“If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.” – Ecclesiastes 5:8
I recently led a devotional in my Sunday life group for the first time (in life). In our Zoom meeting (since quarantine), many of the members expressed discouragement at the series of events that had been occurring in America following the murder of George Floyd. Without saying his name, some members expressed that the news was so depressing and that we need to pray for our country.
As I listened to each member share a recap of their week (as our usual practice), I sat at my kitchen table, shaking inside from fear of addressing Floyd’s murder, the protests, and my accompanying biblical scriptures to a predominantly White upper middle-aged class. When it was my turn to speak, I nervously, but calmly, acknowledged the discouragement that some members shared, and I began with Lamentations 4:17 to acknowledge protesting as an effective way to communicate distress, although we do so to an ineffective nation:
“Still our eyes failed us, watching vainly for a nation that could not save us.”
In this same vein, I expressed that this ineffective nation is incomparable to bringing justice as only God can bring justice, which God constantly reminded His people Israel throughout their captivity.
While we are each called to be reconciled to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, through our repentant sin and belief on Yeshua, the Savior, I believe that it is the unrepentant sin of this nation that He will bring to judgement for the racial violence and innocent bloodshed against the people of Judah as explained in Joel 3:19 (whom I believe refers to Black people).
How or when will His judgment come? I do not have the answer, but for now, let us “search out and examine our ways and turn back to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
Some people may mock or scoff in unbelief, but I have peace (although my spirit is also troubled) that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the one whom I call “Father,” has already written His promises, His judgement, His vindication, and His return to this earth, for which we all will one day face, every knee bowed and every tongue confessing Yeshua Hamashiach as Lord and God above (Philippians 2:10).