The Watchman's Diary

“He has told you, humanity, what is good, and what Adonai is seeking from you: Only to practice justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God”.

Micah 6:8

Yeshua (Jesus) exemplified four traits very clearly for us to emulate. They are traits that we find throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation—He is just, loving, merciful, and humble. Furthermore, Yeshua said He did nothing of His own, but only what His Father taught Him (John 5:19) and said only what His Father sent Him to Say (John 12:49). These were God’s traits Displayed through His Son and are for us to live by. One may say that love is the foundation of it all, for we were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and God is love (1 John 4:8).

T​he two greatest commandments are to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18); see also Matthew 22:36-40. God commanded us to “[enact] justice for the orphan and widow, and [love] the outsider, giving him food and clothing” (Deut 10:18); to not “twist justice—you must not show partiality or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous” (Deut 16:19); and to pursue “justice, justice” (Deut 16:20).

T​he Prophet Isaiah said the Messiah’s throne will be established in Mercy (Isaiah 16:5) and that Adonai longs to show mercy to His people (Isaiah 30:18). He commands us to “administer true judgment and practice mercy and compassion each to his brother” (Zechariah 7:9). Adonai is a merciful God (Deut 4:31) and Yeshua commands us to “be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate to you” (Luke 6:36).

Today, thousands are taking to the streets calling for justice and seeking to have equality under the law, and in general. How are we—the body of Yeshua—to respond to situations like this? Do we have a responsibility to act when there’s violence in the system and in the streets? Are we to turn our eyes from those seeking justice to those committing crimes—damaging property, stealing, killing, etc. Should we deny those seeking justice because we are distracted by those who seek to terrorize the neighborhood? Can we not focus on both? Adonai says “Learn to do good, seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). The Apostle Peter said, “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the many-sided grace of God” (1 Peter 4: 10). If we are united in Messiah, we can take on the difficult challenges and minister Him to this broken world.

We too often turn to politicians to fix the problems and save us but politicians practice politics and politics—especially today’s politics—divides. It often seems as if the body of Messiah is more united in our political identity than we are in Messiah Himself. The Apostle Paul once asked, “Has Messiah been divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you, was he? Or were you immersed into the name of Paul?” (1 Cor 1:13). The same applies to us today! We are not saved by the blood of presidents, prime ministers, judges, or any other elected leader; we are saved through the blood of Yeshua, and He alone can bring true peace and perfect justice!