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By Sam Smith|Published Date: March 18, 2010
Lamentations 3:34-36
34To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, 35to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, 36to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve.
The Story: The Lord is the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25), and He will bring before His bar every offender of His holy Law (Jam. 4:12; Rev. 16:7; 20:12)). Though there is an appointed Day when this final judgment will occur, the Lord even now extends His righteousness into the various (yet to be) conquered spheres (Matt. 13:31; 16:18). Increasingly His will is pressing forward, extending justice to the poor and powerless as the hearts of people are turned toward Him (Jam. 2:5; Ps. 146:7). From sending Moses to free Israel from bondage under the Egyptian pharaoh, to sending Ezra and Nehemiah to lead the return from the Babylonian exile, to sending Jesus to release His people from their sins (Is. 61:1; Luke 4:18; Eph. 4:8), the Lord redeems His people from slavery.
The Structure: The three listed injustices reflect how the powerful may utilize their position to vent their disdain and malice. Cruel treatment by those who pay no heed to God-given human rights toward those incarcerated brings the displeasure of the Lord. Further, suppressing any protest of maltreatment is evil; “the Lord does not approve” (Ps. 107:10-16). In knowing this, the oppressed can look to His covenantal mercies for relief.
Do you know someone who has been the victim of those who hold the reign of power? Maybe they are in prison this very day. Like the prophets words above, encourage them by letting them know that the Lord is watching.
For more information on this topic, get the book, Jeremiah, Lamentations, by Tremper Longman III.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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