Justice and judgement are the habitation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
Ps 89:14
There are times when we experience injustice or delayed justice in our lives. We often hear of such occurrences in the lives of others. During such situations, we are encouraged to remember that our God is a God of Justice.
Judges Chapter 11, through the life of Jephthah shows such an incident . He is born of a relationship between Gilead and a harlot. Gilead’s legal descendants tell him that he can not have inheritance of their father. He is made to flee from Gilead the tribe . This is unjust but the children of Gilead accomplish it with the help of the elders.
Jephthah, a ‘ mighty man of valor ‘must have felt hurt and humiliated . One good quality of Jephthah is that he does not depend on his own strength to fight back. Though expelled, he lives with a longing to be restored to his father’s clan . God considers his longing mercifully when he waits for God’s time. This is the second admirable quality of Jephtha.After years, when the people of Israel are threatened by the Ammonites, the elders come for the assistance and leadership of Jephthah.
He speaks to God which is the third appreciable nature of him. After his victory over the Ammonites, The Israelites accept him as their head and he continues to be their judge for six years according to Judges 12:7.
As children of God, how do we handle the injustice done to us within our family and friends? We can learn from Jephthah. His reliance on God, his patience, and his relationship with Him are amazing. These are the secrets of his success and restoration. God blesses him with a good daughter and his name is found in Hebrew 11: 32 along with the names of Gideon, Barak, Samson , David and Samuel.
Prayer
Dear God, give your grace and wisdom to handle injustice and help us to pray until Justice is restored in our lives.
Amen.
Sol. Angelian