And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7 NKJV)
“Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.” (Exodus 23:7)
These verses underscore the truth that God, in His perfect justice, does not declare the guilty innocent. While merciful and patient, the Lord will not compromise His righteousness by justifying (acquitting) the unrepentant wicked. When considering God’s nature, we are faced with the imperfections of human society and our culture. God’s character and nature make it impossible for Him to acquit the guilty. This does not negate God’s mercy or His longsuffering, but it recognizes that God will hold those accountable who do not reconcile their guilt before time runs out.
The passages in Exodus 23 deal specifically with the daily concerns of the Israelite nation. God insisted that the Israelites guard themselves against being associated with a false matter, a person defrauding his brother, associate or neighbor. If we assist in bringing harm to someone, God will hold us accountable for those actions, even if no human judge ever does. Furthermore, if we bring harm against the innocent or the righteous, God assures us that vengeance will come!
The Psalmist wrote, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1:5–6). Our culture longs for equivocation on matters of guilt and judgment. People desire to justify their harm on the pretense of the “greater good,” but God is not mocked. “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:15–16).
When we evaluate our lives and actions, do we justify ourselves or do we hold ourselves accountable to God’s standards? When we consider the actions of our friends and family, do we clear the wicked? When we examine the actions of the politicians we support and with whom we agree, do we justify their wickedness? We must not! We must stand firmly with the righteous, we must demand accountability and justice for harm against the innocent and righteous, and we must never forsake our character for relationships or peace in this life. If we ally ourselves with the wicked, we become the enemy of our God.
