Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

I spoke of the iniquity of the New Testament yesterday. It was a far cry from what I was taught, so let us return to that understanding, and the source of the differences, the Old Testament. Here by virtue of first use is iniquity defined.

Remember this is God speaking to Abram, who is not yet Abraham. This is prior to the covenant, contract. This is significant for understanding the variance between yesterday’s devotional and today’s.

Iniquity, Strong’s H5772 `avon perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity; guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition); consequence of or punishment for iniquity

In many verses this is considered guilt of the fathers. Now consider this as first use dictates, judges do not exist, guilt cannot be prescribed without first a law, a finding, and then a just punishment.

Romans 5:13-14 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Imputed is another one of those confusing words, so we are obliged to define it. In the OT it means to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count. It is an understanding of our condition. Yet we see that death still reigned regardless of understanding, the sentence being carried out seemingly without an accusation or a trial. In this one point we discover the differences between the NT and OT iniquity.

The only just judge God, had not written the law so that man might understand his own guilt in his decisions and actions.

In the NT iniquity we sense the injustice done to us primarily because we know who we are in Christ, and we know that sin has been dealt with at the Cross.

1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Do you know the definition of iniquity? I thought I did, at least I know what I have been taught. So I looked it up in the original Greek to discover I didn’t understand it as well as I thought. This is the primary definition in the New Testament.

Injustice, of a judge.

That got me to thinking about the formation of judgment. Am I an unjust judge? How did I formulated my sense of right and wrong? My natural instinct was to say that my parent taught me right from wrong, but it was not true.

I learned injustice from being treated by others as if I was something other than what I am. Being judged unfairly teaches you injustice. My parents treated me as a son. There is no injustice in that.

Psalm 58:1 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

I have always treated a man as a man and a lady as a lady. My lesson from being parented was to treat people on a basic level, adding nothing. I didn’t paint a man or woman to look a certain way to make myself feel comfortable. That is what I learned about being a judge. It was all about making myself comfortable.

Men of conscience have to be able to live with themselves, but the conscience is nothing more than a reflection of the condition of the heart.

Psalm 58:11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

I can only keep my conscience clean if I leave judgement up to the righteous judge. In that way I avoid being the unjust judge.

1 Timothy 1:5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (ESV)