God’s Justice for the Oppressed in Isaiah 59:14-19

Last updated on: March 13, 2022 at 9:13 pm by Connor Brennan

God’s Justice for the Oppressed in Isaiah 59:14-19 2022-03-13T21:13:05-05:00 Connor Brennan

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“Justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.

Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.

He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

According to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render repayment.

So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
which the wind of the Lord drives.”

Isaiah 59:14-19

This passage from the book of Isaiah gave me inspiration and comfort in the immediate aftermath of one of the roughest times of my life, when God took me out of a toxic living situation at college. These verses provide a beautifully poetic analogy for how God enacts justice when He sees that the justice system is inadequate.

I needed to read these verses again, as I continue to deal with the whirlwind of negative emotions we’re all experiencing in the wake of the pathetic indictment against the officers who killed Breonna Taylor. The grand jury in Kentucky indicted only one of the three officers involved with wanton endangerment, a property damage charge. No mention was given of their actions resulting in her death. She matters less than her neighbors’ property in the eyes of the law in Kentucky.

Nearly 200 days after Breonna’s life was taken from her by the reckless actions of these three officers, she still has been denied true justice. Let none of us forget that the LPD’s initial report on the incident stated that she suffered no injuries and that the actual culprit the three officers were after was pressured to slander her in exchange for a plea deal. There is no justification for what happened to her, and it deeply disappoints me that there are people trying to make excuses for any of this. Breonna should still be with us, and all of us should be livid that the justice system in Kentucky continues to shrug off her death like it’s nothing.

God’s justice will be done for Breonna, and all of the other lives destroyed by this country’s transgressions. When those who are supposed to mete out justice opt for oppression or obstruction instead, they will be held accountable.

Featured Image by Connor Brennan

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