Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
– Deuteronomy 16:20
This is a great verse that summarizes God’s justice and God’s desire for his people to do justice. This passage specifically talks about appointing judges and officers in towns. God’s people will enter the promised land to judge people rightly, to not show partiality. To not accept or make bribes, but to work and to act justly. This is something we see all over Scripture. Justice is mentioned hundreds of times. And it’s oftentimes mentioned alongside righteousness. And we don’t have time to dive in here into a whole biblical definition of justice. But I would say that the most broad definition of justice would be doing that which is right and good for all people as exemplified in God’s character and expressed in God’s Word.
Deuteronomy 16:20 shows how justice is rooted in God’s character.
In other words, God is the one who defines justice. And that’s important because the world has all kinds of different definitions of what justice is. But it’s God’s character and God’s Word that tells us what justice is. The whole point is God calls his people to do justice, to do that which is right for others. And so I want to encourage you today to think about God’s command for us as his people to do justice, and to treat others rightly.
This is really summarized in Jesus’s command, to love our neighbors as ourselves to do what is good and right for the people around us. And all throughout Scripture… As we’ve already prayed about in Deuteronomy… God prioritizes justice for the poor, the oppressed, the needy, the widow, the orphan, or the sojourner. And all of this should affect the way we pray and live.
So let’s pray accordingly in light of this picture in Deuteronomy 16. God’s saying justice and only justice you shall follow that you may live. Oh God, we pray that you would help us to value, prioritize, and do justice in our lives today. Oh God, help us to do that which is right for people around us. What is good according to your Word, in a way that reflects your character.
Deuteronomy 16:20 explains why believers must stand for justice.
God, we pray that you help us to do that. Especially for people in need around us. Or people who have experienced or are experiencing injustice in their lives. God help us to work for justice on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner. And God, we pray for the governments in which we live to do justice. We know it’s a different picture today than in the Old Testament. God, we pray for just leaders and just laws.
God, we pray that you would help us to the extent with which you grant us influence. Help us to work for just leaders and just laws that are good for all people according to your Word and in a way that reflects your character. God, we are so thankful for your justice. We are so thankful that in the end, injustice will not have the last word, that one day your justice will cover the earth.
This verse reminds us of the just payment for our sin.
And God, even as we pray that God, we praise you for your mercy toward us. We know that if we only received justice for our sin, we would all be separated from you, condemned, and judged by your holy judgment for all of eternity in hell. God, we praise you for saving us from our sin, for granting us mercy, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the just payment for our sin so that we could be forgiven of our sin.
Dressed in your righteousness reconciled to you, to then live to reflect your character. Yes, God, thank you for making this possible for us. Help us to do this where we live and around the world. God, we pray for the good news of your grace and your mercy and your justice, all in Jesus to spread through us, God among all the peoples of the world.
Prayer for the Meskhetian Turk People
We pray for the Meskhetian Turk people of Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, this people group of 300,000 Muslim men, women, and children who don’t know the good news about the just Ruler of the Universe coming to us to make a way for us to be justified, forgiven for all our sins and restored a relationship with you, with the hope of a New Heaven and a New Earth where your justice will reign forever. Oh God, help us to do justice and proclaim the justice of Jesus to the ends of the earth starting right where we live today. We pray all of this in your name, Lord Jesus, according to your Word in Deuteronomy 16. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
