The Just Response to Injustice | Sunday, October 22, 2023

The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge... that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. ...And if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand...'" (Joshua 20:1–5)

When the world erupts in violence and we cry out, "What in the world is going on?"—the Scriptures show us not only how to think, but how to respond justly to injustice.

"What in the World Is Going On?"

Have you ever looked at everything happening around you and in the world and asked, "What in the world is going on?" Maybe in the last couple of weeks that question came back to mind, or someone at your school or office asked it of you. I certainly had it going through my mind.

Two weeks ago, on Saturday, October 7th, I was with a group of about 120 people, roughly 250 miles off the coast of Haifa in northern Israel. We were scheduled to be in Haifa on Sunday the 8th. When I woke up on the 7th, my phone filled with notifications, and in real time we saw a terrorist attack unfolding in Israel—a horrible thing.

It was surreal. We were on a five-star ship in the Mediterranean, beautiful weather, eating far too much food, and people were texting, "Are you okay? Are you safe?" Meanwhile we were more than okay. But we were supposed to be in Israel that Sunday, and on Monday and Tuesday in Ashdod—just eleven miles from Gaza. That did not happen. By the end of the day the captain announced we would not enter Israel, and a couple of days later we learned we would not go to Egypt either, after tourists were killed in Alexandria. We were diverted to Cyprus and then back to Greece.

I had spent about four years working on that trip—originally planned for 2021 before COVID disrupted it. And though we were safe in the Greek Isles, our hearts were broken by what we watched happen in Israel.

The Scriptures Teach Us How to Think and Live

We are living at a pivotal inflection point in history, and Christians and non-Christians alike are wondering what is going on and how they should respond. As we come to the Scriptures, I want to suggest a truth I've believed for twenty-five years and have watched prove true: the Scriptures teach us both how to think and how to live through all of life's twists and turns.

Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

God has given us, through His Word, everything we need to live in a godly manner—how to think and live through life's twists and turns. And His Word leads us into fulfilling the purpose for which we were made. Western culture over the last several decades has rejected this; people from twenty to thirty-five have been indoctrinated with a worldview that says there is no ultimate purpose—you must invent your own meaning. But Scripture teaches that God created you for an end, what the ancient Greeks called a telos. As you follow Him and align your life to His Word, you discover that purpose, and it leads to a more joy-filled and satisfying life.

The philosophers of our time are often the songwriters of our culture, telling us "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" and "I can't get no satisfaction." But as you seek God through His Word, you begin to experience an increase of joy and satisfaction—the best possible end both in this life and the life to come.

Looking Up in a Time of Turmoil

Early this past Wednesday, partly from jet lag and partly from swirling thoughts, I lay awake at 3 a.m. asking how we ought to think about what's happening. At 4 a.m. I received a text from a missionary of ours, 150 miles from Gaza, surrounded by people angry to the point of wanting to fight. They asked how to respond, and whether this is a fulfillment of prophecy—perhaps the prophecies in Amos or Ezekiel.

I won't dogmatically say so, but there is a strange harmonic resonance there. And when you see things that seem alluded to in Scripture, Jesus tells us how to respond: when you see these things, look up, for your redemption draws near. Our ultimate hope for peace in this world is not found in Washington or New York or the U.N. It is found only in the Prince of Peace. There is a day when He will rule and reign in righteousness, and there will be no more suffering, sickness, death, or terrorist attacks. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

A Generation of Twists and Turns

We have seen sharp turns in the last twenty-five years. As I turned twenty we entered a new century with all the fear of Y2K—a distant memory of things that didn't happen. Then came the horrific terrorist attacks of 2001, leading to twenty years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, hundreds of thousands of lives lost, and trillions of dollars spent. The very first presidential election I voted in brought the chaos of hanging chads. Election after election has brought political upheaval, and we're heading into another chaotic season over the next thirteen months.

A revolutionary transformation in communication arrived in 2007, fueling the rise of social media and a massive, undeniable decline in mental health. We've seen the redefining of marriage, the total transformation of how people frame identity and personhood, the devolving of race relations, ethics, morality, and the rule of law, the pornification of our culture, and the decriminalization of drugs. We've experienced a global pandemic and a poor response to it. Now the rise of artificial intelligence raises questions we can't even wrap our minds around—a year ago ChatGPT opened, and it will transform how this culture functions. And we face a forty-year high in inflation. The question on people's minds is: what is going on, and how shall we then live?

How Shall We Then Live?

I'm convinced God has called me, both as a theologian and a pastor, to help people think biblically through these things—to take what Scripture teaches and apply it, to live in a manner worthy of the Lord and the gospel. Paul exhorts us to "walk worthy of the calling," worthy of the gospel, worthy of the Lord. Philippians 2:15 says we are to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. That is God's call to you today: to be a bright beacon in a dark and darkening culture.

Is this the fulfillment of prophecy? Is this the end of the world? The Lord may delay His return for generations—I don't know. But in virtually every generation of Christian history for two thousand years, the faithful church has expected the return of Jesus Christ. That is creedal orthodoxy: He shall come again and reign forever, "and of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." When He comes, He will right every wrong. That should be our hope, and that hope shines as a light in a dark generation.

Insight That Becomes Wisdom When Applied

Here is a second truth: the Scriptures give insight, bringing knowledge that, when applied, results in wisdom for life. That phrase "when applied" is key, because knowledge alone is insufficient. How many of you know smart people who do dumb things? Knowledge, and even good intention, is not enough. We've all said, "I know I should have done X, but I did Y."

Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." Psalm 19 declares:

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple... More to be desired are they than gold... sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says whoever hears His sayings and does them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock, but whoever hears and does not do them is like a foolish man who built on the sand. Application is everything.

The Cities of Refuge

Providentially, the passage we happen to be in addresses some of these very questions. In Joshua 20, the Lord tells Joshua to appoint cities of refuge, as He had spoken through Moses, "that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there... from the avenger of blood."

I've taught the cities of refuge a couple of times in recent years, so I'll move quickly. There were six cities—three west of the Jordan, three east—appointed for the slayer who killed someone unintentionally. Context matters: 3,400 years ago, Israel had no active police force and no king. They were to be a self-governed people under God's law, in covenant relationship with Him.

So what happens when there is homicide—the taking of one life by another? Homicide has variations. There is intentional, premeditated murder, which then and in many places now is a capital crime. On the other end is what we'd call manslaughter—when someone dies unintentionally at your hands. With no police force, the nearest of kin, the avenger of blood, becomes responsible to avenge that death and hunt down the slayer. But if it was unintentional, the slayer could flee to a city of refuge.

The text says the slayer would stand at the city gate, declare his case before the elders, and be taken in. The avenger could not take him, "because he struck his neighbor unintentionally." He stayed until he stood before the congregation for judgment—a judicial review—and until the death of the high priest, after which he could return home.

What a 3,400-Year-Old Text Says About Today

You may wonder how this connects to Hamas, Israel, and October 2023. I suggest far more than you'd think. This passage teaches us how to respond to evil that invites a punitive response—specifically the evil of homicide. We have the slayer, the avenger of blood, the city of refuge, the elders who review the matter, and a proper response to evil in a society without police or king.

Going back to Genesis 9, God instituted capital punishment for the taking of life:

Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning... Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.

That is the key. Human life is different from all other life because, in Genesis 1, God said, "Let Us make man in Our image." Theologians call this the imago dei. You were created with an inherent dignity and value established by God. When the life of a human—who bears the image and mark of God—is taken, it is not merely the shedding of blood; it is an assault upon the image of God. Therefore God says, "I will require it."

The Image of God and the Demand for Justice

When Pastor Nick cuts these messages into sixty-second YouTube shorts, the comment-section warriors arrive: "You don't know what you're talking about; the Bible isn't the root of these things." But our belief in human dignity and our demand for justice when lives are taken goes straight back to creation and the image of God. Whether you read the Bible or not, God has hardwired this into every human.

Yes, some cultures without the Bible believe these things—because God, who made you, hardwired it into your soul and conscience. That's why an atrocious act of evil angers you and you demand justice. Where did that come from? From God. If you are nothing more than an animal—as our culture keeps telling us—then you should expect atrocities and not be angry. If you indoctrinate generations to believe they have no ultimate purpose or dignity, being merely the product of random chance over billions of years, then be shocked but do not be surprised when someone walks into an elementary school with a rifle.

Ideas have consequences. In higher academia today there's even a questioning of determinism—"they were just determined to do it." Look at what happened at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton in the last two weeks; it answers the question of what that thinking produces. Do you want to live in that culture? I do not. I don't say these things lightly. I've spent decades studying this and am finishing a doctorate in ethics and apologetics on these specific issues. If you disagree in the comment section, you are ill-informed and need to study history.

It Is Right to Be Angry at Injustice

A third point: the inherent dignity and value of human life is inextricably linked to God's creation of man in His image. The impulse you feel for justice when a life is taken comes from that, whether you've read the Bible or not.

You don't have that response when you watch a lion kill a zebra on television—you don't shout, "How dare that lion!" But if a bear kills humans, we hunt it down, because something is hardwired into our souls. And here is something you may never have considered: it is right for you to be angry at injustice. We've been fed a passive Jesus for generations—gentle Jesus, meek and mild, always nice, never angry. Read the Bible. He is rightly angry at injustice, and so should you be.

But be careful: you should be angry at injustice wherever it comes from and whoever it's aimed at. The real challenge is how to deal with that anger rightly—how to confront the evil shedding of innocent blood without becoming unjust yourself. Every one of us, especially parents, has responded in anger the wrong way. So we must stop. When Cain killed Abel, God said, "The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground." There is a demand for a reckoning.

Principles for a Just Response

From this text I draw several principles. First, we should be angered by evil, but careful not to sin in our anger. Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be angry, and do not sin." Be angry for the right reasons and respond the right way. If you respond in haste, you risk committing the same evil.

Second, we need to slow down—in 2023 terms, "slow your roll." The slayer fled to the city of refuge until there could be a review. That slowing is hard, because our impulse is to react immediately, and hasty decisions risk damnable actions. Third, we must examine the evil in light of the evidence. Fourth, we must judiciously weigh a right response—and sometimes the right response is to execute wrath. God will execute wrath on unrighteousness, so wrath cannot in itself be unrighteous. Fifth, we must execute justice rightly, judging those who deserve judgment, in the right manner and with proper measure.

This leads to point four: injustice or violence against the image of God requires a just and sometimes violent response. That discomforts us. These are not easy conversations; theologians and philosophers have wrestled with them for generations, and because we are fallen we will make mistakes in meting out justice. We must have anger at injustice and work as hard as we can to navigate it justly.

Just War, Mercy, and the Weight of Power

What the Hamas terrorists did is abominable and should be damned—ultimately God will damn injustice. I do not envy those in positions of power who do not bear the sword in vain. Romans 13 teaches that within human government certain people have been given the sword to execute righteousness. I would not want that position, because my impulse is to crush it; if I had the button, that would be frightening. May God give those leaders His wisdom, because this could trigger a domino effect none of us want—one that would make the first and second world wars look petty.

All of this opens a Pandora's box of hard questions—the discipline of ethics. From Augustine in the fourth century to Thomas Aquinas six hundred years later, just war theory develops out of this very thing. Some Christians say Jesus was a pacifist who taught nonviolence and turning the other cheek. Yes, I've read the Sermon on the Mount—but have you read the rest of the Bible? The Bible teaches us both how to live rightly when we have no power and how to wield power when we do—just war on one hand, turning the other cheek on the other.

We are not living in peaceful times, and barring a geopolitical miracle this will escalate. In the midst of it, there must be Christians asking the questions of justice and mercy, for "He has shown you, O man, what is good... to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." In situations like this our impulse is to throw mercy aside. It must be you and me as Christians asking both questions. Yes, Hamas terrorists must be judged; yes, those who perpetrate evil must be dealt with violently—that's Scripture—but we must ask the questions of mercy and justice, and be careful how we go through these things.

Apart from God's Mercy

Paul writes in Romans 2:

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things... Do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

We must be careful when we cast judgment, lest we be judged. But we can trust this, church: God will pour out justice rightly. His judgment is according to truth. Every one of us has acted unjustly and deserves wrath, yet God's goodness and patience have led us to repentance. He will render to each one according to his deeds—eternal life to those who patiently do good, but indignation and wrath to those who obey unrighteousness, "to the Jew first and also to the Greek; for there is no partiality with God."

So the final point: apart from God's mercy, our injustices will be met by God's just and violent response. I am in desperate need of God's mercy every day, and so are you. I'm so grateful that when God introduced Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34, He led with mercy: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful." We identify ourselves by what we do; God led not with "the Lord, the Lord God, just"—which would have left us toast—but with His mercy.

And who absorbed the just and violent response for our injustices? Jesus. He is the only hope for a sinful, fallen world filled with injustice. I must constantly remind myself of this, because my impulse when I see injustice is to respond with anger—a right response—but anger can spiral out of control until I commit the same evil. God help us.

Guard Your Soul

One final thing. The impulse that makes us slow down to look at a freeway accident is the same impulse that makes you want to click on that video or picture on social media. Don't do it. It's not good for your soul to see such wickedness with your eyes, and social media lets us instantly see things we can't wash from our minds. War is bad; wickedness is disgusting. I made a point not to watch the videos or look at the pictures these last two weeks, and I'm glad I didn't. I don't need to see burned bodies and decapitated infants, and neither do you. It is enough to know that wickedness is disgusting and God hates it.

Closing Prayer

God, we need Your help. I pray for wisdom for those in positions of power, because navigating these difficult situations desperately needs Your wisdom. Please put the right people in the right rooms at the right time to speak wisdom. We pray for peace, and Lord, I know that when I pray that, what I am ultimately praying for is for You to return. So Lord Jesus, come quickly. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Prince of Peace, we want You to rule and reign—Lord Jesus, come quickly. But if You don't come for generations, give us the ability to shine brightly in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those who agreed said, Amen.