Lecture Notes: Understanding Justice in the Bible

Introduction

• Comparison of animal behaviors with human actions
  • Praying mantis, honey badger, panda
  • Humans would consider similar actions wrong or unjust
• Question: Why do humans care about justice?

Biblical Perspective on Justice

• Humans as the image of God
  • God's representatives
  • Rule by His definition of good and evil
• Core identity and bedrock of justice in the Bible
  • All humans equal before God
  • Right to dignity and fairness

Reality of Human Behavior

• Self-preservation leads to redefining good and evil
• Injustice arises towards vulnerable individuals
• Happening at personal, family, community, and civilization levels

God's Response

• Choosing Abraham to start a new family
  • Teach righteousness and justice
• Righteousness (Hebrew: Tzedakah)
  • Ethical standard
  • Right relationships, treating others with dignity
• Justice (Hebrew: Mishpat)
  • Retributive and restorative justice
  • Seeking out and helping the vulnerable
  • Advocating and changing social structures

Biblical Examples

• Proverbs: Advocating for the voiceless
• Jeremiah: Rescuing the disadvantaged
• Psalms: God upholds justice for the oppressed

The Concept of Wickedness

• Hebrew word Rasha (guilty or wrong)
  • Ignoring human dignity, injustice

Irony in the Biblical Story

• Israelites oppressed in Egypt, later commit injustice
• Prophets declare Israel guilty of injustice
• Injustice prevalent everywhere
  • Participation in injustice, actively or passively

Surprising Biblical Message

• God's gift: Life of Jesus
  • Jesus did righteousness and justice
  • Died for the guilty, declared righteous
• Early Christians' transformation
  • Righteousness as new status and transformative power
  • Compelled to seek justice for others

Radical Way of Life

• Loving neighbor as oneself
• Commitment to justice and mercy
• Micah's message
  • Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God

Conclusion

• The Bible Project overview
  • Crowdfunding and video production
  • More resources available on thebibleproject.com