Bible Study

LET JUSTICE PREVAIL
MALAYSIA

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come to your Word for guidance and encouragement. Open
our hearts and minds to the challenges of your Word. Clarify our understanding
and strengthen us with your spirit as we try to live justly, love mercy and walk
humbly with you. Amen

Habakkuk 1:2-5, 3:2, 17-19

Background

The northern kingdom (Israel) had fallen to Assyria in 722 BC and now the threat
of the Babylonian invasion of the southern kingdom (Judah) was increasing.
Biblical scholars estimate that Habakkuk lived in Judah during the reign of
Jehoiakim, which would make him a contemporary of Nahum, Zephaniah and
Jeremiah. He prophesied during the fall of the Assyrian Empire (610 BC) and the
final Babylonian invasion of Judah (588 BC), set against a background of the
decline and fall of the Judean kingdom.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote of Jehoiakim: ‘your eyes and heart are only on your
dishonest gain for shedding innocent blood and for practising oppression and
violence’ (Jeremiah 22:17). Under his rule injustice and violence abounded. The
cries and prayers of the righteous seemed in vain. God seemed to be complacent
toward the evil generation and appeared to do nothing to punish the people or to
correct the situation.

Introduction

For centuries people had believed in God’s justice; however, this justice had not
always been obvious. After many had kept silent about their doubts, Habakkuk
was the first prophet who dared to call God to account. He was perplexed that
God was letting evil increase, so he asked boldly why the Lord allowed injustice to
triumph. Why, when he punished one oppressor, did he replace him with
another? How could God see the injustices and the wickedness in the world and
appear to do nothing about it? This is a problem that has faced every generation,
including ours.

The cry and complaint

‘O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not listen? Or cry to you
“Violence!” and you will not save?’ (1:2). This cry implies a situation of crisis from
which the prophet seeks deliverance. The word ‘listen’ implies a desire for an
immediate and active response. The crisis is ‘violence’ and ‘how long’ shows
Habakkuk’s agony over God’s delay in responding to his plea. The reign of
Jehoiakim was full of injustice and bloodshed, yet God seemed either not to hear
or to be indifferent to these heartbreaking conditions. Habakkuk wants to know
why God does not react to the injustice and corruption that is rife. Why does God
not intervene to help them?

The words used spell out the situation - ‘destruction and violence’ - are associated
with unjust oppression of the weaker members within a community and ‘strife and
contention’ in Hebrew are legal terms which evoke anger and dissension as a
result of lawsuits and legal disputes. These ‘wrongdoings’ have led to the situation
detailed in verse 4: ‘So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The
wicked surround the righteous – therefore judgment comes forth perverted.’
We can see Habakkuk’s plea, therefore, as “LET JUSTICE PREVAIL”.

God’s answer

In verse 5 God assures Habakkuk that he has the matter in hand: ‘Look at the
nations and see! Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your
days that you would not believe if you were told.’ However, verses 6-11, not used
in the service, are challenging and difficult to understand:
• God’s answer to Habakkuk’s complaint is that God is already rousing the
Chaldeans who will restore order by invading and plundering Judah.
• God’s justification for this is that he is in control of the situation: he will
work things out in his own time. One day it will be clear that the good and the evil
are not treated the same. Those who remain faithful will be saved.

Habakkuk’s response

Habakkuk does not see any immediate solution to the problem, although he
requests one (3:2). He is disturbed by God’s response but listens to God’s
message, ponders, prays and finds assurance that enables him to accept the
situation and, with renewed faith and an inner strength, trust that God is in control.
The book concludes with a sung prayer in which Habakkuk sings about a powerful
deliverance that is yet to be achieved (16-19); he has learnt to trust that God will
always be true to his character and let justice prevail.

Conclusion

Today injustice is rampant. Miscarriage of justice seems to be the order of the
day. Perpetrators of injustice appear to be the victors. We may have the same
complaint as Habakkuk and are struggling with serious problems of injustice. We
must do what Habakkuk did, bring them before God, ask questions and seek
answers. We must consider the message that God gave to Habakkuk and
recognise God’s long-range plans and purposes. In his time, in his way, he will
reveal the answers that we seek but it may be in ways and in a time frame that are
beyond our comprehension and expectation.

Cry out to God in prayer. Our God who is righteous and just will “LET JUSTICE
PREVAIL”.

Questions:

• Do you find God’s answer puzzling? If so, why? (1:6-11)
• What issues of injustice are you aware of in our country or in your
  local community?
• How can you make a difference?

Luke 18: 1- 8

Introduction

Luke, in his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles, gives a picture of God’s
justice, which has been perverted and abused. The equitable and peaceful world
which God created has been corrupted by human greed and injustice. During a
time of occupation, people in positions of civil and religious authority seized
political power and economic wealth for themselves. They exploited the workers
and the poor, many of whom were women. Luke defends, reassures and affirms
women. This parable is the third in a trilogy of parables in which women are the
central characters (Luke 13:20-21; 15:8-10). It is also interesting to note that
Luke’s Gospel refers to widows more frequently than the other Gospels (2:37;
4:25-26; 7:12; 21:2-4).

The Powerless Versus the Powerful

The widow

At its root, the term ‘widow’ means ‘a person without’. In Israelite society the
widow was left without financial support, the object of charity. If a man died
without children none of his inheritance went to his widow. Rather, it passed to his
male kinsman on his father’s side or to his brothers. Childless Israelite widows
either returned to their fathers or remained as part of their husband’s families.
In Luke, ‘widow’ has its traditional connotation of devastation, poverty and
vulnerability. But Luke’s interest in widows is not just another expression of his
concern for the poor and the outcast; widows appear to form a special and
respected group always portrayed in a positive light. They transcend the roles of
victims and receivers and act in such a way that they become prominent
examples of faith and piety.

The unjust judge

For many readers the unjust judge represents the powerful systems in society that
discriminate, marginalise and neglect the powerless. Often in these systems,
women are passed over in silence. The Old Testament laid down specific
commands that widows were to be treated with kindness and respect, especially
by judges and leaders. This judge does not fear God or respect people. This judge
is not the type to be moved by compassion: he was probably appointed by Herod
or the Roman authorities. He only granted the widow’s request to silence her.

The justice of God

The wholeness of the world and of all people is the overarching concern of Jesus.
God loves us all but his heart goes out especially to the poor, the oppressed and
the victims of social and religious discrimination. God’s kingdom means fullness of
life for all in a new social order marked by justice, freedom, equality and peace
(Luke 4:18-19).

Jesus urges the disciples to ‘pray always and not to lose heart’. The story of this
widow and an unjust judge teaches the need for faithful prayer and persistent
action. In the midst of persecution and delay, the disciples, like the widow, should
not stop praying and acting for justice.

Women

Women make up the majority of the world’s poor, unemployed and economically
and socially disadvantaged. The problem of global violence has particularly
affected women: the use of force to resolve conflict has created large numbers of
refugees, many of whom are female. Sexual abuse and rape are standard
methods of terrorising women prisoners and civilian populations in affected areas.
Oppression of women - which cuts across class, creed, age and profession - is
rampant not only in the secular world of economic activities, power relationships
and cultural realities; it appears in the structures of the churches and religions too.

Conclusion

In our diverse world today, with its gaps between rich and poor, between the
powerful and powerless, we are challenged as never before to demonstrate in
word and action our faith in a liberating God who will act with judgment against
those who exercise power unjustly.
Women today may identify with the strong feelings of this widow who wanted to
see justice done. The widow arguing her case was a surprise for Jesus’ listeners.
She had to sustain her insistence on justice for a very long time. Her story
encourages us to be advocates who strengthen the voices of those who are not
heard.

And so Jesus concludes the story: “And will not God grant justice to his chosen
ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you
he will quickly grant justice to them.” These words of Jesus are a sure
encouragement to everyone who fights for justice.

This passage is an exhortation to pray with insistence and perseverance for those
who are tempted to give up because of unanswered prayer. While it is framed as
being about prayer, the parable itself describes action.

It is important not to associate the unjust judge with God. It is in the widow that
we see God at work: it is his power working within the widow that enables her to
confront injustice and persist with her plea.

Questions

• Do you feel that the glamourisation of women in our celebrity culture
  is just another form of oppression?
• Will you give up and stop praying because you feel disheartened by
  world events or will you have the persistent faith of the widow?
• Share any experiences you may have had of persistence in prayer.

Closing Prayer

Father, your words are sometimes hard for us to accept and understand because
of the frailty of our faith and trust. Help us to listen when you answer our
questions; strengthen and assure us with your spirit so that we can challenge
injustice and more clearly visualise and work for your kingdom on earth. In Jesus
name, Amen