CHAPTER 1
THE HISTORY OF JUDGMENT
The Judgment of God comes certainly, if not swiftly, when we disobey God. Sometimes God moves swiftly in bringing judgment. Sometimes He moves slowly; but He always moves to judge sin. God prefers that His judgment be positive and redemptive rather than negative and vindictive. Even in judgment, God is loving rather than vengeful. God tempered His judgment of Adam and Eve by providing more adequate clothing for them than they could provide for themselves. Though He drove them out of their sheltered place in the Garden, they were not driven beyond the reach of His loving concern for their well-being. Their work now became difficult toil, and life was to be punctuated by suffering. Life was still possible in God's world. God would still give them a harvest for their labor. The whole story of redemption that emerges as the bible progresses is proof of God's continuing interest in people despite their sin. God's judgment should be understood in the light of His grace. If His judgments were not tempered by His grace, there would be no salvation of any of us. When God created man, moral laws operated in God's creation. Rebellion against God brings punishment and ultimate death. Human dominion over creation is not absolute. God sets limits which humans must obey or suffer the consequences. Creation is God's gift and retains an element of God's mystery which humans can never know. The doctrine of creation presents a call to humans to trust God and not seek absolute freedom. Human pain, broken relationships, a non-productive environment and occupational toil are all related to human rebellion and not to God's original intention for human life. They represent God's gracious alternative to the expected sentence of immediate death. The Creator set up a moral world in which wrong doing ultimately receives its proper recompense. He also reacted and reacts to wrong doing in grace, providing hope even in light of human sin. God loved His creation; but when it defied His moral standards, He knew the He must vindicate His holiness by sending punishment. Because creation was good; however, He wished to preserve it. He established propagation as He method of perpetuating His creation. Even as He punishes sinners, He made provision for propagation of the species to continue. We can be certain that God's world will go on today until He wills to consummate history with Christ's return. The world is so constituted that it adjusts to any shock or tragedy. God controls creation's destiny.
Judgment is part of God's history; for humans do not consistently cooperate to achieve God's purposes. God works in history to eliminate that which ignores His moral will. Judgment occurs in communication with God's faithful people, and in mercy. In historical judgment, God's people see the holy, righteous and just side of God's character. The righteousness of God prompted Him to consider bringing judgment upon the extreme wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. On the other hand, Abraham's plea for righteous people who might live in the City evoked the promise of God that if just ten righteous were found there, God would spare the cities. This does not mean that the wicked would go unpunished. It does not mean that God would not destroy the righteous in a destruction meant as judgment for the wicked. Sparing ten righteous persons had a greater value in God's eyes than destroying all of the wicked of the two cities. Judgment is held in reserve until people reject grace and redemption. A righteous God must act justly. God Himself is the standard of justice. It is the very nature of God to do what is right in all circumstances. God will do what is right in all circumstances. God will not do what is wrong, for that which would contradict His own nature and will. We cannot always easily determine what is right and what is wrong in any given set of circumstances. We can rest assured that God, in His infinite wisdom, will always do what is right. God's wrath comes in judgment upon those who do not repent of their sins and turn to Him. How soon that judgment comes and how that wrath is expressed is not for us to determine. God's judgment came dramatically and decisively on Sodom and Gomorrah.
The fact that God has not dealt just as openly and dramatically with other persons or cities does not mean that God will not act in judgment on them. In His grace, God often delays the exercise of His wrath to let His grace achieve positive results. God attempts through His grace and His wrath to bring people to repentance, faith, and responsible action. The wrath of God is the last resort. It is neither right nor loving for God to simply let sin go unpunished in the lives of those who will not respond to Him in faith. It is not right because God does not contradict His own basic character by continuing to overlook sin. It is not love because God will not let people have reason to believe sin is not serious. God's actions lead us to take Him seriously when He demands our repentance and right living. God's intervention can present sin against His people even though they deceive and are guilty.
Living in a sinful environment does not justify deception. Nor does it justify expecting God to save us from the consequences of our sin. God may act to achieve His purpose, but is not bound to act just because we claim to be His people. God's justice is not a blind, arbitrary, mechanical reaction to evil or the appearance of evil. God's justice take into account the circumstances involved in each individual situation. Instead of pouring harsh judgment upon Abimelech for unwittingly taking Abraham's wife, God tempered His judgment with understanding and mercy. We can always count on God to understand our circumstances at any given time. He is a loving heavenly Father, just as Jesus taught. This does not mean that we can manipulate God or make flimsy excuses for our disobedience. God's justice is informed by His perfect knowledge of us. We cannot deceive God, but we can depend upon Him to deal with us justly.
Even the elements of nature moved to bring judgment and punishment upon Pharoah and those who disobeyed God, so He could reveal His election power and purpose to foreign people in a foreign land. Sin and unbelief lead to the doctrine of election, where in God selects, delivers and trains people to be His own in the midst of an unbelieving world. Although God is gracious, loving and patient, He also judges rebellious, sinful people. Those who refuse His salvation and stubbornly reject His will inevitably experience God's judgment. Their lives result in ruin:
"The Lord wailing throughout Egypt over the death of Egypt's first born sons contrasted with the silence and peace of both persons and animals, even the dogs in Israel. This indicated that God is a God of distinction and choice. His people are the chosen or elected ones free from the wrath experienced by those who saw Pharaoh as Lord. Even Pharaoh was helpless in saving his firstborn son, the heir apparent to Pharaoh's throne of power." (Exodus 11:7)
God does not view sin lightly. If God's people do not take Him seriously, if they do not honor Him as Lord, if they do not follow His commandment, then they can expect to suffer His wrath poured out in judgment upon them. God pours out His wrath not simply to punish, but to bring people to responsible obedience. We are not free under God to pick and choose among His commands. God, not we, decides what is right and what is wrong, what is good for us and what is bad. Any violation of God's covenant is considered to be an act of rebellion against Him, and therefore, a sin. Obedience produces a full and meaningful life; disobedience produces an empty and meaningless existence. Breaking God's commands brings deserved divine judgment. Judgment on sin is a part of God's covenant. Although judgment in the form of exile from the land would occur, God promises to continue in covenant relationship with His people and return them to the land (Leviticus 26:4045). God at times chooses to use history as the arena to display His power and justice in judging His disobedient people. Judgment for sin can come even to a people God forgives (Numbers 14:17-38). History calls for special obedience to God's directions in light of past discipline and past suffering.
God's historical acts do not automatically bring revelation or salvation. God must enable a person to recognize historical events as His actors and to accept Him as Lord because of those acts. God acts so people may know Him. Constant repetition of and meditation on such acts should lead to faith with such understanding does not take credit for understanding, knowing that even the ability to understand came from God. Persons who do not learn from God's acts and respond in obedience to His will know they deserve the judgment that comes upon them. God prepares us to expect His punishment for sin and provides His teaching to lead us back to Him. God told Moses to write a song so His people would eventually realize that their suffering was His punishment for their sins. Often, God's judgment is preparation to show compassion and love to the remnant of His people. (Deuteronomy 31:14-32:49) God acted in history to give Israel the land He had promised. In acting, He expected Israel to do their part in faith and obedience. When they disobeyed, anger and judgment followed. In His historical acts, God remained free to punish a disobedient people. His promises and their expectations of victory did not prevent God from disciplining disobedient people. Such judgment called forth praise and confession, not retreat and abandonment of the mission (Joshua 7:1-26). Refusal to obey God despite His historical evidence of power and faithfulness brought suspension of God's promise to defeat their enemies. The relationship with God is an on-going historical commitment, not a one-time ceremonial ritual. It is a responsibility for every generation; not a birthright of a race. Forgetting God's acts for His people can lead a generation to forget and ignore God. That brings His anger and judgment. (Judges 2:1-15)
God's presence symbolized by the Ark brought judgment on the unbelieving Philistines and on irreverent Israelites. News, of the details of the Exodus, was known by the Philistines and motivated their action. They knew some events were directly caused by God, while others were chance happenings according to the natural rules of human and international relationships. God showed that He had caused judgment on the Philistines (I Samuel 6:1-20). Political leaders are not and must not presume to be God. All human power structures stand under God's control and judgment. God expects leaders to seek and obey His will, when they do not, they face His punishment. Saul's disobedience of God's command led to the loss of his kingdom (I Samuel 15:10-29). Historical human actions affect the relationship with God. Divine anger eventually finds expression in historical acts of judgment. History is the story of relationships between God and the people He created. Any way of explaining historical events that ignore God is a method dealing with secondary causes rather than primary causes. God called history into being and will ultimately bring it to an end. He never leaves history to its own interests and agents. He maintains interest in every moment of human history.
"From there, Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. 'Go on up, you baldhead!', they said. 'Go on up, you baldhead!' He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria. (II Kings 2:23-25)"
This brief description of judgment on the disrespectful young lads appears unduly harsh. The bear came out of the woods after Elisha had cursed the lads "in the name of the Lord." Elisha showed the strong hand of God in judgment. The prophetic word controlled Israel's history. The rise and fall of international powers occurred as God announced them through His prophets. God promised judgment on a people who followed other gods, and after two centuries of enduring their false worship in mercy, He fulfilled His threats (II Kings 17:3-23). The history of the Northern Kingdom teaches one major lesson: God will intervene in human history to punish His unfaithful people because He takes sin seriously. Israel followed neighbors and kings – everyone but God. They knew they were doing wrong. They tried to hide from God. They openly violated their covenant agreement with Him. They refused to listen to His chosen ministers sent to warn them. Everything they did showed they trusted their judgment instead of God's word. They became a worthless people in God's eyes, incapable of carrying out His purposes. The Israelites faced exile because of their determination to step over God's explicit moral boundaries. Their choices for worship and life-style values demonstrated poor judgment. Your life-style is shaped by whom and what you worship. Life is too important to waste it on idolatrous ways.
The most faithful of God's people make mistakes. King David's command was evil and brought God's judgment (I Chronicles 21:7). In judging His people, God remained responsive to them. He retracted the announcement of total abandonment when leaders of His people humbly returned to Him. He used judgment to show His people the privilege they have in serving Him. The wrath of God was announced against Judah for the worship of false gods as reported in Chapter 11 of the Book of II Chronicles. Because they humbled themselves, this judgment was tempered with mercy. This shows us wrath is not an absolute decree made by God, but is a personal response to the actions of His people (II Chronicles 12:5-12). A people unfaithful to God face turbulence and distress. God works through international crises to teach His people their need for faithfulness. Jealousy among family members and the desire for power incited violent attacks upon other members of the family and among the rulers in Israel and Judah. Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, slaughtered his brothers along with other princes of Israel to avert any threat to the throne. His sin brought God's judgment upon his family and upon himself. (II Chronicles 21:12-20) Judgment for sin can come immediately upon God's people when they disregard Him and His word. To forsake God is to abandon Him in favor of other priorities. Forsaking God leads to forsaking all moral principles. To forsake God is to execute judgment upon you. God warns His people of the consequences of sin before He exercises judgment. Such warning is available in His word, in the lesson of history, and through the message of His chosen ministers. God follows His warning with action. (II Chronicles 24:20)
God's people find material success difficult to handle. Uzziah let pride blind him to the true source of his success. He refused to accept the limits of his office and suffered God's judgment. (II Chronicles 26:16-21) God's judgment is discipline seeking to turn His people back to Him. When people respond to judgment in repentance, God responds in grace. Both deliverance and judgment in history seek to lead people to confess God, as they only God, and to serve Him faithfully. In grace, God calls His people to repent and be faithful. Eventually, He exercises His wrath to bring historical judgment. Ignoring or mocking God's word invites God's wrath. Deliverance and judgment throughout history teaches God's people His justice and faithfulness. History becomes the content of a prayer of confession and a prayer for new deliverance. Note the close relationship between the idea of the righteousness of God and God acting as judge of all the earth. His judgment will be carried out on the basis of righteousness. His righteous judgment brings joy and praise to His creation. (Psalms 96:10-13)
The future for mankind, both the good and the bad sinner, is in God's hands. Left to discover it for themselves, persons might conclude death ends it all for everyone. The text, as in much of Ecclesiastes, does not reflect the fuller revelation of the New Testament. The pessimistic view of life and death reveals what human eyes see which do not see beyond death's veil. Out of the fact that future destiny is in God's hands, grows the God-given expectation of divine judgment. What mortal cannot know about the future that God by revelation can and does make known? (Ecclesiastes 9:1-6) One does not sin with impurity. A life of self indulgence and self-chosen ways ultimately answers to God in judgment. God's judgment is thorough. He considers every deed, even the secret things. His judgment is fair. He considers both the good things and the evil. New Testament distinguishes judgment for the wicked and the good. It shows that the evil are punished and the good are rewarded (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
