Justice and Grace

In the opening chapter of the book of Nehemiah 1:5 we read about Nehemiah's prayer:

And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments;

Nehemiah's description of God as "terrible" struck me. The word can also be translated "AWESOME". Either way it should grab one's attention. Much the same way that Moses told the children of Israel [Exodus 19:12] when they encamped at Mount Sinai:

12 And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, 'Take heed that you do not go up into the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death; 13 no hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.'

God is who he is and we don't really have to worry about defending him. When we truly see God for who he is we will be like Job when he stood before the Lord to question him. As a result, Job fell to his knees and repented in sackcloth and ashes.

Proverbs 1:7 teaches us that:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. "

When King Jehoshaphat charged his judges in 2 Chronicles 19:7 he told them:

Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the LORD our God, or partiality, or taking bribes."

Only when man fears God is there a hope that justice will not be perverted.

Without an understanding of who God is and what he demands, mankind is left adrift in a sea of relativism that makes the meaning of grace incomprehensible. Without justice we cannot understand grace.