“The Vengeance of God”

 

BIBLE READING: Numbers 31-33


                In the book of Romans, Paul warned that the early Christians should never look to repay evil with evil to anyone. In fact, Paul taught us to do just the opposite “To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21).  Yet in today’s reading in Numbers 31.2, God is telling Moses to “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites”.  Certainly, God isn’t commanding Moses to do something that He condemned in Romans 12?  Not at all.  In fact, if we continue reading into the book of Numbers, we will find it isn’t Moses or the Israelites taking vengeance at all.  Numbers 31.3 says for the Israelites to “execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian”.  This wasn’t Moses and the Israelite seeking out revenge, this vengeance was coming straight from God.  According to Romans 12.19 “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”.   God delving our vengeance is a concept that we should be familiar with; God executed His vengeance in the days of the flood.  God also executed His vengeance on Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 and God will also execute His judgment on those that refuse to obey His word. Paul warns us that on the Day of Judgement God will return “in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).  If we can learn anything from this passage, it’s that the Lord’s vengeance is not something any of us want.  God’s vengeance is just as much a part of God as is His Love; we cannot separate either one of them from God.  Therefore, we must live our lives in such a way that we seek to please Him rather than give Him reason to execute His vengeance on us. Remember what the Hebrew writer says about that vengeance “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God” (Hebrews 10.31).

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

Resolutions: Draw closer to God through study of His word

BIBLE READING: John 14.7 Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just studying the life of Jesus will help us to know God better.   In seeking God’s help, we can draw closer to Him through prayer, meditation, nature, and study.   “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2  I Tim.4:13,15 - “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them.”   Regardless of our circumstances we can rely on God’s unchanging character.  God is good. God loves me. God is with me. God knows my problems. God cares. Romans 8:31(b) tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Make a resolution to slo...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more