Justice also will I make the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. (Isaiah 28:17 KJ2000)

Righteousness, says Isaiah is the plumbline; it defines perfect moral straightness and integrity with relationship to God. Justice, on the other hand says Isaiah, is the measuring line. It measures horizontally between man and man. To act with justice means to act in equity, integrity, and morality toward other men.

In the beginning God gave us his Law in written form in order to enlighten our understanding with respect to living righteously before him and with justice toward men. The first five commandments give broad directions for living righteously before God.  1) The first commands us to have no god besides Yahweh, the LORD; 2) the second commands to make and serve no idols, no representations of God; 3) the third commands us not the take the LORD’s name in vain (today millions take our LORD Christ’s name in vain by calling themselves Christians. They will be among those to whom Jesus says, “I never knew you!”); 4) the fourth command enjoins us to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy; and 5) the fifth commands us to honor our parents (We must honor our parents for they stand in the place of God to us when we are young. God defines proper order through this and it relates to the “fear of the LORD). All five of these first of the Ten Commandments define a righteous relationship with God.

The second set of the Ten Commandments instead deal with our just relationships with our fellow men. 1) The first, command number six, says “you shall not kill;” 2) the second says, “you shall not commit adultery (all forms of fornication, including homosexual acts are included in this prohibition); 3) the third of the second set says, “You shall not steal;” 4) the fourth prohibits lying; and 5) the fifth prohibits coveting, or lusting after your neighbors’ possessions.  Notice how all five of these commands deal with person to person relationships.

Now consider that the Law defines God’s conception of “truth,” his exact requirements regarding our relationship to him and other men. We see specific examples of the application of this Law, however, which now affend our sensibilities, which now do not appear to be merciful. This includes the example of the man stoned for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. God began the revelation of his Word by giving us his Law before he revealed his great mercy. This is because mercy, unbridled by the Law of truth, is lawless. It allows anything, requires no accountability, and leads to the destruction of the world. We see the effects of unbridled mercy, called grace, in all the Western world today. Here sin and lawlessness reign as men exalt their vileness. But, God revealed truth in the form of law to inform those who would one day be qualified to rule this world.  These ones, these elohim, these overcomers, have been prepared from the beginning of the world.  They will wield God’s truth (God’s rod of iron) in mercy.  This is that which will sweep away men’s refuge of lies in which they dwell.

Continuing now with this thought that mercy and truth comprise God’s dialectic, let’s consider particular ideas expressed by the Bible. Righteousness and justice comprise the foundation of God’s throne according the following Scriptures:

Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to execute justice and righteousness. (1 Kings 10:9 KJ2000)

Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you to set you on his throne, to be king for the LORD your God: because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore he made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness. (2 Chronicles 9:8 KJ2000)

Righteousness and justice are the habitation of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face. (Psalms 89:14 KJ2000)

Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and justice are the habitation of his throne. (Psalms 97:2 KJ2000)

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:7 KJ2000)

And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking justice, and hastening righteousness. (Isaiah 16:5 KJ2000)

As you consider the verses above think of a railroad track. Railroad tracks consist of two distinct rails. Think of one as righteousness, the other as justice. Each rail differs from the other, but they are similar. Where one goes the other goes. Their destination is the same. Their purpose is the same. But, they are not the same. Similarly, consider a coin.  Every coin has two sides, heads I win, tails you lose! Each side of a coin differs from the other side, but they make up the same coin. Righteousness and justice are like both the railroad track and the coin. Each word conveys specific and individual ideas, but each ultimately gets us to the same place like a railroad track and its two rails. Or, as in the case of coin, the two sides are parts of the same thing. This analogy helps us to see the oneness of righteousness and justice. We can take this a step farther with the verse, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalms 85:10 KJ2000) Remember what has been taught in the previous posts of this series, we could write the last part of this verse as “righteousness and justice have kissed each other.” Now consider this idea in terms of the marriage of a man and woman. Scripture tells us that not only do they kiss one another, they “become one.” Two separate, distinct beings become one! Thus is it with righteousness and justice, or mercy and truth. The two become one.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)

People often read the New Testament, but seldom read the Old Testament. Many believe that the “God of the Old Testament” actually differs from the “God of the New Testament, Jesus Christ.” Men tend to see the God of the Old Testament as the harsh God of tough and unreasonable laws. On the other hand, they see the God of the New Testament as a loving God of mercy and peace. Are they really different Gods?

The fact is that the same God is God of both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus IS the Creator we find in the Old Testament. He IS that God which gave his Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Horeb. Likewise he IS that God of whom John said, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3) He IS that God who was born in the flesh of the virgin Mary. He IS that God of whom Isaiah said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) He IS the Father who came to earth as the Son. And he is the one who said, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

But, isn’t this idea wholly other, wholly different from that law which stoned the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath? Could the God who commanded Moses to kill that man really be the same God who preaches mercy? How could this be?

First, understand that God gave us his Law in order to teach us his righteous standards as applied in this world. The Law set forth God’s conception of justice with respect to man’s relationship with other men and with respect to man’s relationship with himself. But, the Law also establishes both natural and spiritual principles. For example, God forbade the practices of adultery and homosexuality and instituted the death penalty for violations of these laws. God enacted such a harsh penalty because these acts will destroy the very fabric of society if allowed to propagate and become common. We see the results of allowing rampant promiscuity in our own civilization. The destruction caused remains self-evident to anyone with eyes to see.

The law forbidding work on the Sabbath implemented the spiritual principle that one must lose one’s soul in order to gain it in the next age. It demonstrated the idea of “entering God’s rest.” One can only enter God’s rest when he dies to the lusts of the world. God sees this principle as so important for mankind in general that when a man disobeyed his command to rest on the Sabbath, he instructed Moses to stone him to death. The principle deals with eternal life. God executed this man as a “living parable,” a natural, historical event which teaches a profound spiritual lesson.

In a recent blog I discussed the fact that Joseph was called “righteous” because he refused to publicly denounce or call for Mary’s stoning when she was found pregnant with Jesus. Likewise, I do not believe that Joseph would have stoned a man found picking up sticks on the Sabbath in the Israel of his day.  By that time God’s people had learned his lesson of mercy.

If we read and re-read the Old Testament, meditating as we go, we will begin to see that God did not usually judge Israel according to his Law. Instead, he mercifully sent prophets to his rebellious people and urged them to repent. His way has always been one in which mercy triumphs over judgment.  As the Psalmist says,

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. (Psalms 107:1-2)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way: When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, decided to put her away privately. (Matthew 1:18-19 KJ2000)

Many Christians, in their zeal to love and obey God, seek to put themselves and others under the Law, the Torah, again.  They believe that to fully obey this written code of law would glorify their LORD and display their justice and righteousness.  Although they rarely say so, if given the chance they would likely enact the literal Old Testament law as our civil statutes. The question is, is this what Jesus would want from us?

Here is the Old Testament penalty for adultery in this particular situation:

If a young woman that is a virgin be betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then you shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and you shall stone them with stones so that they die; the young woman, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife: so you shall put away evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:23-24 KJ2000)

Matthew says that Joseph was “unwilling to make her a publice example,” which means that he was not willing to bring her to the public square and cast the first stone that would  ultimately disfigure and kill her. No, Joseph was a “just man.” He would not implement God’s Law in this case. What?! How can it be that one’s decision to not enforce God’s laws could ever be called just? One simply cannot see it in the natural; the Law of Moses does  not spell this out. But the prophet Hosea tells us when he proclaims, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6 KJ2000)

Jesus attempted to explain this maxim to the Pharisees on two separate occasions when they accused him and his disciples of being law breakers, the first time when he ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners, thus associating with the “unclean,” and the second time when his disciples “worked” on the Sabbath by harvesting food to eat. On both occasions he told them that they would not condemn the innocent if they knew what this means, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice.” See Matthew 9 and 12. Afterward Jesus himself implements this maxim when he refuses to the condemn the woman caught in adultery to public stoning.

Men have not understood either Joseph, who refused to stone Mary, or Jesus in this story from John 8. Instead, throughout history we have seen two extremes among men. One extreme zealously guards God’s Law, or their particular church laws which enact bits and pieces of it, taking joy in punishing any breach.  These, like Protestants Calvin and Cromwell and Catholics in the Spanish Inquisition, go on to kill those who disagree with their doctrine, their understanding of truth. Their understanding of righteousness compels them to go and kill in the name of Christ and truth. These reject mercy for their brand of truth. Others, including present-day liberal churches, totally reject the law and the notion that sin even exists anymore. These promote gross sinners to their pulpits and palaces of authority. They replace truth with a lawless mercy, a lawless grace.

Yet, in Christ truth and mercy meet and become one, just as two lovers kiss and become one. As the Psalms say,

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. (Psalms 85:10 KJ2000)

Righteousness and justice are the habitation of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face. (Psalms 89:14 KJ2000)

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations. (Psalms 100:5 KJ2000)

For your mercy is great above the heavens: and your truth reaches unto the clouds. (Psalms 108:4 KJ2000)

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto your name give glory, for your mercy, and for your truth’s sake. (Psalms 115:1 KJ2000)

And as the Proverbs also bear witness:

Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of your heart: (Proverbs 3:3 KJ2000)

Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good. (Proverbs 14:22 KJ2000)

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. (Proverbs 16:6 KJ2000)

Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upheld by mercy. (Proverbs 20:28 KJ2000)

Thus, when Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery he did not say, “You have done nothing wrong,” thus excusing her from sin. He did not counsel the hypocrite Pharisees to implement God’s Law and mercilessly destroy her in their blood lust. Neither did he ignore the Law as if she were guiltless.  Rather, he said, “Go and sin no more.” It is this simple statement which teaches and displays the commingling of justice and mercy. Some men’s understanding of justice and judgment would have said, “Take her and stone her to death.” Others would have said, “Leave her alone.  She has done nothing wrong.” Jesus says, “Woman, indeed you have done wrong. You have sinned a sin which could lead to your death. But, I will not condemn you to your death. I came to give you life and to give it abundantly. You may begin this walk of life if you simply go from here, this place of your sin, and sin no more!” In saying this Jesus showed that his way, the way to God, the way of mercy and truth, is to turn each sinner away from his sins.

Entering God’s Rest (8)

God gives us two witnesses to instruct us concerning entering his rest.  These two are typified by Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.  But what do these two types actually represent?

Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. (2 Kings 17:13 KJ2000)

God originally gave the Law to Moses. Moses himself was the first prophet who revealed and explained the Law. After that God sent other prophets to help Israel understand and walk in God’s ways. The prophet Hosea gave perhaps the greatest and most succinct summary of God’s plan as follows:

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6 KJ2000)

Jesus himself quoted this verse in Matthew 12:7 when he rebuked the Pharisees for their legalism which perverted the true intent of the Law. This really is amazing. Think about what this comment actually means.  We could, for example, quote Hosea by saying, “I desired mercy instead of the sacrifices required by the Law,” or “I desired that you get to know me and my ways instead of strict obedience to the many sacrifices of my law.” When Jesus thus rebukes the Pharisees he reminds them of David and his men eating the bread of faces, the “showbread.” The Law specifically stated that only priests could eat this bread, yet Jesus justified David even though he “disobeyed” this law. This is because the heart of the Law is mercy and justice, not strict obedience to specific rules. David and his men needed that bread in order to be able to continue in God’s will.

This does not mean that we can sometimes freely disobey moral laws like adultery and fornication, or coveting and idolatry. In fact Jesus taught that the New Covenant rules concerning these issues were even more stringent than Moses’ laws.  He said, for example,

You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28 KJ2000)

You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:21-22 KJ2000)

On the other hand, Jesus implemented new laws which seem to make the Mosaic law less strict when he said,

You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two. (Matthew 5:38-41 KJ2000)

The fact is that Jesus does not implement a new law; he interprets God’s Law as he intended it to be understood and carried out. Most people view Old Testament law in terms of being a judgmental, harsh set of rules. They end up calling Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament,  (who is, in fact, Jesus, the God of the New Testament), a harsh legalistic God. Then they view Jesus as much gentler and loving. No, he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus explained the Law in ways hitherto unknown. In Jesus the Scripture is fulfilled,

Mercy and truth are met together; justice and peace have kissed each other. (Psalms 85:10 KJ2000)

When truth and mercy meet they form the intersection of  law and grace, that is, justice and peace. The Law informs our reason as to truth and justice. Grace informs our conscience as to mercy and peace.  These are the two witnesses, then, mercy and truth. And they are explained by the prophet who understands the Law.

Part 1: Entering God’s Rest

God acts so mercifully toward us because he is our Father. For many years now I have been an attorney with a fair amount of criminal law cases. I find myself constantly amazed at the parent who will spend his last dime, even mortgage his home, in order to pay the legal fees for his reprobate son or daughter charged with a crime ranging from drug pushing to theft to assault to even murder. If a natural father acts with such mercy and care for his evil child, how then can we expect our heavenly Father to act? With mercy.

And so we see that our Father, for now, has held back the first trumpet judgment and moved instead to the second. So far only our sea has been affected. But, what will happen when storms and hurricanes pick up the oil and the dispersant poisons and dump them upon man, beasts, trees, and grass? Will that not begin the literal fulfillment of the first trumpet judgment?

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (Revelation 8:7 KJV)

Until then, though, God’s mercy remains. And the purpose of that mercy is to bring his people to repentance. Yet, it seems so far that Christians, and certainly the rest of the people of the world, have not taken the Gulf disaster very seriously. People continue more interested in their pursuit of pleasure than in understanding the times. Most refuse to even consider that the Gulf oil catastrophe could be a fulfillment of God’s judgment. And to this Jesus says, “O you hypocrites, you can discern the appearance of the sky; but can you not discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:3)

But, God’s mercy is not like man’s mercy. Men do not know when to withhold good from their wayward children and so they often confirm and embolden them in their sin and rebellion. God actually brings judgments upon men in order to cause them to repent. Repentance of sin, and repentance alone, restores the relationship of the child to the Father. Thus we see that God’s mercy actually leads him to bring judgment upon his creation. We live in that sad time when all men’s thoughts have turned to evil.  We live in days like the days of Noah. And as in Noah’s day, men continue to sing and to dance and to marry, never realizing that the mercy of God has now led to judgment.

As the Day of the LORD (Yahweh, Jehovah) progresses we will see two things happening at once.  One will be the fall of man’s kingdom, which is Mystery Babylon and the beast upon which she rides; the other will be the rising of the Kingdom of God.  God’s overcomers shall be installed over various regions and cities of the world and will rule with a rod of iron.  The rod of iron is God’s Law tempered with perfect justice and mercy, for in the overcomers God has written his Law.  In them justice and mercy have kissed to enable the bringing forth of perfect order.

The Ark of the Covenant, built by Moses at the time of the Exodus, represents, or typifies, the overcomers, the manifested sons of God.  These are those whom God calls elohim in the Old Testament. The Ark was built of quality hard wood and overlaid with pure gold.  Wood represents man for men are as trees walking alludes the Scripture.  Wood, like man, consists of the dust of the earth and only lives by sun (the Son) and water (the Word of Life).  When God glorifies man he becomes as wood, the creation of God, clothed in righteous, that is, covered with gold.  Within him dwells all the contents of the original Ark of Moses, the manna, the rod that budded, and the tablets of the testimony.

The manna represents the bread of life, Jesus Himself.  Jesus is the Word become flesh.  Overcomers, all of them, are men of flesh who consumed the bread of life during their earthly sojourn.  They did not complain as did all Israel in the wilderness, saying, “We’re sick of this worthless bread.”  No, they willingly consumed it, chose it, and made it their being.  The bread became them.  They, in turn, become the bread of life which Jesus, after the parable, will divide and feed the many thousands.

The rod that budded also represents the overcomers, mere men of flesh who, from the death of their carnal nature give birth to glorified life which bears fruits that remains.  Please see the series called The Two Rods in the May 2010 archives of this site for more information on this.

The tablets of the testimony are the stone tablets upon which God wrote his Law, the Ten Commandments. The Law dwells in the midst of the Ark.  This represents the fact that God writes his Law upon the hearts of his overcomers.  The mercy seat sits upon the Ark and covers it.  This represents the unification of mercy and justice, or law.  Mercy and justice perfectly mix and blend within the sons of God.  Thus they become qualified to rule with the rod of iron.

In Revelation 11:19 we see God’s temple in heaven opened.  Within the temple we see the Ark.  This shows the sons of God in God’s presence, now perfected and ready to do their work.  And what is their work?  To bring the wrath of God to the earth.  The wrath of God, justice perfectly tempered with mercy. This is the rule of the Rod of Iron. And what is the goal of their rule? That others will learn to become as they are! That all the earth, as the waters cover the seas, will become sons of God, men created in the full image of God.

Justice also will I make the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. (Isaiah 28:17 KJ2000)

There exists a sure and simple way to test the words of anyone who calls himself or thinks himself a prophet of the Most High, and it is this, he must speak forth the righteous requirements of God.  It is not enough to give lip service to this and then deny its power by living and condoning lives which do not raise up this standard.

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:20 KJ2000)

A man or woman may receive revelation in the Word and may perform miracles, but this does not mean that he or she walks and preaches the narrow path that God requires.  There exists a “mystery of Godliness” for us to understand and enter into.  All of Scripture tries to make us understand this, but we often get caught in little streams of truth and end up drowning in the deep waters we make by it.   God does not care if you were baptized in this or that church or if you were baptized by sprinkling or immersion.  He does not care if you believe few, many, or all people are saved.  He does not even care if you smoke or chew or go with girls who do.  He cares about whether or not you know his ways and whether or not you desire to keep those ways.  Those ways are manifold, for it is the sum of God’s ways which define truth and righteousness, not one or two laws.  And always remember that in Christ mercy (righteousness) and truth (justice) kiss each other.

Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be who go in there: Because narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out demons? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his teachings: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Matthew 7:13-29 KJ2000)

I saw your puffy lips,
stubbles for your hair;
I looked into your eyes,
to the soul still dwelling there

I listened to your sister
tell how three assaulted you,
had tied you to a tree
and with fire had burned you through

I listened with rapt horror;
how could man so do?
What evil could beset him
to maim one six and two?

Yes, eight years old you were,
a babe bare from the breast
when three much older burned you
and left you much, much less

Through life you now must go
a monster to our eye,
skin grafted onto bone,
pain shrieking to the sky

I gave a paltry twenty
to help you in distress,
but I have prayed e’er since
that you would suffer less

Twenty more I’d gladly give,
one thousand, even more,
if I could see you healed
and settled of the score

“Forgive,” He said, “forgive,
forgive and nothing more,
if you forgive each other,
you’ll owe me nothing more”

“Nay, my Lord,” said I,
“I long to see your justice,
where eye be given for an eye
and hurt for ev’ry instance

“Where burn be answered with a burn
’till they go mad, insane
I long to see the torture turn
their worm to writhing pain

“A boy thirteen, his uncle 40,
their friend in his mid-twenties,
tied this young boy to a tree,
and ruined his future history

“They poured out gas and lit a match
that burned all recognition;
How can it be reality
that we should just forgive them?