Good and Evil

Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people. [Amos 5.14-15]

Here is what repentance looks like: Do what is good and run from evil... Then there is an indicator of when we have succeeded at repentance: Then the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper...

Do I hate evil and love what is good? Amos gives us an indication of what that looks like: turn your courts into true halls of justice.

In the USA (a republic ruled by the vote of the people), I don't think it presumptive to understand what "turn your courts into true halls of justice" means. It says that our vote should foster true justice.

"True justice" then should be understood. So, what is true justice? For all who believe the Bible (and for good reason), it is clear:

“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the LORD your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly. You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly. Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you. “You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the LORD your God. And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the LORD your God hates them. [Deuteronomy 16.18-22]

There are two main points in the passage above key to understanding "true justice." The first is a warning about what prevents true justice: bribes. A bribe is nothing more than material gain at the expense of justice. Money is typically at the center of a bribe. When money is involved, decisions about right and wrong can easily become clouded and corrupted. When elected officials are allowed to make decisions that benefit themselves instead of the people they represent, corruption spreads like wildfire and true justice is absent. The unique thing about a republic then is that the voting people are ultimately responsible for the actions of the elected officials.

The next thing Deuteronomy points out is the need to prevent false gods from affecting the worship of God the LORD (Yahweh) alone. Why is it, do you suppose that God hates idol worship so much? We know God is jealous for us, but we usually only consider that from an emotional human perspective. Should we not consider that idol worship also has a practical perspective? Here's the explanation: if God sets up the rules for living as one way, but an idol carries with it other rules, then whose rules does the idolatrous person follow? The answer is simple: he follows the one whose rules best serve his personal needs and/or desires - in other words, he becomes a god unto himself. If, again, elected officials are allowed to dilute or disregard the foundational basis of the republic they are sworn to uphold, then true justice is absent. And again, if the voting people do not assure that elected officials adhere to the basis of the republic (in the USA's case, the Bible and God the LORD), then the voting people have failed.

The Bible is not unclear about the need to hate evil and love good. The Bible is furthermore not unclear about what is evil and what is good. In fact, most law today finds its basis in the Ten Commandments found in the Bible. As stated above however, when another non-Biblical basis is considered (like situational ethics for example) instead of the Biblical basis for justice, then the lines between good and evil become blurred. It is at this point that evil begins to be called good and good begins to be called evil. Then the question becomes paradoxical: how does one hate what is evil and love what is good if both are relative?

True justice is hating evil and loving good. True justice requires absolutism when it comes to right and wrong. Otherwise, chaos is the best any society can ever be.

Father, help me to understand good and evil as the Bible presents it. Help me furthermore to promote good and evil with my voice of influence and my vote at the ballot box.