“Give attention to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples” (Isaiah 51:4-5a)
Isaiah‘s prophetic words were designed to comfort Jewish exiles in Babylon. He knew that separated from their homeland and their Temple, pressured by their Babylonian overlords and attracted by the Babylonian gods they would tend to stray. The Lord reminded them to remember their heritage. They must recall the faithfulness of Abraham who was called to live in a land not his own, far away from family and friends; the trials of those who left Egypt; the faithfulness of those who entered the Promised Land. The Lord took care of all of them. He did not desert them although, at times, they deserted Him. The words of Isiah call them to hope, not to despair, for the Lord will always triumph over evil.
And that is what the Lord would have us know today. He will punish wickedness and sin of all kinds, not just the ones that the world deemed evil, but all. He will exact real justice that will punish those who oppress and abuse their fellow human beings. But the justice of Almighty God is not like what passes for human justice, the justice that many clamor for today which demands not justice but revenge upon and punishment for those the world deems racist and intolerant. But these will ultimately find that the justice of God will fall upon them if they steadfastly reject Jesus and as Savior and God. They will remain spiritually dead in their sinfulness. If however they acknowledge their sins as we believers do, and turn in repentance to Jesus they will find that justice has already fallen on the crucified Lord. Instead of justice, they will receive mercy and faith.
Like the Jews in Babylon, we faithful saints are in exile. We live apart from heaven in a world opposed to the Lord God. We are surrounded by pressures and temptations as well as trials, problems and suffering of all kinds. Many fear other people, the government, terrorism, the future, pain, and uncertainty. In the midst of our despair the Lord reminds us that we have been redeemed. We should not then live as if we were still in the world. We should look to Jesus for we are members of His kingdom. We have been redeemed from His wrath. Death then can no longer hold any power over us. Let us then extend God’s mercy to all.