S1 E17: Righteousness and Justice, Part 1

Brad and Nathan kick things off with a shocking quote from the Melian Dialogue (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War):“The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”That’s the world’s idea of justice.But God gave Abraham a higher standard, before Moses, before Sinai, before any written code.Genesis 26:5 says “Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”How? The law was written on his heart (Rom 2:15) and revealed in creation (Rom 1:20). No one is without excuse.This episode launches a 3-part series on righteousness (tsedeq) and justice (mishpat), the twin pillars of God’s covenant plan.We explore:- Abraham’s faith counted as righteousness (Gen 15:6)- God’s purpose: “that he may command his children… to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice” (Gen 18:19)- Ancient parallels: - Phoenician gods Sydyk & Misor - Babylonian Kittu & Misharu (justice of the sun god Shamash) - Egyptian goddess Ma’at (cosmic balance via the heart) - Greek Dikē (order → punishment) vs. biblical covenant faithfulnessThe Bible’s answer? Righteousness is God’s standard. Justice is living it out.And only faith in Christ makes it possible.----------------------------------------------------------------------We are sponsored by Baba Java Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster and cafe based in Birmingham, AL. Visit babajavacoffee.com and use code "covenants" for 10% off your order!Support us on Patreon for early, ad-free episodes and exclusive "Deeper Waters" content! patreon.com/covenantsandkingdomshttps://linktr.ee/covenantsandkingdomshttps://www.covenantsandkingdoms.com/