Is Justice a Joke? – Will Evil Prevail?

Photo by Leonardo Yip on Unsplash

Many of us have exclaimed; God, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!” before you come to the rescue? Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head.^[1] These are not only the words of First Responders and others today; they were words of the Prophet Habakkuk around 610 B.C.

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

² O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
³ Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
⁴ Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore, wrong judgment proceedeth.
(Habakkuk 1:2-4 KJV)

We live in a society that tries to avoid pain and deny death, a society where good is wrong and evil is good—a society where perversions, injustice, division, and suffering run amok. We live in a time where there is corruption among our political leaders, evil and immorality are on gross display, and ethical and family values are evaporating. We’ve all seen evil in our lives; it’s affected us, and we have the scars. The issues we face today are not that different from what Habakkuk faced.

Using power to cause psychological or bodily pain, destruction, or crimes against humanity is classified as evil. The movie Star Wars explains the concept of good and evil. Darth Vader was the ultimate villain until it was revealed that he was a regular human who became consumed by his emotions and desires, transforming into a villain ruled by his dark side.

Almost all of us who believe in God may have felt that the Lord has forsaken us and left us alone at some time in life. Many have an underlying question: “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” “Why had He permitted atrocities, terrors, and suffering?”

In his book “Adventuring through the Bible (revised and expanded edition),” Pastor Ray C. Stedman wrote:

A survey of non-Christian college students revealed the number one question on most students’ minds: “Why would a loving God allow people to suffer?” For some of those students, the answer was simple – and fatalistic. “the answer is that there is no God. It’s pointless to ask why a nonexistent being would allow suffering. You live, and you die – and you would never know the reason why. Don’t try to figure it out. The point is, there is no point.” (Discovery House, 2012, page 480)

As First Responders, we’ve taken an oath to protect society; we’ve witnessed the unfathomable, seen the tragedy, and walked into danger without considering our safety. We don’t hesitate while others are hesitant. We protect the helpless, battle for justice, and push back evil; it’s the burden we carry.

Because of the evilness, first responders are leaving their professions at an alarming rate; we are burnt out, stressed out, and no longer feel safe. Every day, we suit up to do a thankless job and are the unsung heroes who do not feel respected or have the community’s support.

The Merrian – Webster’s dictionary defines EVIL as:

morally reprehensible: sinful, wicked; an evil impulse arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct a person of evil reputation.

Archaic: inferior. Causing discomfort or repulsion: offensive an evil odor. Disagreeable woke late and in an evil temper.

Here are seven social processes that lead to evil:

mindlessly taking the first small step
dehumanization of others
de-individualization of self (anonymity)
diffusion of personal responsibility
blind obedience to authority
uncritical conformity to group norms
passive tolerance of evil through inaction or indifference and that particularly in new or unfamiliar situations

Many in today’s society believe we are exempt from the wrath of God, and many more do not believe in God. Many believe that our nation was built on Christian values and that God will protect us from those anarchists, communists, and socialists who want to harm us and destroy our way of life. After all, isn’t God is on our side? We are not part of the Axis of Evil; we fight evil!

Habakkuk decried the evilness, violence, corruption, and wickedness of the people of Judah. In the land given to the Jews by God, there was no justice, and the people ignored God’s law. God answered Habakkuk; He said He would use the evil Chaldeans (Godless pagans) to punish the Jewish nation (Habakkuk 1:5-11). After all, God had promised that if Israel loved and obeyed Him, He would bless them, but He had also threatened to punish them if they went their way (Deuteronomy 30:19–20).

Having heard God’s plan, Habakkuk was shocked and distressed that God would use evil against them; he asked, “how can a righteous God use the more wicked to judge the less wicked—and how should believers respond when He does (Habakkuk 1:13) ?”

Photo by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash

In chapter 2 of the book of Habakkuk, God promises future judgment on the Chaldeans, and it closes with Habakkuk’s prayer, which describes God’s greatness and majesty, causing him to live by his faith.

The book of Habakkuk teaches us that no place is too dark or a wall too thick for God’s grace to shine through. Whatever the circumstances, we can be assured that God is still in charge, and the righteous shall live by faith! It reminds us that, even if God appears to be silent and uninterested in our world, He always has a plan to deal with injustice and always brings justice to bear… eventually.

And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
(Isaiah 13:11)

No matter how bad things become, God is still in charge. We have no idea what he’s doing because his ways are far above ours. We forget that only God knows what the future holds. There is no power greater than God. He is the wisest, the enforcer of ultimate justice, and we can rest assured that he will put things right in his own time.

Are you living in EVILNESS? Are you in CRISIS? Are you SUFFERING? Are you living in spiritual FEAR? Are you LOST or in the DARKNESS? Are you having thoughts of SUICIDE?

If you died tonight, do you know if you would go to heaven? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do You Know GOD? If not – please click HERE

IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, GET HELP NOW

Law Enforcement Copline (800) 267-5463

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“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” – Roman 1:17 KJV