A FAIRNESS ISSUE

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 99:4  NKJV

⁴ The King’s strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

Ezekiel 18:25

²⁵ “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?

“Equity – equal, even, level”

“1.  Justice, right.  In practice equity is the impartial distribution of justice, or the doing that to another which the laws of God and man, and of reason, give him a right to claim.

“2. Justice; impartiality”

“You have established equity.”

American Dictionary Of The English Language Noah Webster, 1828

It is not new that someone should accuse God of not being fair.  The people of Israel made this complaint to Ezekiel. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘the way of the Lord is not fair. Ezekiel 18:29.  But Ezekiel’s reply is the same today, “Hear now, O House of Israel, is it not my way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?”  Ezekiel 18:25.

If we change Psalm 99:4 in a permissible way and see it written, The strong King also loves justice, you have established that which is fair,  this equity or fairness which is the certain result of God’s justice must apply to our worship.

The “holiness Psalms” begin with 93 and continue through 99.  The reign of God, His justice, judgment, worship, and holiness are themes that continue through this section. 

The Lord is righteous because He is holy.  He is just because He is righteous.  His righteousness demands judgment and His judgment is everlastingly fair.  The Psalmist in 96:9 reminds us of His glory and the responsibility of worship.  It is at this point we again pointed to our attitude in worship.  It is to tremble before Him.

The Hebrew dictionary defines this, “to quiver, with any violent emotion especially anger or fear.”  We know this does not refer to anger so that leaves with us with the conclusion that this means fear or extreme awe.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9

What does this have to do with fairness?  The questions I have heard about worship are directed toward any formality that lends itself to dignity.  “It is not fair,” they say, “to require us to sing Psalms and those old hymns that you old people like.  We want the current music and words.  We don’t want to see someone dressed formally or with some preaching robe.  We want someone with whom we can relate.”

The issue remains.  What most imposes on us, “the beauty of holiness”;  what is most likely to make the participant, “tremble”?

This is the certain truth we have in Scripture, the culture of the age does not impress God nor is He in any way constrained by it.

Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

To be continued…