Judgment and Justice

Isa 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

We need to know what these words mean: judgment and Justice.

Keep ye judgment; mishpat, has two broad meanings. The first is to decide a case, of innocent or guilty; so it applies to discerning right and wrong, usually in a legal or court setting and pronouncing a sentence. The second meaning is to apply judgment to established laws; in our use it would be to judge according to God's word, not only by the letter but by the spirit of the law. We are not to judge as to sentence someone as a punishment; that is the work of the Lord. We are to judge as to right and wrong conduct. How else could we discern between good and evil and the wolf from the sheep? This is called discernment. We need discernment in the body of Christ. Those who judge to condemn others, better check their own salvation.

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

And do Justice; tsĕdaqah, righteousness, in government and in personal matters. So we are to judge by the standard of the Bible, in righteousness. Jesus was not given righteous judgment by the chief priests and elders. They had secret and illegal court hearings and false accusers; they were all filled with unbelief and envy. For he was accused of saying he was the Son of God which is true and he was unlawfully executed for blasphemy by those who had no truth or righteousness. Those in power must have righteous judgment; but so few have these attributes.

The justice of God was fulfilled in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.


If we seek judgment and justice we will find salvation in Jesus, our righteousness. His sinless life was given as a substitute for our sins. He satisfied the justice of his righteous Father God. when we believe in him, we receive pardon being justified by his blood. It is just as if we had never sinned.

Isa 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

You are blessed if you have judgment and justice. Two ways to observe this is in Sabbath keeping and keeping your hand from evil. The Jews had a sign of the Old Covenant, that was to keep the Sabbath. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and he is our rest. Traditions have changed for many to have church on Sunday. We should come together in rest and in worship on our Sabbath day. The ungodly do not attend church and have no regard for God. One reason we attend is to highly esteem our LORD in teaching and in worship, advancing his kingdom.

Isa 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

We are not to covet what we had or what we have lost. In Christ, all things are become new.

Phil 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Phil 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Isa 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

Their is no shame for the eunuch who has had his masculinity cut off with no natural sons or daughters. He will inherit a name greater than that of a father. He shall be a son of God through faith in Jesus.

Psa 31:22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
Psa 31:23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
Psa 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Isa 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

The strangers from the old covenant shall be welcomed in the new. The gentiles shall be accepted by Jesus when they believe in him for salvation. The old ways can be corrupted by man's traditions. Jesus came to cleanse the temple and our temples, with scourging and with his blood.

John 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
John 2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
John 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
John 2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mat 21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Isa 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

It is one thing to be cast out by men and another to be cast out by the Lord at his displeasure . If you have been rejected and cast out of a church by men, Jesus is the final authority. If he calls, be sure to answer him and come to him.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Isa 56:9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.

The birds and the beasts will devour those cast out by the angels at the coming of Jesus at his return. (Rev 19:17-18) Some who are cast out are in high places in the religious world. They are rich and self indulgent, arrogant and blind. As were those who plotted to kill Jesus.

Mark 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mark 11:18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Isa 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

The Father's watchmen were blind, they missed the messiah. The were spiritually ignorant. Yes, it is possible to know the law and the prophets and miss God. They are all dumb dogs; an unbelieving heathen was called a dog. They cannot see nor hear, so they do not bark; they prefer to lie at rest and slumber. They are very poor watchdogs, not even close to being the Lord's watchmen. This is how many will be in the end times, before Jesus returns.

Isa 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Woe to these shepherds who get rich off of the flock and always want more. They are reprobate shepherds who have no understanding: they all look to their own way, as hirelings and Lords over the people, they abandon their flock for their own gain.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, contrasted with the hireling

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
John 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

There were self indulgent priests in Judah and there will be many in the last days

Isa 56:12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

As judgment approaches, they simply drink and get drunk. They tickle the ears of the sheep, giving them what they want to hear. The sheep are unrepentant sinners as are the shepherds, but he speaks so smooth and makes them feel good about themselves. Is this being a watchman shepherd?

2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

They do not want to offend so as to fill the church and to increase the flow of giving, so that all will go on as before in selfish indulgences buying favor with God, but living in unrighteousness. The tradition of purgatory is one false doctrine that assumes all will go to hell, but by prayers and money, the time would be shortened. If in hell, there is no salvation.

2 Cor 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

We are all called to be priests of God, a holy people. We dare not slumber as others do, in self indulgence and in sin. We must be awake to righteous judgment. Being aware of the closeness of Christ's return, we discern the times and we are to keep our lamps full of oil and be the light in a dark world. We are the watchmen to warn the world and to bring them to Jesus and his righteousness. We also must walk in holiness and in truth.