What happens when the justice system fails you?

What about when someone claims to be a pillar of righteousness but ends up hurting others?

These questions aren’t just modern concerns—they’re rooted in some of the oldest stories of the Bible. God’s commissioning of Abraham to “keep the way of Yahweh by doing righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19) offers a powerful framework for exploring God’s ethical demands for His creation. However, when we dig deeper, the narrative exposes profound challenges that still resonate today.

Let’s examine the ancient Near Eastern context of the narrative surrounding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the two patriarchs with different approaches to hospitality. Along the way, we’ll uncover what these stories say about justice—then and now.

The Ancient Near Eastern Duty of Justice

Let’s begin by exploring the demands for justice in ancient society. The phrase “righteousness and justice” functioned as an ancient idiom for what we might now describe as social justice. In ancient Mesopotamia, kings claimed righteousness and justice in their campaigns to win the hearts of the people. Law codes like Hammurabi’s promised protection for the vulnerable, but these laws often enshrined inequality. A wealthy merchant’s rights outweighed those of a poor farmer, and ethnicity could determine one’s access to justice.

Sound familiar?

In these cultures, righteousness and justice weren’t universal values—they were political tools; campaign propaganda. Kings used them to legitimize power, not improve their people’s lives.

The Torah, by contrast, flipped the script. God’s laws focused on protecting the powerless—orphans, widows, the poor, and foreigners. Yet even in Israel, the kings missed the mark. Prophets like Isaiah railed against leaders who performed religious rituals while trampling the oppressed.

Isaiah 5:7 captures this failure in striking poetry:

This verse is powerful enough in English, but the Hebrew text holds a powerful truth. In Hebrew, the words for justice and bloodshed, righteousness and cries, are almost identical. A change of one letter turns justice into its opposite. The lesson? Small distortions of justice can snowball into oppression.

This is why oppression often masquerades as justice.

Questioning God

The flood narrative and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah share striking parallels. Both stories reveal divine judgment on rampant wickedness, yet they showcase two very different human responses.

Noah obeys without question. He builds an ark, saves his family, and watches the world drown without a word of protest.

Abraham? He negotiates. When God reveals His plan to destroy Sodom, Abraham pushes back, shocked that God would bring down such indiscriminate destruction. Abraham advocates for the righteous within the city. “Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” he asks. Abraham’s audacity underscores a critical biblical theme: questioning injustice—even when it comes from God Himself.

Shocking right? How dare Abraham call into question God’s morality! Yet Abraham is the father of faith. You see, faith isn’t blindly believing, it is a relationship so strong, you can wrestle with God Himself.

The contrast between Noah and Abraham challenges us. Should we accept injustice in silence or speak up, even when the odds seem insurmountable?

If you are strong enough to question God’s actions, you will be strong enough to speak truth to the powerful who pervert justice.

Hospitality on Trial: Abraham vs. Lot

In the ancient Near East, hospitality wasn’t just a virtue; it was a sacred duty. Yet how one extended hospitality could reveal hidden truths about the person.

Abraham, in Genesis 18, exemplifies lavish generosity. He welcomes three strangers with urgency, offering bread, meat, and water far beyond the bare minimum. His actions reflect a deep alignment with righteousness and justice.

Lot, in Genesis 19, also practices hospitality, but his approach reveals cracks in his moral foundation. When the men of Sodom demand to have sexual relations with his guests, Lot offers his virgin daughters instead.

Let that sink in. Lot protects strangers by sacrificing the most vulnerable members of his family.

This twisted hospitality reflects a distorted sense of justice. Lot’s actions remind us that even well-meaning attempts to protect the vulnerable can create new victims. Isaiah 5:7 looms large here—small compromises on justice can lead to devastating consequences.

Modern Lessons from Ancient Justice

What do these stories teach us today? Consider the parallels:

• Noah vs. Abraham: Do we silently accept injustice, or do we advocate for what’s right, even when it seems impossible to make a difference?
• Abraham vs. Lot: Are our attempts at justice truly equitable, or do they protect some while harming others?

Modern social justice movements often wrestle with these same tensions. For example, efforts to protect one marginalized group can unintentionally exclude or harm others. Like Lot, we sometimes compromise righteousness in the name of protection.

Bringing Justice to Life

The Bible doesn’t just diagnose the problem—it offers wisdom for those who strive for justice. Righteousness and justice require a commitment to advocate for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the oppressed. Here’s how you can live that out today:

• Start Small: Look for everyday opportunities to practice justice. Advocate for fair treatment in your workplace. Support local organizations that help the marginalized.
• Engage with Humility: Be willing to listen to those with different perspectives. Justice requires collaboration, not isolation.
• Challenge the Status Quo: Like Abraham, speak up when you see injustice, even if it’s uncomfortable. Advocacy begins with courage.

Of these tips, engaging with humility is quickly becoming a lost art. Yet it is the key ingredient in making meaningful change. Too often, people pushing for change do little more than toe the party line. They villainize the other side without hearing the cries of the marginalized. From LGBT to abortion rights to illegal immigration, very few stop to consider why the other side is so passionate about their position.

Let’s consider the abortion debate. I don’t believe that God’s plan for humanity includes wiping out life as its beginning. Yet, I believe that God also weeps for the women who have been so taken advantage of that they now see their only way forward to be through the doors of an abortion clinic. It’s only when we take on both the burden of the unborn and the burden of the women making these decisions that we will begin to find solutions.

Putting Justice into Action

Justice isn’t a one-time achievement; it’s a daily practice. Take time this week to reflect on how you might align your actions with Biblical righteousness. Where have you unknowingly compromised justice? How can you better protect the vulnerable without creating new victims?

The stories of Genesis challenge us to go deeper, to question assumptions, and to pursue justice that reflects God’s character. It’s not an easy path, but it’s the one we’re called to walk.

Start today. Speak up. Show up. And let righteousness and justice flow through your life like a mighty river.