Day 240: Just Love (Proverbs 21:5-16, Corinthians 1:23–24, 2:1-11, 2 Chronicles 31:2–20, 32:1-23, 33:1-20)

Day 240: Just Love (Proverbs 21:5-16, Corinthians 1:23–24, 2:1-11, 2 Chronicles 31:2–20, 32:1-23, 33:1-20): Proverbs 21:5-16 5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit    as surely as haste leads to poverty. 6 A fortune made by a lying tongue    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. 7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,    for they refuse to do what is right. 8 The way of the guilty is devious,    but the conduct of the innocent is upright. 9 Better to live on a corner of the roof    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. 10 The wicked crave evil;    their neighbours get no mercy from them. 11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;    by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge. 12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked    and brings the wicked to ruin. 13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor    will also cry out and not be answered. 14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath. 15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous    but terror to evildoers. 16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence    comes to rest in the company of the dead. Commentary Justice and the poor A society without justice and the rule of law is a terrifying place to live. 

Proverbs 21:5-16

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead to profit
   as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶ A fortune made by a lying tongue
   is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

⁷ The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
   for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸ The way of the guilty is devious,
   but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof
   than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰ The wicked crave evil;
   their neighbours get no mercy from them.

¹¹ When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
   by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

¹² The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
   and brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³ Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
   will also cry out and not be answered.

¹⁴ A gift given in secret soothes anger,
   and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

¹⁵ When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
   but terror to evildoers.

¹⁶ Whoever strays from the path of prudence
   comes to rest in the company of the dead.

Commentary

Justice and the poor

A society without justice and the rule of law is a terrifying place to live. Evil is unrestrained. The poor, in particular, suffer. We see the terrifying results of a lack of justice in many societies around the world.

Where the rule of law operates it has a double benefit. When justice is done, it brings ‘joy to the righteous’ (v.15a). It also deters evildoers. It brings ‘terror to evildoers’ (v.15b). ‘Good people celebrate when justice triumphs, but for the workers of evil it is a bad day’ (v.15, MSG).

Justice leads to a society where people feel protected and secure – especially the poor. One of the reasons our prayers might not be answered is that we have not heard the cries of the poor: ‘If you shut your ears to the cry of the poor, you too will cry out and not be answered’ (v.13).

Prayer

Lord, I pray for justice in our world. I pray for those that are seeking to bring justice to parts of the world where injustice reigns.