Justice is something that we all generally ascribe to as a desirable thing. One of the reasons we like to watch police shows is that they typically have the bad guy get caught and justice served in 1 hour. We grew up with cowboy movies that made it simple to find the bad guy with the black hat and know that the good guy with the white hat would be able to give him what he had coming to him before the movie was over. Justice is also a characteristic of God.
For example:
Deuteronomy 32:3-4
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Frequently I’ve watched a news story and wished for swift and precise justice so that evil people would get what they deserve and could never escape justice. We see people we know must be lying and you can’t really do anything but wish for a judge that can see the heart.
For example:
Proverbs 21:15
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
Unfortunately while we may say we love to see justice come in the life of sinners we don’t really think about how it might impact us because we don’t generally have Gimli’s willingness to submit to examination. We typically judge ourselves as better than the next guy or gal so hopefully God is grading on a curve and will deal with the really bad people first and just leave us alone.
For example:
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
God is perfectly Holy and without any sin. He hates sin and will not tolerate it in the least. To be near God and aware of His holiness is to be convicted of our sinful nature.
For example:
Isaiah 6:1-7
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.
Within the LOTR we can see Galadriel representing justice. Even the influence of the Lady Galadriel was sufficient for Boromir to want to keep the evil in his heart away from Lothlorien and what a search of his heart would reveal in him. Even someone like Aragorn had to eventually turn aside from her gaze.
It is important to realize that Galadriel’s heart was pure but corruptible. When Frodo offered the ring and tested her hear she was tempted but didn’t give in to the temptation.
She says at the test of the ring, “And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!” (LOTR 1.381).
Sam can't figure out why she didn't take the ring. He says, “I think my master was right. I wish you'd take his Ring. You'd put things to rights. You'd stop them digging up the gaffer and turning him adrift. You'd make some folk pay for their dirty work.” and what does she answer knowing the evil of the absolute power of the ring? She says, “I would. That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas! We will not speak more of it.” (LOTR 1.382) As a ring bearer herself it took a remarkably pure heart to turn down the free offer.
That ring would expand and empower her justice making it so ruthless that, in her words, all would love her and despair. Everyone would fall short. No one would measure up to the standard. God’s justice is moderated by the mercy flowing from His love and the Grace found in the work of Christ. We can know that, like Isaiah in his vision, our guilt is taken away and our sin is atoned for. But note that in the work on the Cross justice is fulfilled and not justice compromised. Christ paid the price for your sin.
Boromir continued without repentance in the face of conviction. He thought he could hide the wickedness his heart and his continued comments about Galadriel drew a rare rebuke from Aragorn. Aragorn was full of mercy but he had heard enough when Boromir said that he didn’t trust Galadriel.
Boromir said, “I do not feel too sure of this Elvish Lady and her purposes.” to which Aragorn replied “Speak no evil of the Lady Galadriel! You know not what you say. There is in her and in this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware.” (LOTR 1.373)
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