April 30, 2025 • 15 mins
Welcome to The Heartbeat of Faith with Dr. Andrew Farley. In this episode, we dive into the profound concept of justice as seen through the lens of the Bible. Job's audacity to question God's justice sets the stage for a powerful exploration of divine righteousness. We also look at how God's justice extends beyond the spiritual realm, caring for the needy, poor, and oppressed. Join us in this enlightening discussion on the importance of justice in our faith journey.
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To gain further insight into biblical justice, we draw from key passages in the Bible, from God's response to Job in a whirlwind to the story of Noah and the flood, and beyond. Our faith is deeply rooted in the justice and righteousness of God, which is why understanding these concepts is pivotal in our spiritual growth.
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For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray. Righteousness and justice are the foundations of
your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
Psalm chapter eighty nine, verse fourteen. Dear Lord, you sit
atop a throne of justice. I acknowledge your ways are
(00:21):
higher than mine, and you alone define good and evil.
Teach me your ways so that I can walk in them.
I want to stand up for your truth and walk
humbly before people, reveal the work of your spirit in me,
so I may be a vessel of your love. Thank
you for being patient with me when I stumble. I
(00:44):
look to your presence within me to day to empower
me to bear the fruit of your spirit and not
settle for anything less. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you
for praying with me today. Now discover the profound intricacies
of scripture through prey dot COM's podcast The Heartbeat of
(01:07):
Faith with doctor Andrew Farley. Stay tuned after this quick
word from our responsors. America's federal debt just reached thirty
three trillion dollars, and many economists predict the weight of
this crippling debt load will soon topple the whole financial system.
Concerned Americans are diversifying their assets into physical gold with
(01:29):
the help of Birch Gold Group. If you want a
physical asset held in attack sheltered retirement account, you should
call Birch Gold too, but learn for yourself. Text the
word heartbeat to nine eight nine eight nine eight and
they'll send you a free infoKit on gold. If you
have an IRA or a four to oh one K
from a previous employer just gathering dust, Birch Gold can
(01:52):
help you convert it into an IRA in gold and
you don't have to pay a penny out of pocket.
Text Heartbeat to the number nine eight nons eight to
claim your free infokid on gold. There's no cost or obligation,
so do it now. Text Heartbeat to nine eight nine
eight nine eight.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Job dared to voice his understanding of justice before the Almighty.
Yet when we look at the depth and breadth of
God's sovereignty and wisdom, our perspective of justice is dwarfed.
We're reminded that our understanding is limited compared to the
one who holds the universe and all living things together.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Lightning seemed to be striking in every direction, and Job
heard a booming voice descending upon him. With great force.
Who is it that darkens my counsel without knowledge? Job
looked around him, realizing that the voice was coming from God.
The voice roared through the wind, saying, prepare yourself like
(03:07):
a man. For now it is I who will be
asking the questions. Job had wanted to hear from God,
Yet now he began to regret ever, asking.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Hi, I'm doctor Andrew Farley and welcome to another episode
of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. The last time we
were together, we saw that God cares deeply about rest.
Now we'll see that God is passionate about justice. Not
only does he care about justice concerning sin, but he
(03:41):
also cares about justice for the poor, the needy, and
the opprest. And God sees sin as a corrupting influence
on people, families, and cultures. That's why we've seen him
go to great lengths to rid the world of evil.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Mankind multiplied, with more people filling the earth, more opportunities
for evil abounded. Sons and daughters of Cain established corrupt kingdoms,
men treated women as property, and the twisted hearts of
people cast the world into darkness. Even the lives of
(04:25):
people began to shorten, and humans were dying Earlier and
earlier mighty men of old would steal away women and
rake them. These things God would not ignore the actions
of people at this time reflected a broken and corrupt heart.
God saw this wickedness and regretted greatly the state of humanity.
(04:50):
In sorrow, he said, I will blot out man whom
I have created from the face of the land.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
God is just and his judgment is sound. Sin has
a ripple effect on the world around it, which is
why God takes it so seriously. Sin is a crime
against God's created order and the people caught in its wake.
That's why judgment is doled out in the Old Testament.
(05:20):
Even kings couldn't escape God's justice.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Samuel saw right through Saul. He knew Saul only did
it out of compulsion. He rushed the worship of God
to appease his own anxiety. Not only that, but he
was not a priest or chosen by God to speak
for him. You are a fool, Saul, Samuel said, Your
kingdom will be as temporary as your obedience to God.
(05:50):
God has already set his gaze on another king, a
man after his own heart. After saying this, Samuel vanished
and the people fallow Saul into battle.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
There's immediate justice that God gives out, but then there's
the long term sentencing of justice given when people die.
This existential justice is too heavy a weight for us
to carry, which is why Jesus took all of our
punishment upon himself.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
No one could truly know the depth of Jesus's dialogue
with God. That night, the Father and the Son spoke
to each other with a bond that had preceded time itself.
Jesus knew that he was going to be taken and
he would be offered up as a sacrifice for the
redemption of mankind. Gazing into heaven, Jesus knelt before his
(06:48):
God and asked, Father, if you are willing take this
cup from me? Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.
It was not just the cross Jesus was speaking of,
but also the cup of wrath he would endure so
the world wouldn't have to.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
The Bible is also clear that God cares about the sick,
the poor, the widowed, and the oppressed. His chosen nation
was a formerly enslaved people, and the law he gave
to Moses was filled with ways Israel could help foreigners, slaves,
and the poor. Likewise, Jesus's attention was always on the widow,
(07:33):
the orphan, the poor, or the sick who crossed his path.
In this way, he expressed God's desires for the needy
and destitute to be given aid.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Laying off the side away from the pools was a man.
He looked sickly and was clearly unable to walk. He
had been there a long time, desiring to be healed,
but having no way to walk over himself. Jesus strolled
over and sat beside him. The two of them looked
at the pools, watching flocks of people dip in for healing. Jesus,
(08:10):
without looking at the man, simply asked, do you want
to be healed?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
God's justice is rooted in his perfect righteousness. He shows
no partiality. Psalm eighty nine fourteen states that justice and
righteousness are the foundation of God's throne. Humans possess a
sense of justice, a moral code. But when Adam and
(08:37):
Eve sinned, they took justice into their own hands, choosing
their own version of what is good and what is evil.
Ever since then, humanity has adopted its own sense of justice.
We imagine that God weighs the good and the bad
we do. We imagine that he grades on a curve.
(08:58):
We imagine that if we do more more right than wrong,
that will turn out okay. But the truth is that
we're born in Adam, dead in our sins. Everything we
do is an expression of that spiritual death. So we
need life, not better behavior. Sure, new attitudes and actions
(09:20):
come with new life in Jesus, but our fundamental need
is spiritual life itself infused within us at the core
of our being, and the life lost in Eden is
restored in Christ. How do we begin to possess this life? First,
(09:41):
justice for sins must be served. That's why God sent
his own son as our ultimate substitute to satisfy justice
once and for all. You see, every ounce of justice
was met and satisfied at the cross. Think about it
for a moment. The wages of our sins was death.
(10:04):
Yet Jesus paid those wages in full when he offered
himself on the cross. Its simple math. Jesus died paying
off our debt, leaving no outstanding balance against us. We
can rejoice in this truth. Remember, when the spirit of
God departed from Adam and Eve, it was their sin
(10:26):
that caused the separation and that heart wrenching moment when
Jesus on the cross cried out feeling forsaken. It was
because he bore the weight of all our sins. The
only possible reason God would ever leave us today would
be sins. Yet here's the triumphant news. Our sins are obliterated,
(10:49):
removed as far as the east is from the west.
That means there's no reason, not a single one left
for God to ever leave or forsake us. The gavel
of Heaven's court has sounded, Justice has been served. We
believers are forever forgiven and immersed in God's grace. For
(11:13):
every believer out there, know this and let it sink deep.
There is absolutely no condemnation left for you. Live in
that freedom and let it inspire every fiber of your being. Now,
when it comes to justice on earth, sometimes we humans
(11:35):
can trick ourselves into thinking we understand justice better than God.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
God spoke to Job in poetry so fierce that Job
feared his life may end as the winds howled around him.
The Lord spoke, where were you when I established the
Earth's foundation? If you know, please tell me who determines
the world's measurements? And lays its corner stone. Who is
(12:04):
it that sung the morning stars into existence or draped
the clouds over the seas like a garment? Was it
you who commanded the sun to rise and the dawn
to know its place? Have you entered into the depths
of the oceans or explored the recesses of the deep?
Have you gazed upon the gates of death and the
depths of darkness? Do you know the expanse of the
(12:28):
universe and where the light emanates? Can you direct the
stars and tighten the straps of Orion's belt? Please tell
me if you have known these things, for of course
you know you were born? Then were you not? Job
was trembling as he listened to the voice of God.
(12:48):
He said nothing, but God continued his torrent of questions.
Is it you who understands the hawk's flight patterns and
allows the wind to carry it? Are you the one
who commands the eagles to mount up and make their
nests on high? Who is it that contends with the almighty?
He who argues with God should answer? Job was shaking
(13:13):
in his place. God was silent. As he gained his composure.
He stuttered, doing his best to create coherent sentences. How
shall I even answer you? Job said, his knees were
caving in on him, the sores on his feet were
agonizingly painful. I cannot answer you, Oh God.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Job saw his suffering as a reason to question God,
as if being a victim of circumstances gave him credibility
to define what should be happening. Job dared to voice
his understanding of justice before the Almighty. Yet when we
look at the depth and breadth of God's sovereignty and wisdom,
(13:56):
our perspective of justice is dwarfed. We're reminded that our
understanding is limited compared to the one who holds the
universe and all living things together. Our God is a
God of justice, but he by no means operates at
our whim just because we think we deserve justice. Instead,
(14:19):
we're called to submit to and not always understand his ways.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
He has shown you, oh man, what is good? What
does yahweh require of you? But to act justly, to
love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God Micah six'.
Eight learn to do, well seek, justice relieve the, oppressed
(14:47):
defend the, fatherless plead for the. Widow isaiah one.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Seventeen thank you for listening to Today's heartbeat Of faith.
Podcast if you enjoyed today's episode or learn something new
about The, bible share it with a friend or family.
Member download the pray dot com, app and for more
encouragement In god's, grace Visit andrewfarley dot. Org That's Andrew
(15:17):
farley dot. Org
Let us pray. Righteousness and justice are the foundations of
your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
Psalm chapter eighty nine, verse fourteen. Dear Lord, you sit
atop a throne of justice. I acknowledge your ways are
(00:21):
higher than mine, and you alone define good and evil.
Teach me your ways so that I can walk in them.
I want to stand up for your truth and walk
humbly before people, reveal the work of your spirit in me,
so I may be a vessel of your love. Thank
you for being patient with me when I stumble. I
(00:44):
look to your presence within me to day to empower
me to bear the fruit of your spirit and not
settle for anything less. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you
for praying with me today. Now discover the profound intricacies
of scripture through prey dot COM's podcast The Heartbeat of
(01:07):
Faith with doctor Andrew Farley. Stay tuned after this quick
word from our responsors. America's federal debt just reached thirty
three trillion dollars, and many economists predict the weight of
this crippling debt load will soon topple the whole financial system.
Concerned Americans are diversifying their assets into physical gold with
(01:29):
the help of Birch Gold Group. If you want a
physical asset held in attack sheltered retirement account, you should
call Birch Gold too, but learn for yourself. Text the
word heartbeat to nine eight nine eight nine eight and
they'll send you a free infoKit on gold. If you
have an IRA or a four to oh one K
from a previous employer just gathering dust, Birch Gold can
(01:52):
help you convert it into an IRA in gold and
you don't have to pay a penny out of pocket.
Text Heartbeat to the number nine eight nons eight to
claim your free infokid on gold. There's no cost or obligation,
so do it now. Text Heartbeat to nine eight nine
eight nine eight.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Job dared to voice his understanding of justice before the Almighty.
Yet when we look at the depth and breadth of
God's sovereignty and wisdom, our perspective of justice is dwarfed.
We're reminded that our understanding is limited compared to the
one who holds the universe and all living things together.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Lightning seemed to be striking in every direction, and Job
heard a booming voice descending upon him. With great force.
Who is it that darkens my counsel without knowledge? Job
looked around him, realizing that the voice was coming from God.
The voice roared through the wind, saying, prepare yourself like
(03:07):
a man. For now it is I who will be
asking the questions. Job had wanted to hear from God,
Yet now he began to regret ever, asking.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Hi, I'm doctor Andrew Farley and welcome to another episode
of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. The last time we
were together, we saw that God cares deeply about rest.
Now we'll see that God is passionate about justice. Not
only does he care about justice concerning sin, but he
(03:41):
also cares about justice for the poor, the needy, and
the opprest. And God sees sin as a corrupting influence
on people, families, and cultures. That's why we've seen him
go to great lengths to rid the world of evil.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Mankind multiplied, with more people filling the earth, more opportunities
for evil abounded. Sons and daughters of Cain established corrupt kingdoms,
men treated women as property, and the twisted hearts of
people cast the world into darkness. Even the lives of
(04:25):
people began to shorten, and humans were dying Earlier and
earlier mighty men of old would steal away women and
rake them. These things God would not ignore the actions
of people at this time reflected a broken and corrupt heart.
God saw this wickedness and regretted greatly the state of humanity.
(04:50):
In sorrow, he said, I will blot out man whom
I have created from the face of the land.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
God is just and his judgment is sound. Sin has
a ripple effect on the world around it, which is
why God takes it so seriously. Sin is a crime
against God's created order and the people caught in its wake.
That's why judgment is doled out in the Old Testament.
(05:20):
Even kings couldn't escape God's justice.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Samuel saw right through Saul. He knew Saul only did
it out of compulsion. He rushed the worship of God
to appease his own anxiety. Not only that, but he
was not a priest or chosen by God to speak
for him. You are a fool, Saul, Samuel said, Your
kingdom will be as temporary as your obedience to God.
(05:50):
God has already set his gaze on another king, a
man after his own heart. After saying this, Samuel vanished
and the people fallow Saul into battle.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
There's immediate justice that God gives out, but then there's
the long term sentencing of justice given when people die.
This existential justice is too heavy a weight for us
to carry, which is why Jesus took all of our
punishment upon himself.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
No one could truly know the depth of Jesus's dialogue
with God. That night, the Father and the Son spoke
to each other with a bond that had preceded time itself.
Jesus knew that he was going to be taken and
he would be offered up as a sacrifice for the
redemption of mankind. Gazing into heaven, Jesus knelt before his
(06:48):
God and asked, Father, if you are willing take this
cup from me? Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.
It was not just the cross Jesus was speaking of,
but also the cup of wrath he would endure so
the world wouldn't have to.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
The Bible is also clear that God cares about the sick,
the poor, the widowed, and the oppressed. His chosen nation
was a formerly enslaved people, and the law he gave
to Moses was filled with ways Israel could help foreigners, slaves,
and the poor. Likewise, Jesus's attention was always on the widow,
(07:33):
the orphan, the poor, or the sick who crossed his path.
In this way, he expressed God's desires for the needy
and destitute to be given aid.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Laying off the side away from the pools was a man.
He looked sickly and was clearly unable to walk. He
had been there a long time, desiring to be healed,
but having no way to walk over himself. Jesus strolled
over and sat beside him. The two of them looked
at the pools, watching flocks of people dip in for healing. Jesus,
(08:10):
without looking at the man, simply asked, do you want
to be healed?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
God's justice is rooted in his perfect righteousness. He shows
no partiality. Psalm eighty nine fourteen states that justice and
righteousness are the foundation of God's throne. Humans possess a
sense of justice, a moral code. But when Adam and
(08:37):
Eve sinned, they took justice into their own hands, choosing
their own version of what is good and what is evil.
Ever since then, humanity has adopted its own sense of justice.
We imagine that God weighs the good and the bad
we do. We imagine that he grades on a curve.
(08:58):
We imagine that if we do more more right than wrong,
that will turn out okay. But the truth is that
we're born in Adam, dead in our sins. Everything we
do is an expression of that spiritual death. So we
need life, not better behavior. Sure, new attitudes and actions
(09:20):
come with new life in Jesus, but our fundamental need
is spiritual life itself infused within us at the core
of our being, and the life lost in Eden is
restored in Christ. How do we begin to possess this life? First,
(09:41):
justice for sins must be served. That's why God sent
his own son as our ultimate substitute to satisfy justice
once and for all. You see, every ounce of justice
was met and satisfied at the cross. Think about it
for a moment. The wages of our sins was death.
(10:04):
Yet Jesus paid those wages in full when he offered
himself on the cross. Its simple math. Jesus died paying
off our debt, leaving no outstanding balance against us. We
can rejoice in this truth. Remember, when the spirit of
God departed from Adam and Eve, it was their sin
(10:26):
that caused the separation and that heart wrenching moment when
Jesus on the cross cried out feeling forsaken. It was
because he bore the weight of all our sins. The
only possible reason God would ever leave us today would
be sins. Yet here's the triumphant news. Our sins are obliterated,
(10:49):
removed as far as the east is from the west.
That means there's no reason, not a single one left
for God to ever leave or forsake us. The gavel
of Heaven's court has sounded, Justice has been served. We
believers are forever forgiven and immersed in God's grace. For
(11:13):
every believer out there, know this and let it sink deep.
There is absolutely no condemnation left for you. Live in
that freedom and let it inspire every fiber of your being. Now,
when it comes to justice on earth, sometimes we humans
(11:35):
can trick ourselves into thinking we understand justice better than God.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
God spoke to Job in poetry so fierce that Job
feared his life may end as the winds howled around him.
The Lord spoke, where were you when I established the
Earth's foundation? If you know, please tell me who determines
the world's measurements? And lays its corner stone. Who is
(12:04):
it that sung the morning stars into existence or draped
the clouds over the seas like a garment? Was it
you who commanded the sun to rise and the dawn
to know its place? Have you entered into the depths
of the oceans or explored the recesses of the deep?
Have you gazed upon the gates of death and the
depths of darkness? Do you know the expanse of the
(12:28):
universe and where the light emanates? Can you direct the
stars and tighten the straps of Orion's belt? Please tell
me if you have known these things, for of course
you know you were born? Then were you not? Job
was trembling as he listened to the voice of God.
(12:48):
He said nothing, but God continued his torrent of questions.
Is it you who understands the hawk's flight patterns and
allows the wind to carry it? Are you the one
who commands the eagles to mount up and make their
nests on high? Who is it that contends with the almighty?
He who argues with God should answer? Job was shaking
(13:13):
in his place. God was silent. As he gained his composure.
He stuttered, doing his best to create coherent sentences. How
shall I even answer you? Job said, his knees were
caving in on him, the sores on his feet were
agonizingly painful. I cannot answer you, Oh God.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Job saw his suffering as a reason to question God,
as if being a victim of circumstances gave him credibility
to define what should be happening. Job dared to voice
his understanding of justice before the Almighty. Yet when we
look at the depth and breadth of God's sovereignty and wisdom,
(13:56):
our perspective of justice is dwarfed. We're reminded that our
understanding is limited compared to the one who holds the
universe and all living things together. Our God is a
God of justice, but he by no means operates at
our whim just because we think we deserve justice. Instead,
(14:19):
we're called to submit to and not always understand his ways.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
He has shown you, oh man, what is good? What
does yahweh require of you? But to act justly, to
love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God Micah six'.
Eight learn to do, well seek, justice relieve the, oppressed
(14:47):
defend the, fatherless plead for the. Widow isaiah one.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Seventeen thank you for listening to Today's heartbeat Of faith.
Podcast if you enjoyed today's episode or learn something new
about The, bible share it with a friend or family.
Member download the pray dot com, app and for more
encouragement In god's, grace Visit andrewfarley dot. Org That's Andrew
(15:17):
farley dot. Org
Host
Andrew Farley
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