Posts Tagged: Psalm 106:2-3

“Fairness and Praise”

On March 24, 2020 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,

                    or declare all his praise?

Blessed are they who observe justice,

                    who do righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:2-3, English Standard Version)

Fairness and praise: Does that sound like a strange couple to you?  A bit like Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley (who are now uncoupled)?

It strikes me as more than a little bizarre as well.  I’ve noticed that Christians and churches that are known for their emphasis upon justice, fairness, and social issues are not generally known for their praise.  And I’ve noticed that Christians and churches that are known for their praise are not usually famous for their emphasis on social issues.

Yet this psalm combines the these two.  No, the psalm does not simply combine them.  It welds them together with an unbreakable bond.

The Hebrew word translated “justice” in verse 3 is mishpat.  Many translations bring this word into the English/American languages with our word “justice.”  However, I don’t like that word.  That is because our word “justice” is often synonymous with “punishment.”  While the Hebrew word mishpat does contain the idea of punishment at times, that is not the only nuance of the word.  The word can (and often does) suggest that God is fair in God’s dealings with us.  It also has to do with fairness in our dealings with one another.

So, if I am being fair all day, every day, am I praising God?  Yes!  And that is the kind of praise that God especially loves.  If we commit ourselves to living a life of fairness, then we might not find this pairing of praise and fairness so strange.  In fact, we might decide that it’s a pretty good marriage.

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