The last three subtitles in the introduction provide some personal history and observations from Pastor Keller that have formed his passion for what he calls “justice.”
At the end of his introduction he tells us that the book is written for believers and non-believers, in order that both may see that” justice” for the poor and marginalized is a central teaching of the Bible. Again, I must ask, “which definition of justice does he mean?”
At the end of his introduction he tells us that the book is written for believers and non-believers, in order that both may see that” justice” for the poor and marginalized is a central teaching of the Bible. Again, I must ask, “which definition of justice does he mean?”
Pastor Keller begins his first chapter with Micah 6:8. He provides a footnote explaining that sometimes he quotes the NIV Bible and sometimes he gives his own translation. Since the quote is not from the NIV, it must be from the PKV.
“And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
After the Micah passage P.K. relates two stories of people who sacrificed their own comfort to aid the poor—what the church has traditionally called mercy, or love, or compassion. P.K. insists that these two examples are what the Bible defines as “doing justice.”
As we look at the surrounding context of Micah 6:8 we see that it is an answer to a question posed by a penitent Israel. Having been confronted by God’s case against them through the prophet, Israel (here personified) asks, “With what shall I come before the Lord?” The words that follow reveal their expectation that because of the greatness of their sin, God will obviously demand that they make a great sacrifice, even perhaps to the sacrificing of a first-born child.
Micah 6:8 is the Lord’s answer. Compare the exchange between Saul and Samuel when the prophet reproaches the king for disobeying God’s instructions. What instructions had God already given to Israel regarding “justice?” The obvious answer is the laws of Moses.
Micah lists Israel’s sins. They had not done “justice”- mishpat.
The leaders were accountable to God for knowing what “justice” was; vs. 3:1. God had already made it known to them.
Rather than oppose injustice they became party to it. They coveted and stole property, vs. 2:1, 2. They murdered, vs. 3:9, 10. The truth was for sale in law, teaching, and prophesy, vs. 3:11. They lied and committed fraud, vs. 6:10-12.
It is a common mistake, when interpreting, to treat what is a procedural term as a substantive term. A procedural term refers to information outside itself in order to derive an accurate meaning. A substantive term contains its meaning.
An example is the due process clause in our constitution. Lawyers who wanted to eliminate state laws treated the term “due process” as if it were something in itself rather than referring to the state laws already in existence regarding the charging, apprehension, and trying of the accused.
I believe that Pastor Keller has done the same thing in this passage with the word “justice.” Once this is done the term is open to a new definition, which Pastor Keller provides. The meaning of the term in this passage can be derived from the surrounding context.
God also had already told his people to love mercy. In this way they would imitate Him (Micah 7: 18 – 20). God reserves the right to give justice to His enemies, but He loves to show mercy to His covenant people. Just because God does both does not make them close in meaning.
