Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away, for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.
– Isaiah 59:14–15
Wow, there is so much in these two verses about justice, truth, good, evil, and the character and perspective of God.
Isaiah 59:14–15 teaches us to work hard to promote justice.
As Isaiah 59:14–15 describes days of injustice among God’s people, the phrase, “Justice is turned back.” Later, at the very end of verse 15, “There was no justice.” It was a time of injustice and unrighteousness, “Righteousness stands far away.” All of this is grounded in truth being lacking, this phrase, “Truth has stumbled in the public squares.” In such a way that uprightness, that which is true, and right, and good cannot enter, “Truth is lacking.”
And then listen to this phrase, “He who departs from evil,” in other words, he who does good, “Makes himself a prey.” He who does good, he who speaks truth, becomes a prey. And the Lord sees all of this. He sees injustice, injustice is not unknown to God, unseen by God, he sees it, and it displeases him, because he is a perfectly just God, and he calls his people to do justice.
And so I want to lead us to pray based on these two verses, in light of injustice around the world, around wherever we live, and at the same time, to pray that God would help us, as his people, who know him, to do justice of all people in the world. We should be the most just people, working the hardest for justice, because we know the just God over the world, and he has called us to do justice, to love mercy as we walk humbly with him. That’s straight from his Word to his people in the Book of Amos, and it’s reiterated all over the life of Jesus, and as we read through the New Testament, to do that which is right and good for all people, according to God’s Word, according to his truth.
Isaiah 59:14–15 reminds us to look forward to God’s ultimate justice.
So God, we pray, in a world of injustice all around us, in a world of evil, and oppression, and unrighteousness in our countries, different countries where we live as we’re praying right now, we see injustice all around us. In other countries in the world, we see injustice, and unrighteousness all around the world. And we pray right now for your justice to come, for your justice reign.
God, we long for a world that is just, and right, and we praise you for the promise you’ve given us, that one day your justice will reign perfectly, and a new heaven and a new earth where everything will be right, and nothing evil, wrong, unjust will ever enter it. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, we pray. And as we wait for you to answer that prayer, we pray that you would help us to do justice around us, right where we live, to do justice for the poor, to do justice for the weak, to do justice for the orphan, and the widow, and the sojourner.
This verse encourages us to do justice to all kinds people in our midst.
Help us to do justice for refugees in our midst. God help us to do justice and love, mercy, for all kinds of people around us… To the extent to which we have opportunity. To work, for a just government, with just laws, just leaders, and just judges. Oh, God, as 1 Timothy 2 calls us to pray for leaders in high positions… We pray for them to do justice. To do what you have designed government to do. To promote good, and punish evil, according to your Word in Romans 13.
And oh, God, in the middle of all of this, help us to proclaim truth, the truth of your Word. Help us to proclaim it with conviction, and compassion, faithfully and fruitfully. God, we pray that you help us to proclaim truth and to do good… Knowing that this may make us prey… But God, help us to do good no matter what it costs. To proclaim truth. Ultimately, the truth of who you are, how you love us, and how you have taught us to live.
Prayer for the Mali People of India
God, help us to proclaim your truth as we do justice. Help us to proclaim the gospel as we do good. And we pray this not just for our lives or our countries, but for all the nations of the world. And all the peoples. God, we pray for the Mali of India, 12 million of them, this Hindu people group in India. God, we pray for justice for them. We pray for just laws, and leaders, and judges in India.
God, we pray for a just government in India. And we pray for the spread of the gospel in India, and specifically to the Mali people, and to many other people, groups like them in India that are unreached by the gospel. God, help us to work on behalf of those who are suffering, due to injustice around us and around the world, however, you might lead us by your Spirit, until the day when injustice is no more because Jesus has returned. In his name, we pray, according to your Word in Isaiah 59:14–15. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
