he's a liberal." You see what he's doing? He's playing with words, and he's playing games because his definition is not the same as your definition. Because when he says that he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he means that he believes that Jesus Christ is a son of God the way you and I are sons of God. He does not believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the Father.

And that word is monogenēs in the Greek. It means He's the only one of a kind. He's unique. There's no one like Him because He is indeed the God-man. He's the Theanthropos. So, what he's doing is playing with words. When the Bible says very plainly in 1 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 16, listen carefully:

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 3:16

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.

Now, I want to show you how important it is for you to define justice and for you to understand the definition of justice. Now, I'm an old man. And you might say I'm even kind of decrepit, but I can tell you I can do something that you probably will not believe that I can do. I can jump flat-footed with both feet on the ground straight up in the air 20 feet. You say, "You can't do that." Sure I can. I'll tell you something else I can do. I can lift a thousand pounds with one hand. You say, "You cannot do that." I can do that. In fact, I can even lift a thousand pounds with this bad hand, even with that arthritic finger. You say, "You're lying to me." No, I'm not lying. And I'm not exaggerating. I can jump 20 feet straight in the air, flat-footed, and I can lift a thousand pounds with one finger if you allow me to define a foot and a pound. Now, I'm not going to say a foot is 12 inches with my definition, nor am I going to say a pound is 16 ounces with my definition. As high as I can jump, that might be two inches, it might be six inches, but I'm going to define that as twenty feet. And I might can pick up a pound with this finger, but I can define it as a thousand pounds. You see what I'm saying?

As long as I can define my terms and make terms mean what I want them to mean, I can do whatever I want to do. I can be as holy as I want to be as long as I can define holiness. I can be as righteous as I want to be as long as I can define righteousness. I can be as just as I want to be as long as I can define justice. Definitions matter. If your definition is not God's definition, then you're just simply playing games, just like I played a game with you. Biblical justice is based on the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word. God is the only perfect, eternal, immovable standard of justice.

God creates and defines reality and gives meaning to everything. Reality is not what you think. Reality is what God declares. Reality is not what you wish. Reality is what God declares. Reality is not what you determine. Reality is determined by God. Equally true is the fact that God and His law are the standards for justice. Now listen carefully. Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice. Because God is absolute truth. His Word is absolute truth. And any time that you try to come up with a definition in your mind of what you think justice is and what you think righteousness is, you're just playing games.

Humanistic Justice vs. Biblical Justice: The Law of Restitution

Using Exodus 22:1-3, Weaver contrasts biblical restitution (fourfold, fivefold, or double) with modern humanistic justice, showing that biblical law makes crime unprofitable and holds offenders accountable.

How many people are they really rehabilitating? I passed by a prison detail in Indiana, and all of these inmates were working beside the road and on their shirts, "Indiana Department of Corrections." I told my wife, "I sure would love to stop and ask the officer there, how many are they really correcting?" I mean, stop and think about this now. Let me show you what I'm talking about when I refer to a difference between biblical justice and humanistic justice. OK, look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Exodus, chapter 22. Exodus, chapter 22. Look at this. Here's a tremendous passage. This whole chapter really deals with the law of restitution. And when you look in Exodus chapter 22, verse 1, the Bible says, "If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep."

"If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft." So I want you to note here is theft. God says, "Thou shalt not steal." So here's a man stealing an ox. Here's a man stealing a sheep. And by the way, I want you to note the ratio. The ratio God says you restore, what is it? Four sheep for a sheep? Five oxen for an ox? Well, there's also a double restitution in the Bible, which we just read about. There's also a seven-fold restitution mentioned in the book of Proverbs, chapter 30. Why is this restitution different? Well, stop and think about a sheep.

I mean, you can use the wool for clothing. You can eat the meat. I mean, the animal produces. That's good, yeah. But now when you look at an ox, you can only have meat, you can only have his hide that you can use, but he's an animal that works and you can produce with this animal. Not just by breeding the animal, but by actually working the animal. So let me try to put it to you in a good illustration that you can understand. So here you have a car that you only drive say once a week, once every two weeks, something like that.

But gentlemen, listen, now you've got a work truck and you've got all your tools in your work truck, whether you're a plumber or carpenter or electrician, it doesn't matter. You've got this nice truck and you've got it all loaded with your tools. Now, here's my question. If somebody's going to come to your house and steal either your car or your truck, which do you prefer that he steals? The car that you only drive once or twice every week or two, or the truck that you work with every day and has all of your materials in it. Obviously, that truck is worth far more than your car and the tools in that truck are worth far more.

So God is saying here, the ratio for sheep, four sheep for a sheep, five oxen for an ox, and the ratio of restitution is dependent upon the worth and the value of that which is stolen. Now, if a man stole and he got caught before he could kill it or dispose of it, then he only had to restore twofold. Because the owner was inconvenienced, he was not really lost anything. You've heard that old expression, "Crime doesn't pay." That's only true in biblical justice and biblical law. The reason there's so much crime today is because it does pay. According to humanistic law. OK. Let me show you. We're talking about justice. I said there's no justice like God's justice. So here we go. Here's your work truck.

You drive it every day. You have all your tools in it. And someone comes along and decides they're going to take it. And they get in that truck and they hot wire it and drive it away. You wake up the next morning to go to work and your truck is gone and your tools are gone. And the next thing you know, you hear something on the radio about there's a chase going on and the cops are chasing this truck and tools are being thrown everywhere. Wow. And you run in and turn the news on and it's your truck. And your tools go on by the road. Come to find out the man who stole your truck was a drunk or a dopehead, and he's high as a kite. And the cops are chasing him, and at breakneck speed, and he goes around a curve, and he loses control and wraps your truck around a tree, totaling it. And the cops pull up on the man and of course he's high as a kite or drunk and he's not hurt.

So he comes out and says, "You caught me," and laughs. Now, wait a minute. Let's see if we can work this out. You've been ripped off one time because your truck has been stolen. You get ripped off a second time because even if you have insurance, your rates are now going to go up. You get ripped off a third time because this man is now arrested and thrown in jail. And guess what? Your tax dollars are at work. You get ripped off a fourth time because he can't afford an attorney and therefore one's going to be appointed to him. At your tax dollars. And so now the attorney

represents him, collects his money. The man is convicted, thrown into prison. Guess what? Now you get ripped off again because now you get to support him for years while he's in prison. And you actually get to support him while he's learning how to be a better thief because he's now communicating with others who are far more progressed in thievery than he is. Ah, guess what? If he stole that truck and he got caught before he's two blocks down the road, God says he owes you two trucks. So if your truck was worth $20,000, that means that man now owes you $40,000. Hmm.

Well, you say, "Brother Weaver, but you know how these people are. They don't ever have any money. They don't ever have anything. You know, I'm just out." No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He still owes you $40,000. Let's see what the Bible said.

Now, wait a minute now. Let's see, verse 3. "If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft." What's that mean? It means he becomes a slave. He becomes your servant until he works out $40,000. Wait a minute. Now, let's think this thing through. If a man knew that if he got caught, he's going to pay two, four, or five times what he stole, do you think that would make him think twice before he stole? And then if he doesn't have any money, he is sold as a servant, as a slave until he works it out. He may be sold to you, but he has to work it out. You know, nothing's going to stop him from running away. He's going to leave me hanging in the bag and holding the bag. Really? Read Deuteronomy 17. Go there. Look in Deuteronomy 17, because now there has been a biblical court of law. And look what the Bible says about anyone who refuses to obey the court of law.

Look at it. Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 11.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:11-12

"According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel."

So let me ask you, if you follow biblical law and biblical justice is executed, does crime pay? No. But if you follow humanistic law, crime does pay.

Justice Demanded: Consequences of Forsaking God's Standard

From Proverbs 1:1-4 and Isaiah 59, he shows that God demands justice and that when a nation forsakes God's law, chaos, violence, and loss of blessing follow, as seen in 2 Chronicles 15.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs chapter 1. Here's an interesting thought concerning the book of Proverbs. If I were to ask you to name the political books of the Bible, you could probably do so. And Proverbs is one of those political books. But the book of Proverbs is more than a political book. It is a book on justice and equity. So look in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 1, beginning there with verse 1. Look what he said.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 1:1-4

"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion."

Did you see that? God says this book of Proverbs is designed to give you justice and judgment and equity. I suppose one of the clearest passages on God's justice is found in Isaiah 59. I want you to turn there too.

I want you to look at this. Isaiah 59, and let's begin reading there with verse 1, Isaiah 59, verse 1. Here's a passage that most of you are very familiar with, or at least the first part of it. So notice Isaiah 59, verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:1-15

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." "For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper."

"Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths." I want you to think what has been happening in this country in the last several years as you read this. "The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes."

"We stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." "Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment." Do you realize what he's saying? When we forsake God and His standard, there's nothing but chaos and confusion. There's nothing but violence. There's nothing but wickedness. There's nothing but transgression. Look at our country. Look at where we are. I usually tell people I am not a communist. I have no sympathy with communism whatsoever, but there is one communist that said something that I agree with. It was Gus Hall.

He said the reason we refer to our court system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls. And that's just about the truth. That's just about the truth. Now, what I want you to do is this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 15, because I want you to see what happened then is happening exactly the same today. Look at it. You see, it's not just the fact that we transgress. It's not just the fact that we sin against God. It's not just the fact that we reap what we sow. One of the worst curses in all of this is that we lose the blessings of God. What did He say?

"My ear is not heavy that I cannot hear. My hand is not shortened that I cannot save. I can do that. It's your sins. It's your iniquities. You're the ones that left me. You're the ones that turned from justice and righteousness." So, in all this we lose God's blessings.

Now, look in 2 Chronicles chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Think about what has happened in this country. Think about this now. Here we go. "And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him." "And if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." Now, look at this. "Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." How could Israel have been without the true God? Because they didn't have God's law, they didn't have God's standard. Now, watch verse 4, "But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in."

"But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity." Isn't that amazing? In those times, there was no peace to him that went out or came in, great vexations. And God did vex them with adversities. Look at everything we're going through. And you wonder why? And the answer is because we've sinned against God.

There is no justice, not his justice. There is no righteousness. So justice is normally defined. Justice is demanded. And here's the third thing I want you to see. Justice is desired. I want you to go back to our text. In Psalm 11. And I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 7 again. Psalm 11, verse 7. Look at this. Psalm 11, verse 7. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness."

Justice Desired: God Loves the Upright and Hates the Wicked

Returning to Psalm 11:7, Weaver explains that God delights in the upright because they reflect His nature, while He hates the wicked. He challenges hearers to desire God's favor rather than His wrath.

"His countenance doth behold the upright." For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. If God, who is perfect in righteousness and holiness and justice, loves it, and we desire to be like him, since he is our Father, we too must love righteousness and justice. Now I want you to look at this. Look at verse 7 again. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness," he loveth justice. "His countenance doth behold the upright." The upright are those who are straight, upright, pleasing, righteous, and just. He beholds them with delight. Why? Because they are a reflection of His own nature. They are a reflection of His Word. He observes them. He approves them. He delights in them. He sees His own image in them.

He looks upon them with the eye of approbation and blessing and with tender affection. His eye, His countenance doth behold the upright. So God takes pleasure in those who are just and righteous and upright. Now, you must also consider the opposite. You must remember every positive has a negative, every negative has a positive. So then, if God is pleased with those who are upright, that means that He must be displeased with those who are not upright. If God is pleased with those who are just, it means He is displeased with those who are unjust. So, let's look in Psalm 11, beginning there with verse 4. Look what the Bible says.

"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright."

So, here's a good question. Which do you desire? To be loved by the Lord or hated by the Lord? Which do you desire? His favor or His wrath and vengeance? Which do you desire? For Him to look upon you with blessing, or for Him to look upon you with curses? Because the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. He loveth justice. I want you to go in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 33, if you would, please. Isaiah 33. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 5. Isaiah 33. Look, if you would, at verse 5. "The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure." Notice, he said, "and wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times." Without wisdom, without knowledge, without righteousness, without justice, there is no stability. Biblical justice is based upon the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God.

Applications: Man Despises Biblical Justice; God Requires Us to Do Justly

He concludes with two applications: fallen man despises God's justice because he wants to define it himself, but God requires each person to do justly by conforming to His law and walking humbly with Him.

Biblical justice is defined by God and God alone, and it will be ultimately rendered by God to each man after death. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. He said that everyone may receive the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad, that is good or worthless. I want you to turn one more passage, if you would, one more, Romans chapter 2, because I want to make a couple of applications. Here's the first one. Man, by nature, despises biblical justice. Why? Because he wants to be the determiner of what justice is. He wants to set his own standard. He wants to set his own definitions so that he can be as just, as righteous, as he wishes to be.

If he can define it, he can do it. There's a vast difference between biblical righteousness and humanistic righteousness. And humanistic righteousness is loved by the fallen man because he is the originator of humanistic righteousness and justice, and he is also the executioner of humanistic righteousness and justice. So in Romans chapter 2, look at it beginning there with verse 1. "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according

to his deeds." God is ultimately going to give absolute justice to each one. That is why I'm so thankful I'm in Jesus Christ, because the justice of God fell on the Lord Jesus Christ. Years ago, I was preaching in Illinois. And there was a young Mormon boy who came every night to the meeting. But last night, he came up to me and he asked me a question. He said, "I'll ask you one thing, preacher." I said, "Ask away." He said, "Is not God just?" I said, "Absolutely." He said, "Well, all I want from God is justice." I said, "Son, that's exactly what God is going to give you."

But when you get it, you'll wish you had mercy. God is just. Here's the second application. God requires each of us to do justly. How in the world do we live justly? And that is we live justly by bringing our lives in conformity to his law, applying the principles of justice in our lives and demonstrating those principles in obedience toward God and toward others. And then you have to ask yourself this question, what does God require? And here's the answer.

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Justice is defined by God alone, for He is the just God. And I will tell you this, if whatever you do, whatever you think is not in conformity with the Word of God, it is wicked. It is unjust. It is unrighteous. God requires obedience. And God requires that we walk humbly with Him. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night. We thank You for Your Word. And Lord, we live in such a day and time when there is such injustice or just simply no justice. And Lord, we need to cry out to Thee for justice. Only You can right so many of these wicked wrongs. Political wrongs. National wrongs. Societal wrongs. Judicial wrongs. Lord, only You can right them. And I pray, Father, that You would help us to see Your divine justice as well as Your divine mercy. We ask for your grace, and through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Justice and Righteousness Are Identical

Summary: The Hebrew word for righteousness is the same as justice; therefore, whatever is just is right, and whatever is right is just.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word, and it's translated in our Bibles as both righteousness and justice.'

God's Character as the Standard of Justice

Summary: God is perfectly just and righteous; His throne is founded on justice and judgment, and He is the only fixed standard for justice.

Evidence: He cites Psalm 89:14: 'justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne' and Deuteronomy 32:4: 'just and right is he.'

Obedience Over Sacrifice

Summary: God prefers justice and obedience over ritual sacrifice; without obedience, sacrifice is unacceptable.

Evidence: Proverbs 21:3: 'To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.'

The Necessity of Biblical Definitions

Summary: Without God's definitions, communication fails and people deceive themselves; biblical justice is based on God's revealed Word, not human opinion.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates with the McDonald's story and the liberal redefinition of 'Son of God,' then states, 'Biblical justice is based on the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word.'

Biblical Restitution vs. Humanistic Punishment

Summary: God's law requires proportional restitution that makes crime unprofitable, unlike modern systems that burden victims and taxpayers.

Evidence: Exodus 22:1-3 shows five oxen for an ox, four sheep for a sheep; if the thief cannot pay, he is sold into servitude until restitution is made.

National Consequences of Forsaking Justice

Summary: When a nation abandons God's law and justice, it experiences chaos, violence, and divine vexation, as seen in Isaiah 59 and 2 Chronicles 15.

Evidence: Isaiah 59:8-15 describes a society without justice; 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 shows Israel without the true God, law, or peace.

God's Delight in the Upright and Hatred of the Wicked

Summary: God loves those who practice righteousness and justice, but His soul hates the wicked and those who love violence.

Evidence: Psalm 11:5-7: 'the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth... the righteous Lord loveth righteousness.'

Man's Rebellion Against God's Justice

Summary: Fallen man despises biblical justice because he wants to define it himself; humanistic justice is self-serving and ultimately leads to God's judgment.

Evidence: Romans 2:1-6 warns against judging others while doing the same things, and Weaver says, 'Man, by nature, despises biblical justice.'

Key Arguments

Justice and righteousness are the same concept in Scripture.

Summary: The Hebrew word for righteousness is also translated justice, so they are inseparable; one cannot exist without the other.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word... If there is no justice, there is no righteousness.'

God's justice is the only true standard; human definitions are vain.

Summary: Any definition of justice apart from God's character and Word is vanity and leads to self-deception.

Evidence: He states, 'Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice... any pretended justice... is nothing more than vanity.'

Biblical law requires proportional restitution, making crime unprofitable.

Summary: God's law mandates restitution multiples based on the value of what was stolen, and if the thief cannot pay, he must work off the debt, deterring crime.

Evidence: Exodus 22:1-3 and Deuteronomy 17:11-12 show restitution and the death penalty for presumptuous disobedience.

Humanistic justice fails because it does not hold offenders fully accountable.

Summary: Modern justice systems burden victims and society while failing to rehabilitate or deter criminals, unlike biblical justice.

Evidence: Weaver describes the cycle of victimization: theft, insurance hikes, tax-funded incarceration, and prison as 'school for crime.'

National apostasy from God's law results in societal breakdown.

Summary: When a nation rejects God's justice, it loses peace, stability, and blessing, experiencing divine vexation.

Evidence: Isaiah 59 describes a society without justice; 2 Chronicles 15:5-6 says 'in those times there was no peace... God did vex them with all adversity.'

God loves the just and hates the wicked, so we must choose whom we will please.

Summary: God's countenance beholds the upright with delight, but His soul hates the wicked; we must desire His favor by practicing justice.

Evidence: Psalm 11:5-7 contrasts God's love for righteousness with His hatred of the wicked.

Ultimate justice will be rendered by God at the judgment seat of Christ.

Summary: Every person will give account to God, who will render to each according to his deeds; only in Christ is justice satisfied through His sacrifice.

Evidence: Romans 2:6: 'Who will render to every man according to his deeds,' and Weaver's story of the Mormon boy seeking justice.

Believers are called to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Summary: The requirement of Micah 6:8 is to bring our lives into conformity with God's law, demonstrating justice in obedience to God and toward others.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'God requires each of us to do justly... by bringing our lives in conformity to his law.'

Scripture References

Psalm 11:7

Context: The foundational text: 'For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.' Weaver uses it to show God's love for justice.

Psalm 98:9

Context: Cited to show that God judges the world with righteousness and the people with equity.

Psalm 99:4

Context: Shows that God establishes equity and executes judgment and righteousness.

Isaiah 11:4

Context: Prophecy of the Messiah judging the poor with righteousness and reproving with equity.

Psalm 89:14

Context: Justice and judgment are the habitation of God's throne.

Deuteronomy 32:4

Context: God is the Rock, His work is perfect, all His ways are judgment, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right.

Proverbs 21:3

Context: To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:22

Context: Obedience is better than sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams.

Hosea 6:6

Context: God desires mercy and knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

1 Timothy 3:16

Context: Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, used to illustrate the importance of correct definitions about Christ's deity.

Psalm 94:11

Context: The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Psalm 119:113

Context: David hated vain thoughts but loved God's law.

Jeremiah 4:14

Context: God calls Jerusalem to wash its heart from wickedness and not let vain thoughts lodge within.

Exodus 22:1-3

Context: The law of restitution: stealing an ox requires fivefold restitution, a sheep fourfold; if the thief cannot pay, he is sold for his theft.

Deuteronomy 17:11-12

Context: The man who presumptuously disobeys the judgment of the priest or judge shall be put to death.

Psalm 45:6-7

Context: The Messiah's throne is forever; He loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

Matthew 12:36

Context: Every idle word men speak they will give account for in the day of judgment.

Romans 14:12

Context: Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Proverbs 1:1-4

Context: The proverbs of Solomon are to give instruction in wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity.

Isaiah 59:1-15

Context: A passage describing a society where justice is far off, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter because of sin.

Historical References

Charles Spurgeon's 'Commenting on Commentaries'

Context: Weaver mentions Spurgeon's humorous remark about a commentary being good for starting fires.

Gus Hall, American communist leader

Context: Weaver quotes Hall's cynical remark that courts are called 'halls of justice' because the only justice is in the halls.

Colonial charters and constitutions requiring Christian faith for office

Context: Weaver notes that original colonial charters often required confession of faith in Christ and the inspiration of Scripture, with Massachusetts basing laws on Moses.

Important Quotes

justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word, and it's translated in our Bibles as both righteousness and justice.

Significance: Establishes the foundational premise that justice and righteousness are identical in Scripture.

Biblical justice is based on the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word.

Significance: Defines the source and nature of true justice as opposed to humanistic definitions.

To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Significance: Highlights God's preference for justice and obedience over ritual offerings.

Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice.

Significance: Emphasizes the exclusivity of God as the source of justice.

The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Significance: The key verse showing God's delight in those who practice justice.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Significance: The conference theme and concluding call to action.

the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Significance: Contrasts God's love for the upright with His hatred of the wicked.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding that justice and righteousness are the same Hebrew word change your view of what it means to 'do justly'?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the Hebrew word for righteousness is also translated justice, making them inseparable.

In what ways do modern justice systems reflect humanistic rather than biblical principles, and what would a biblical approach to restitution look like today?

Context: Weaver contrasts biblical restitution (Exodus 22) with modern incarceration, highlighting how crime pays under humanistic law.

Why is it dangerous to allow individuals or society to define justice apart from God's Word?

Context: Weaver warns that without God's definitions, people deceive themselves and can justify any behavior.

How does the truth that God 'loveth righteousness' and 'hateth the wicked' challenge or comfort you personally?

Context: Psalm 11:5-7 shows God's disposition toward the just and the unjust.

What are some practical ways we can 'do justly' in our daily lives, families, and communities?

Context: Weaver concludes with the application from Micah 6:8 to bring our lives into conformity with God's law.

How does the gospel satisfy both God's justice and His mercy?

Context: Weaver mentions that God's justice fell on Christ, allowing believers to receive mercy instead of the justice they deserve.

What evidence do you see in our nation that parallels the description in Isaiah 59 of a society where justice is far off?

Context: Isaiah 59 describes a culture of lies, violence, and lack of justice; Weaver applies this to contemporary America.

Why does God prefer obedience and justice over religious sacrifice, and how should that shape our worship?

Context: Proverbs 21:3 and 1 Samuel 15:22 teach that God values justice and obedience above ritual offerings.

Applications

Define justice biblically, not culturally.

Summary: Believers must reject humanistic definitions of justice and align their understanding with God's character and Word.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If your definition is not God's definition, then you're just simply playing games.'

Practice personal accountability and restitution.

Summary: When we wrong others, we should seek to make things right according to biblical principles of restitution, not merely avoid punishment.

Evidence: Exodus 22 shows that thieves must restore multiple times what they stole; accountability is required.

Love justice as God loves it.

Summary: Since God loves righteousness and justice, His children should cultivate a love for what is just and hate wickedness.

Evidence: Psalm 11:7: 'the righteous Lord loveth righteousness'; Weaver says, 'we too must love righteousness and justice.'

Obey God rather than offering empty religious activity.

Summary: God desires obedience and justice more than sacrifice; our worship is unacceptable if we neglect justice.

Evidence: Proverbs 21:3 and 1 Samuel 15:22 show that obedience is better than sacrifice.

Walk humbly with God in all areas of life.

Summary: Doing justly is inseparable from loving mercy and walking humbly with God; humility acknowledges God's standard over our own.

Evidence: Micah 6:8 is the conference theme; Weaver concludes by calling for humble obedience.

Trust in Christ's satisfaction of divine justice.

Summary: Because God's justice fell on Christ, believers can receive mercy; we should rest in His finished work rather than fear condemnation.

Evidence: Weaver tells the Mormon boy, 'when you get it, you'll wish you had mercy,' and explains that Christ bore God's justice.

Advocate for biblical principles in society.

Summary: While ultimate justice awaits God's judgment, believers should promote God's standards of justice in their communities and nation.

Evidence: Weaver laments the lack of justice in modern courts and cites colonial charters that based laws on Scripture.

Examine your heart for vain thoughts and rebellion.

Summary: Any thought or definition of justice that exalts itself against God's Word is vanity; we must repent of such rebellion.

Evidence: Jeremiah 4:14: 'How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T18:35:48Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T20:45:05Z

Clean Transcript

God’s Definition, Love, and Demand For Justice

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

All right. It's good to see each one here, and it's certainly good to be back. And I have two things. Number one, when I received the topics and the assignments, I said to myself, "Tim Yarbrough did this." I knew it. I knew it. And Pastor Mooney did not quite go as far as Charles had in Spurgeon. Spurgeon has a book commenting on commentaries. And one of his comments was concerning one book: "This book is an absolute must for handmaidens who wish to start a good fire each morning." That's exactly what Spurgeon said about one commentary.
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So let's open our Bibles now, if you would please, to Psalm 11. Psalm 11, and right now we're just simply going to read verse 7, because we're dealing with biblical justice. And of course, the theme of this conference has already been spoken and read: "He has showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" So in Psalm 11, verse 7, the Bible says, "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." Now, you might ask, what in the world does Psalm 11, verse 7 have to do with justice? Because in this verse, the psalmist is talking about righteousness. And I understand that. But you need to understand that justice and righteousness are the same. In fact, justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word, and it's translated in our Bibles as both righteousness and justice. You see, whatever is just is right, and whatever is right is just.
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Justice and righteousness are one and the same. If there is no justice, there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness, there is no justice.
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Now, there's another Hebrew word that is used over and over in our Bibles, in fact, 200 times, and that is the word mishpat, which is translated in our Bibles as equity. Equity is that which is not only just, but is that which is right and equal as well. It is that which fits everyone. So I want you to turn in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 98, and let me show you several passages where this word is translated as equity. So in Psalm 98, verse 9, if you would look there, Psalm 98, verse 9, the Bible says this: "Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." So with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity. Then if you look in Psalm 99, verse 4 again, "The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob." And then, of course, Isaiah 11, verse 4. There the word of God says, "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth."
#4 | 2:15 to 3:36 | cleaned
"He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." So I want you to see tonight that God does indeed desire justice. God has a unique love for justice. God also demands justice, which we shall see later. But the Bible tells you in Psalm 89, verse 14 that "justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne."
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"Mercy and truth shall go before thy face." But notice he said, "justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne." God loves justice so much because God himself is just. One of the verses that you should automatically seek to remember is Deuteronomy 32, verse 4, where the Bible says that "he is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." So God is a God of truth, and he is just and right.
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In fact, here's an interesting thing. Scripture teaches us that God prefers justice over sacrifice. God would rather have justice more than anything that you could ever give him. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 21, verse 3, "To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." Now, the word acceptable is the Hebrew word for "choose," and it literally means that God chooses justice over sacrifice and that justice is more excellent than sacrifice. So sacrifice, then, apart from and without justice is unacceptable. Sacrifice apart from obedience is unacceptable. So without the knowledge of God, and without the knowledge of His Word, and without obedience to His law, it is impossible to please Him. Because you're not certainly coming in faith, you're not believing Him, and without faith it's impossible to please Him as well. So the reason that you and I are accepted before God is because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ gave to the law a perfect obedience. And then he gave himself as the perfect, sinless sacrifice before God.
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And thus his obedience and his righteousness are imputed to us as well. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, where Samuel said to Saul, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." Now listen to what he said. "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams." The fat of rams was the chiefest part of the sacrifice, and it was always given to God. So he said to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken, to listen to God, to hear God, to heed God, and obey God is better than the chiefest part of the sacrifice. It's better than the fat of the rams. Our Lord said it like this in Hosea 6, verse 6, "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." So God would rather have our obedience.
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God would rather have our justice. And that is in acting in righteousness toward him than any of the sacrifice that we could ever give him.
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Now, tonight, what I want to do is share with you three truths. First of all, justice defined. Without a proper definition of justice, without a proper definition of terms, it is impossible to communicate. Oftentimes, we communicate the wrong thoughts using the exact same words. Years ago, there was a nursery up the road from us, and it was owned by the McDonald family, and just everyone referred to it as McDonald's.
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My mother called me and asked if we could meet her for dinner. I said, "Sure." I said, "I tell you what, so that we won't get messed up, let's just meet at McDonald's." Well, I went to McDonald's nursery and I waited and I waited and I waited and I waited.
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Finally, it dawned on me. My mother was at that McDonald's restaurant uptown waiting on us. So without a proper definition of terms, you really and truly cannot communicate. Liberals especially love to play games with words. For instance, if you were to ask a liberal, if you were to ask a modernist, if you were to ask a religious professor, does he really believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
#12 | 8:15 to 8:45 | cleaned
He would probably answer yes. And you would stand there kind of thinking, "Well, now wait a minute. I know this guy's a modernist. I know he's a liberal." You see what he's doing? He's playing with words, and he's playing games because his definition is not the same as your definition. Because when he says that he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he means that he believes that Jesus Christ is a son of God the way you and I are sons of God. He does not believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the Father.
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And that word is monogenēs in the Greek. It means He's the only one of a kind. He's unique. There's no one like Him because He is indeed the God-man. He's the Theanthropos. So, what he's doing is playing with words. When the Bible says very plainly in 1 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 16, listen carefully: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
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Now, I want to show you how important it is for you to define justice and for you to understand the definition of justice. Now, I'm an old man. And you might say I'm even kind of decrepit, but I can tell you I can do something that you probably will not believe that I can do. I can jump flat-footed with both feet on the ground straight up in the air 20 feet. You say, "You can't do that." Sure I can. I'll tell you something else I can do.
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I can lift a thousand pounds with one hand. You say, "You cannot do that." I can do that. In fact, I can even lift a thousand pounds with this bad hand, even with that arthritic finger. You say, "You're lying to me." No, I'm not lying. And I'm not exaggerating. I can jump 20 feet straight in the air, flat-footed, and I can lift a thousand pounds with one finger if you allow me to define a foot and a pound. Now, I'm not going to say a foot is 12 inches with my definition, nor am I going to say a pound is 16 ounces with my definition. As high as I can jump, that might be two inches, it might be six inches, but I'm going to define that as twenty feet. And I might can pick up a pound with this finger, but I can define it as a thousand pounds. You see what I'm saying?
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As long as I can define my terms and make terms mean what I want them to mean, I can do whatever I want to do. I can be as holy as I want to be as long as I can define holiness. I can be as righteous as I want to be as long as I can define righteousness. I can be as just as I want to be as long as I can define justice. Definitions matter. If your definition is not God's definition, then you're just simply playing games, just like I played a game with you. Biblical justice is based on the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word. God is the only perfect, eternal, immovable standard of justice.
#17 | 11:45 to 12:42 | cleaned
God creates and defines reality and gives meaning to everything. Reality is not what you think. Reality is what God declares. Reality is not what you wish. Reality is what God declares. Reality is not what you determine. Reality is determined by God. Equally true is the fact that God and His law are the standards for justice. Now listen carefully. Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice. Because God is absolute truth. His Word is absolute truth. And any time that you try to come up with a definition in your mind of what you think justice is and what you think righteousness is, you're just playing games.
#18 | 12:44 to 13:40 | cleaned
But the Bible says it like this in Psalm 94, verse 11: "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity." That is, they're useless. They're worthless. David said in Psalm 119, verse 113, "I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love." Have you ever had a vain thought? I can assure you, you have. I've had vain thoughts today, worthless, useless, frivolous, and you have to confess them and say, "Lord, I don't want that. I refuse that. I repudiate that. I hate vain thoughts."
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And then in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 4, verse 14, God said, "O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?" Do you realize that any time you and I begin to try to define reality in our terms, it's nothing more than vain thoughts because God is the only source of righteousness and justice. And therefore, any pretended justice and any pretended righteousness on our part is nothing more than vanity because it's not in conformity to God and it's not in conformity to his word. It's false and it's vain.
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So let me put it to you like this. Our fundamental problem is rebellion. It's rebellion against God. It's rebellion against God's law. And it's rebellion toward his righteousness and toward his judgment. We don't tend to think usually in terms of God's justice. But what we must do is be able to distinguish between biblical justice and humanistic justice. All you have to do is look around today. Look at the Department of Justice. And there is no justice, but it's called the Department of Justice. It's kind of like all the rehabilitation centers that you see.
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How many people are they really rehabilitating? I passed by a prison detail in Indiana, and all of these inmates were working beside the road and on their shirts, "Indiana Department of Corrections." I told my wife, "I sure would love to stop and ask the officer there, how many are they really correcting?" I mean, stop and think about this now. Let me show you what I'm talking about when I refer to a difference between biblical justice and humanistic justice.
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OK, look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Exodus, chapter 22. Exodus, chapter 22. Look at this. Here's a tremendous passage. This whole chapter really deals with the law of restitution. And when you look in Exodus chapter 22, verse 1, the Bible says, "If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep."
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"If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft." So I want you to note here is theft. God says, "Thou shalt not steal."
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So here's a man stealing an ox. Here's a man stealing a sheep. And by the way, I want you to note the ratio. The ratio God says you restore, what is it? Four sheep for a sheep? Five oxen for an ox? Well, there's also a double restitution in the Bible, which we just read about. There's also a seven-fold restitution mentioned in the book of Proverbs, chapter 30. Why is this restitution different? Well, stop and think about a sheep.
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I mean, you can use the wool for clothing. You can eat the meat. I mean, the animal produces. That's good, yeah. But now when you look at an ox, you can only have meat, you can only have his hide that you can use, but he's an animal that works and you can produce with this animal. Not just by breeding the animal, but by actually working the animal. So let me try to put it to you in a good illustration that you can understand. So here you have a car that you only drive say once a week, once every two weeks, something like that.
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But gentlemen, listen, now you've got a work truck and you've got all your tools in your work truck, whether you're a plumber or carpenter or electrician, it doesn't matter. You've got this nice truck and you've got it all loaded with your tools. Now, here's my question. If somebody's going to come to your house and steal either your car or your truck, which do you prefer that he steals? The car that you only drive once or twice every week or two, or the truck that you work with every day and has all of your materials in it. Obviously, that truck is worth far more than your car and the tools in that truck are worth far more.
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So God is saying here, the ratio for sheep, four sheep for a sheep, five oxen for an ox, and the ratio of restitution is dependent upon the worth and the value of that which is stolen.
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Now, if a man stole and he got caught before he could kill it or dispose of it, then he only had to restore twofold. Because the owner was inconvenienced, he was not really lost anything. You've heard that old expression, "Crime doesn't pay." That's only true in biblical justice and biblical law. The reason there's so much crime today is because it does pay. According to humanistic law. OK. Let me show you. We're talking about justice. I said there's no justice like God's justice. So here we go. Here's your work truck.
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You drive it every day. You have all your tools in it. And someone comes along and decides they're going to take it. And they get in that truck and they hot wire it and drive it away. You wake up the next morning to go to work and your truck is gone and your tools are gone. And the next thing you know, you hear something on the radio about there's a chase going on and the cops are chasing this truck and tools are being thrown everywhere. Wow. And you run in and turn the news on and it's your truck. And your tools go on by the road. Come to find out the man who stole your truck was a drunk or a dopehead, and he's high as a kite. And the cops are chasing him, and at breakneck speed, and he goes around a curve, and he loses control and wraps your truck around a tree, totaling it. And the cops pull up on the man and of course he's high as a kite or drunk and he's not hurt.
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So he comes out and says, "You caught me," and laughs. Now, wait a minute. Let's see if we can work this out. You've been ripped off one time because your truck has been stolen. You get ripped off a second time because even if you have insurance, your rates are now going to go up. You get ripped off a third time because this man is now arrested and thrown in jail. And guess what? Your tax dollars are at work. You get ripped off a fourth time because he can't afford an attorney and therefore one's going to be appointed to him. At your tax dollars. And so now the attorney
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represents him, collects his money. The man is convicted, thrown into prison. Guess what?
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Now you get ripped off again because now you get to support him for years while he's in prison. And you actually get to support him while he's learning how to be a better thief because he's now communicating with others who are far more progressed in thievery than he is. Ah, guess what? If he stole that truck and he got caught before he's two blocks down the road, God says he owes you two trucks. So if your truck was worth $20,000, that means that man now owes you $40,000. Hmm.
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Well, you say, "Brother Weaver, but you know how these people are. They don't ever have any money. They don't ever have anything. You know, I'm just out." No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He still owes you $40,000. Let's see what the Bible said.
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Now, wait a minute now. Let's see, verse 3. "If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft." What's that mean? It means he becomes a slave. He becomes your servant until he works out $40,000. Wait a minute. Now, let's think this thing through. If a man knew that if he got caught, he's going to pay two, four, or five times what he stole, do you think that would make him think twice before he stole? And then if he doesn't have any money, he is sold as a servant, as a slave until he works it out. He may be sold to you, but he has to work it out. You know, nothing's going to stop him from running away. He's going to leave me hanging in the bag and holding the bag. Really? Read Deuteronomy 17. Go there. Look in Deuteronomy 17, because now there has been a biblical court of law. And look what the Bible says about anyone who refuses to obey the court of law.
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Look at it. Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 11. "According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel." So let me ask you, if you follow biblical law and biblical justice is executed, does crime pay? No. But if you follow humanistic law, crime does pay.
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Do you realize if you will read the original charters and constitutions of the colonies, they will always say something like this: that no one can hold public office unless he confesses faith in Jesus Christ and in the inspiration of both the Old and the New Testaments, and many go as far as Massachusetts did when they said the laws of this colony are the laws of God as given through Moses. Wow. Wow. Hmm.
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The point I'm trying to make is what you do today is you take a man and throw him in prison, separating from his family, put him around men who are more wicked than himself and put him at everyone else's expense. I have a friend who was in a Muslim country and he said, "Yes, they do have prisons." He said, "But you know what? If you get thrown in prison in a Muslim country, if your family does not feed you, you starve, you die. They don't pay. They don't feed you. You just die." Now, the point I'm trying to make is this.
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Here's the difference between biblical justice and humanistic justice. Justice is that which is done in agreement with and accord with the nature of God and the revealed Word of God. For instance, if you look in your Bible, to Psalm 45, look at verses 6 and 7. Psalm 45, verses 6 and 7. Here, of course, we're talking really about the Messiah. Notice, if you would, Psalm 45, verse 6, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre."
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"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Now, notice if you would, verse 7, "Thou lovest righteousness." The word righteousness there is the same exact word for justice. "Thou lovest justice and hatest wickedness." Wow! To love justice is to hate wickedness. To love justice is to love righteousness. Biblical justice involves equity. In other words, once you understand that, and once you grasp equity, it means this, that each one is answerable and accountable for their actions, for their sins, for their rebellions, for their transgressions. Biblical law holds everyone accountable. Oh, let's see. If I remember correctly, our Lord in Matthew 12, verse 36 said it like this: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." You are accountable. In Romans 14, verse 12, the word of God said, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."
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Let this sink in. You are accountable. For everything that you say, everything that you do, justice demands accountability. The problem is most people do not want to be accountable. We don't want to be men of our word. If we mess up, we don't want to fess up. If we do wrong, we do not want to repent. We do not want others to know that we've done wrong. We have to understand that biblical justice requires personal accountability. God does hold us accountable. Biblical justice is distinct from humanistic justice. Because in biblical justice, we follow God's righteousness and not necessarily the righteousness of man. Therefore, when you and I act justly, we may have to go over the dictionary definition of justice. We may even have to go over and above the legal definition of justice because what we want is biblical justice. So justice is defined by God, it is his standard here. Secondly, I want you to see justice demanded. It may surprise you that God demands justice.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs chapter 1. Here's an interesting thought concerning the book of Proverbs. If I were to ask you to name the political books of the Bible, you could probably do so. And Proverbs is one of those political books. But the book of Proverbs is more than a political book. It is a book on justice and equity. So look in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 1, beginning there with verse 1. Look what he said. "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion." Did you see that? God says this book of Proverbs is designed to give you justice and judgment and equity. I suppose one of the clearest passages on God's justice is found in Isaiah 59. I want you to turn there too.
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I want you to look at this. Isaiah 59, and let's begin reading there with verse 1, Isaiah 59, verse 1. Here's a passage that most of you are very familiar with, or at least the first part of it. So notice Isaiah 59, verse 1. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
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"For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper."
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"Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths." I want you to think what has been happening in this country in the last several years as you read this.
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"The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes."
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"We stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter."
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"Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment." Do you realize what he's saying? When we forsake God and His standard, there's nothing but chaos and confusion. There's nothing but violence. There's nothing but wickedness. There's nothing but transgression. Look at our country. Look at where we are. I usually tell people I am not a communist. I have no sympathy with communism whatsoever, but there is one communist that said something that I agree with. It was Gus Hall.
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He said the reason we refer to our court system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls. And that's just about the truth. That's just about the truth.
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Now, what I want you to do is this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 15, because I want you to see what happened then is happening exactly the same today. Look at it. You see, it's not just the fact that we transgress. It's not just the fact that we sin against God. It's not just the fact that we reap what we sow. One of the worst curses in all of this is that we lose the blessings of God. What did He say?
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"My ear is not heavy that I cannot hear. My hand is not shortened that I cannot save. I can do that. It's your sins. It's your iniquities. You're the ones that left me. You're the ones that turned from justice and righteousness." So, in all this we lose God's blessings.
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Now, look in 2 Chronicles chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Think about what has happened in this country. Think about this now. Here we go. "And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him."
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"And if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." Now, look at this.
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"Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." How could Israel have been without the true God? Because they didn't have God's law, they didn't have God's standard. Now, watch verse 4, "But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in."
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"But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity." Isn't that amazing? In those times, there was no peace to him that went out or came in, great vexations. And God did vex them with adversities. Look at everything we're going through. And you wonder why? And the answer is because we've sinned against God.
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There is no justice, not his justice. There is no righteousness. So justice is normally defined. Justice is demanded. And here's the third thing I want you to see. Justice is desired. I want you to go back to our text. In Psalm 11. And I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 7 again. Psalm 11, verse 7. Look at this. Psalm 11, verse 7. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness."
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"His countenance doth behold the upright." For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. If God, who is perfect in righteousness and holiness and justice, loves it, and we desire to be like him, since he is our Father, we too must love righteousness and justice.
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Now I want you to look at this. Look at verse 7 again. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness," he loveth justice. "His countenance doth behold the upright." The upright are those who are straight, upright, pleasing, righteous, and just. He beholds them with delight. Why? Because they are a reflection of His own nature. They are a reflection of His Word. He observes them. He approves them. He delights in them. He sees His own image in them.
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He looks upon them with the eye of approbation and blessing and with tender affection. His eye, His countenance doth behold the upright. So God takes pleasure in those who are just and righteous and upright.
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Now, you must also consider the opposite. You must remember every positive has a negative, every negative has a positive. So then, if God is pleased with those who are upright, that means that He must be displeased with those who are not upright. If God is pleased with those who are just, it means He is displeased with those who are unjust. So, let's look in Psalm 11, beginning there with verse 4. Look what the Bible says.
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"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright."
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So, here's a good question. Which do you desire? To be loved by the Lord or hated by the Lord? Which do you desire? His favor or His wrath and vengeance? Which do you desire? For Him to look upon you with blessing, or for Him to look upon you with curses? Because the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. He loveth justice. I want you to go in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 33, if you would, please. Isaiah 33. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 5. Isaiah 33. Look, if you would, at verse 5. "The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure." Notice, he said, "and wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times." Without wisdom, without knowledge, without righteousness, without justice, there is no stability. Biblical justice is based upon the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God.
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Biblical justice is defined by God and God alone, and it will be ultimately rendered by God to each man after death. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. He said that everyone may receive the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad, that is good or worthless. I want you to turn one more passage, if you would, one more, Romans chapter 2, because I want to make a couple of applications. Here's the first one. Man, by nature, despises biblical justice. Why? Because he wants to be the determiner of what justice is. He wants to set his own standard. He wants to set his own definitions so that he can be as just, as righteous, as he wishes to be.
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If he can define it, he can do it. There's a vast difference between biblical righteousness and humanistic righteousness. And humanistic righteousness is loved by the fallen man because he is the originator of humanistic righteousness and justice, and he is also the executioner of humanistic righteousness and justice. So in Romans chapter 2, look at it beginning there with verse 1. "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according
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to his deeds." God is ultimately going to give absolute justice to each one. That is why I'm so thankful I'm in Jesus Christ, because the justice of God fell on the Lord Jesus Christ. Years ago, I was preaching in Illinois. And there was a young Mormon boy who came every night to the meeting. But last night, he came up to me and he asked me a question. He said, "I'll ask you one thing, preacher." I said, "Ask away." He said, "Is not God just?" I said, "Absolutely." He said, "Well, all I want from God is justice." I said, "Son, that's exactly what God is going to give you."
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But when you get it, you'll wish you had mercy. God is just. Here's the second application. God requires each of us to do justly. How in the world do we live justly? And that is we live justly by bringing our lives in conformity to his law, applying the principles of justice in our lives and demonstrating those principles in obedience toward God and toward others. And then you have to ask yourself this question, what does God require? And here's the answer.
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"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Justice is defined by God alone, for He is the just God. And I will tell you this, if whatever you do, whatever you think is not in conformity with the Word of God, it is wicked. It is unjust. It is unrighteous. God requires obedience. And God requires that we walk humbly with Him. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night. We thank You for Your Word. And Lord, we live in such a day and time when there is such injustice or just simply no justice. And Lord, we need to cry out to Thee for justice. Only You can right so many of these wicked wrongs. Political wrongs. National wrongs. Societal wrongs. Judicial wrongs. Lord, only You can right them. And I pray, Father, that You would help us to see Your divine justice as well as Your divine mercy. We ask for your grace, and through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T18:35:48Z

God’s Definition, Love, and Demand For Justice

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver teaches that biblical justice is identical to righteousness, rooted in God's unchanging character and revealed in His Word. He contrasts God's justice with humanistic justice, emphasizing personal accountability, restitution, and the necessity of defining terms by Scripture. The sermon calls believers to love justice, obey God's law, and walk humbly, recognizing that ultimate justice is rendered by God through Christ.

Opening

Introduction: Justice and Righteousness Are the Same

Weaver opens by reading Psalm 11:7 and explains that the Hebrew word for righteousness is the same as justice, establishing that whatever is just is right and vice versa.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 11:7

"For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright."

Justice and righteousness are one and the same. If there is no justice, there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness, there is no justice.

The Hebrew Word for Equity (Mishpat)

He introduces the word mishpat, translated as equity, and cites Psalm 98:9, Psalm 99:4, and Isaiah 11:4 to show that God judges with equity, which is right and equal for all.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 98:9

"Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 98:9

"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth."

God Loves Justice and Prefers It Over Sacrifice

Weaver argues from Psalm 89:14 and Deuteronomy 32:4 that God is just, and from Proverbs 21:3 and 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience and justice are more acceptable to God than sacrifice.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:4

"he is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

And thus his obedience and his righteousness are imputed to us as well. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, where Samuel said to Saul,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22

"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

Now listen to what he said.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:22

"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams."

God would rather have our justice. And that is in acting in righteousness toward him than any of the sacrifice that we could ever give him.

Justice Defined: The Importance of Biblical Definitions

He stresses that without proper definitions, communication fails, and illustrates how liberals redefine terms. Biblical justice is based on God's eternal, fixed standard of righteousness.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 3:16

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.

Humanistic Justice vs. Biblical Justice: The Law of Restitution

Look at it. Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 11.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:11-12

"According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel."

So let me ask you, if you follow biblical law and biblical justice is executed, does crime pay? No. But if you follow humanistic law, crime does pay.

Justice Demanded: Consequences of Forsaking God's Standard

From Proverbs 1:1-4 and Isaiah 59, he shows that God demands justice and that when a nation forsakes God's law, chaos, violence, and loss of blessing follow, as seen in 2 Chronicles 15.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 1:1-4

"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion."

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:1-15

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." "For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper."

Justice Desired: God Loves the Upright and Hates the Wicked

Applications: Man Despises Biblical Justice; God Requires Us to Do Justly

God’s Definition, Love, and Demand For Justice

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	81423153335352
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: Can We All Just Get Along?
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-08-10
Dictation Name
Book	Book 082: Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom - Volume 2 — Chapter 35
Source Timed Segments	67

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Justice and Righteousness Are the Same: Weaver opens by reading Psalm 11:7 and explains that the Hebrew word for righteousness is the same as justice, establishing that whatever is just is right and vice versa.
The Hebrew Word for Equity (Mishpat): He introduces the word mishpat, translated as equity, and cites Psalm 98:9, Psalm 99:4, and Isaiah 11:4 to show that God judges with equity, which is right and equal for all.
God Loves Justice and Prefers It Over Sacrifice: Weaver argues from Psalm 89:14 and Deuteronomy 32:4 that God is just, and from Proverbs 21:3 and 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience and justice are more acceptable to God than sacrifice.
Justice Defined: The Importance of Biblical Definitions: He stresses that without proper definitions, communication fails, and illustrates how liberals redefine terms. Biblical justice is based on God's eternal, fixed standard of righteousness.
Humanistic Justice vs. Biblical Justice: The Law of Restitution: Using Exodus 22:1-3, Weaver contrasts biblical restitution (fourfold, fivefold, or double) with modern humanistic justice, showing that biblical law makes crime unprofitable and holds offenders accountable.
Justice Demanded: Consequences of Forsaking God's Standard: From Proverbs 1:1-4 and Isaiah 59, he shows that God demands justice and that when a nation forsakes God's law, chaos, violence, and loss of blessing follow, as seen in 2 Chronicles 15.
Justice Desired: God Loves the Upright and Hates the Wicked: Returning to Psalm 11:7, Weaver explains that God delights in the upright because they reflect His nature, while He hates the wicked. He challenges hearers to desire God's favor rather than His wrath.
Applications: Man Despises Biblical Justice; God Requires Us to Do Justly: He concludes with two applications: fallen man despises God's justice because he wants to define it himself, but God requires each person to do justly by conforming to His law and walking humbly with Him.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Justice and righteousness are the same concept in Scripture.

The Hebrew word for righteousness is also translated justice, so they are inseparable; one cannot exist without the other.

Weaver says, 'justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word... If there is no justice, there is no righteousness.'

God's justice is the only true standard; human definitions are vain.

Any definition of justice apart from God's character and Word is vanity and leads to self-deception.

He states, 'Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice... any pretended justice... is nothing more than vanity.'

Biblical law requires proportional restitution, making crime unprofitable.

God's law mandates restitution multiples based on the value of what was stolen, and if the thief cannot pay, he must work off the debt, deterring crime.

Exodus 22:1-3 and Deuteronomy 17:11-12 show restitution and the death penalty for presumptuous disobedience.

Humanistic justice fails because it does not hold offenders fully accountable.

Modern justice systems burden victims and society while failing to rehabilitate or deter criminals, unlike biblical justice.

Weaver describes the cycle of victimization: theft, insurance hikes, tax-funded incarceration, and prison as 'school for crime.'

National apostasy from God's law results in societal breakdown.

When a nation rejects God's justice, it loses peace, stability, and blessing, experiencing divine vexation.

Isaiah 59 describes a society without justice; 2 Chronicles 15:5-6 says 'in those times there was no peace... God did vex them with all adversity.'

God loves the just and hates the wicked, so we must choose whom we will please.

God's countenance beholds the upright with delight, but His soul hates the wicked; we must desire His favor by practicing justice.

Psalm 11:5-7 contrasts God's love for righteousness with His hatred of the wicked.

Ultimate justice will be rendered by God at the judgment seat of Christ.

Every person will give account to God, who will render to each according to his deeds; only in Christ is justice satisfied through His sacrifice.

Romans 2:6: 'Who will render to every man according to his deeds,' and Weaver's story of the Mormon boy seeking justice.

Believers are called to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

The requirement of Micah 6:8 is to bring our lives into conformity with God's law, demonstrating justice in obedience to God and toward others.

Weaver concludes, 'God requires each of us to do justly... by bringing our lives in conformity to his law.'

Scripture References

Psalm 11:7: The foundational text: 'For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.' Weaver uses it to show God's love for justice.
Psalm 98:9: Cited to show that God judges the world with righteousness and the people with equity.
Psalm 99:4: Shows that God establishes equity and executes judgment and righteousness.
Isaiah 11:4: Prophecy of the Messiah judging the poor with righteousness and reproving with equity.
Psalm 89:14: Justice and judgment are the habitation of God's throne.
Deuteronomy 32:4: God is the Rock, His work is perfect, all His ways are judgment, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right.
Proverbs 21:3: To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
1 Samuel 15:22: Obedience is better than sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams.
Hosea 6:6: God desires mercy and knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
1 Timothy 3:16: Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, used to illustrate the importance of correct definitions about Christ's deity.
Psalm 94:11: The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Psalm 119:113: David hated vain thoughts but loved God's law.
Jeremiah 4:14: God calls Jerusalem to wash its heart from wickedness and not let vain thoughts lodge within.
Exodus 22:1-3: The law of restitution: stealing an ox requires fivefold restitution, a sheep fourfold; if the thief cannot pay, he is sold for his theft.
Deuteronomy 17:11-12: The man who presumptuously disobeys the judgment of the priest or judge shall be put to death.
Psalm 45:6-7: The Messiah's throne is forever; He loves righteousness and hates wickedness.
Matthew 12:36: Every idle word men speak they will give account for in the day of judgment.
Romans 14:12: Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Proverbs 1:1-4: The proverbs of Solomon are to give instruction in wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity.
Isaiah 59:1-15: A passage describing a society where justice is far off, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter because of sin.

Historical References

Charles Spurgeon's 'Commenting on Commentaries': Weaver mentions Spurgeon's humorous remark about a commentary being good for starting fires.
Gus Hall, American communist leader: Weaver quotes Hall's cynical remark that courts are called 'halls of justice' because the only justice is in the halls.
Colonial charters and constitutions requiring Christian faith for office: Weaver notes that original colonial charters often required confession of faith in Christ and the inspiration of Scripture, with Massachusetts basing laws on Moses.

Important Quotes

justice and righteousness are from the exact same Hebrew word, and it's translated in our Bibles as both righteousness and justice.

Establishes the foundational premise that justice and righteousness are identical in Scripture.

Biblical justice is based on the eternal fixed standard of goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word.

Defines the source and nature of true justice as opposed to humanistic definitions.

To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Highlights God's preference for justice and obedience over ritual offerings.

Apart from God and apart from His word, there is no justice.

Emphasizes the exclusivity of God as the source of justice.

The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

The key verse showing God's delight in those who practice justice.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

The conference theme and concluding call to action.

the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Contrasts God's love for the upright with His hatred of the wicked.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding that justice and righteousness are the same Hebrew word change your view of what it means to 'do justly'?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that the Hebrew word for righteousness is also translated justice, making them inseparable.

[Question]

In what ways do modern justice systems reflect humanistic rather than biblical principles, and what would a biblical approach to restitution look like today?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts biblical restitution (Exodus 22) with modern incarceration, highlighting how crime pays under humanistic law.

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to allow individuals or society to define justice apart from God's Word?

[Context]

Weaver warns that without God's definitions, people deceive themselves and can justify any behavior.

[Question]

How does the truth that God 'loveth righteousness' and 'hateth the wicked' challenge or comfort you personally?

[Context]

Psalm 11:5-7 shows God's disposition toward the just and the unjust.

[Question]

What are some practical ways we can 'do justly' in our daily lives, families, and communities?

[Context]

Weaver concludes with the application from Micah 6:8 to bring our lives into conformity with God's law.

[Question]

How does the gospel satisfy both God's justice and His mercy?

[Context]

Weaver mentions that God's justice fell on Christ, allowing believers to receive mercy instead of the justice they deserve.

[Question]

What evidence do you see in our nation that parallels the description in Isaiah 59 of a society where justice is far off?

[Context]

Isaiah 59 describes a culture of lies, violence, and lack of justice; Weaver applies this to contemporary America.

[Question]

Why does God prefer obedience and justice over religious sacrifice, and how should that shape our worship?

[Context]

Proverbs 21:3 and 1 Samuel 15:22 teach that God values justice and obedience above ritual offerings.

Applications

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