Justice Has Been Served

6-5-11

These are words used often today in our news. A law has been broken, a person arrested, a trial or judgment has been held to determine one’s guilt or innocence. If found not guilty or found guilty, a sentence roe release has been determined. Justice has been served. This is the purpose of our courts today. Paul words it this way in Romans 13:1-5, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid. For he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God’s minister, and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject.”

We understand from these passages what brings about wrath from our governing authorities. It comes upon those who break laws. So justice must be rendered to those who break the laws of this land. Our courtrooms are sometimes referred to today as the “Halls of Justice”. They are a place where trials are held, evidences are presented, judgment is pronounced, and sentences are imposed. Lenny Bruce once quoted, “in the Hall of Justice, the only Justice is in the halls”; meaning, in the Halls, justice should always be found. Sadly, our Halls of Justice today fail in this respect.

But Halls of Justice is used in another way, not referring to a place where sentence is imposed, but where a sentence is carried out. In the late 1800’s, there was a jail in the City Hall in Manhattan that was named the “Halls of Justice”. It was a place where sentences were to be served for those who practice evil or broke law (Romans 15:4). In 1896, it became known as “the Tombs”. Here inmates would serve the terms of their sentence. Seven decades later, this jail in City Hall was replaced as what is known today as the Manhattan Detention Complex, but still the name “the Tombs” persist.

Hell is a place prepared for those who practice evil. In a way, it is the “Hall of Justice” where the terms of a judgment will be enforced. The terms of those who practice evil will be given by a just God. Jeremiah 50:7 states, “All who found them have devoured them. And their adversaries said, because we have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice. The place where God dwells is called the “habitation of justice”. He always renders just punishment.”

God’s wrath is never without cause. His wrath comes because He is provoked (Deut. 9:8). Disobedience to Law is what provokes God to anger. But His anger is controlled anger, not frenzy. Jeremiah said in 10:24, “Lord, correct me, but with justice, not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.” God’s judgment will be imposed on all who are disobedient to His laws. Terms of His judgment will be carried out. Justice will be served.

Today, at times, terms of judgment do not carry harsh punishment, yet justice is served because of the offense that was committed. We need to understand, one of the terms for those who practice evil will be a life sentence in the “Halls of Justice”.

C. L. Bruner