"It's not fair", my two year old huffed one night as she watched the rest of us having dessert.  I turned, shocked at her proclamation and said,  "Oh yes, ma'am, it is fair.  You did not eat your dinner and you will not get dessert."  She wailed of course, but that was the rule. 

I smile as I think about my resemblance to my two year old from time to time.  How often do I stamp my foot and protest "it's not fair"?  Oh maybe I don't say it like that (although sometimes I do), maybe my actions though reveal my true attitude toward a situation.  When we lost our first born son almost ten years ago, I know I said, "It's not fair" many times to God.  "Why did you give me this heartache, but let that woman have a child she neglects?"  I guess it's just a good thing I'm not God because I can guarantee you things would be slanted in my favor a lot.  Isn't that how human nature is though?  Looking out for number one, worried about what is fair to us above what is just in God's eyes?

Recently I was reminded of the fantastic story of Job by my wonderful Grandfather (the preacher).  If there is ever a guy on the planet who could wail, "It's not fair", it was Job.  Have you ever read the account of his life?  It's really quite remarkable.  Here is a man who feared God, served Him and yet God withdrew His protective hand and let Satan at him.    Where was the justice in that?  He lost everything; his wealth, his status, his children, his friends, his health...everything except his life.  I think it's safe to say I'd be more than whining "it's not fair" under those circumstances.  Oh Job grieved and even wished for his own death.  His greatest fears had come to fruition (you see, Satan specializes in what we fear most).  Did he understand the apparent injustice done to him?  Absolutely not!  In fact, he cried out to God about it.  He tried to talk to his friends about it and they weren't very supportive at all.  In fact, they believed he was hiding grievous sins to have such calamity befall him.  During a dark time in his life, mocked by his friends, Job struggles with the seeming injustice of it all.  He questions God with a bitter tone.  And then in the last chapters of the book of Job, God tells Job how it is.  God is sovereign.  He answers to no one.  His idea of justice and our idea of justice don't always match up.  You know what, I think that's probably a good thing!

The Bible tells us that "the LORD is a God of justice!"  He is just....He is fair.  Maybe not by our standards, but then, we aren't the Almighty Creator of all things are we?  Let's consider Adam and Eve's son, Abel.    Do you suppose being murdered by his brother seemed "just"?  We know that when Abel was killed at the hand of his brother Cain, his blood cried out to God.  What do you think his blood was crying out for?  Justice perhaps?  God did in fact curse Cain for the evil He had done. 

Now let's consider for a moment what was "just" about God allowing His own Son to die in such a horrific way?  Hmm, did the thought cross your mind just now that perhaps Christ's blood cried out to God too?  Take a look at Hebrews12:24 (NIV):

"to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

WOW!  I sure am glad Christ's sprinkled blood speaks a better word than Abel's!  Instead of vengeance, condemnation, and death...His blood cries for forgiveness, hope, life, grace and mercy.  By the world's standards there was nothing just about the shedding of this innocent blood.  And yet, God ordained it.  Why?  Simply put...to demonstrate His justice: 

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
Romans 3:22-26 (NIV)