Proverbs A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Justice is a persistent theme throughout the Bible, because it is one of the characteristics of God. He loves justice. This is beautifully described in Deuteronomy The Bible is clear that justice is fragile and needs to be carefully looked after. It can easily be perverted. The prophets showed particular concern about the evil of market traders tampering with their scales. By adjusting the scales in their favour, they were able to defraud their customers with every sale, and the Lord hated it. The prophet Amos observed that they couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so that they could get back to cheating the helpless. He wrote: “You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor” (Amos God still loves justice and so we have the responsibility to fight for justice whenever it is under attack. Injustice happens to some extent in every country, but laws have been developed over the centuries to ensure that many forms of exploitation are now illegal. However, the fact is that we trade internationally and so we need to be aware of the exploitation that is still rife in many parts of the world. We may enjoy buying cheap products but when they are produced through the abuse of vulnerable workers, we can be sure that God is deeply unhappy. Justice is not an optional extra for Christians but a fundamental part of our obedience to Christ. Question In what ways are you working for justice? Prayer God of justice, help me to stand up for those who are unjustly treated in this country and throughout the world. Amen