THE IMPORTANCE OF JUSTICE

There are quite a lot of battles described in 2 Chronicles. Yet it is interesting to see, as so often in Scripture, that war is rarely, and perhaps never, the best way to ensure safety and security in God’s world. In Chapter 18, we read that although Ahab’s aim was to defeat and destroy Aram, in this case, Aram only wanted to get rid of Ahab, who was a thorn in their flesh, rather than to conquer Israel or Judah. In today’s reading, we are given further evidence of Jehoshaphat’s leadership skills outside the military context. He knew that if the nation was to survive and to reflect the fact that it was God’s chosen and covenant people, he needed to show them what following the Lord meant; there had to be a well-organized system of local government. We saw in Chapter 17 his awareness of the need for delegation and education. That is reinforced here with a further emphasis on the importance of justice and righteousness, based not on the judges’ preferences but on the pattern established in God’s law. In particular, there was to be no ‘injustice or partiality or bribery’ (v. 7).

Notice the strong links assumed between spirituality and civilian life. Jehoshaphat seemed to understand that national leadership was not meant to be primarily about exercising authority but about enabling and encouraging a system where local leaders served ‘faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord’ (v. 9). Every citizen could receive just responses to their concerns and could trust in the system. They could know that the judges genuinely were acting on God’s behalf for the benefit of the people and not simply exercising or reinforcing their own positions of power.

Think of ways you can encourage Christian leaders in your church, local or national government, or at work, to recognize that they are not serving mere mortals but the Lord.