When God Gets Angry
Once Upon a Time, early in the earth's days, the world was extremely wicked. "And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart". [Genesis 6:6, KJV]. But there was one man who found grace in God's eye, Noah; and Noah was one who walked with God. So, God saved Noah and his family and each species of animal that God created, by having Noah build an ark to protect them all. Noah was obedient to God's charge, in spite of the probable laughter and mockery of those around him--and, in spite of the fact, that it had possibly never rained [Genesis 2:5,6; Hebrews 11:7]. That's a debate for another time, and another person.
My point, today is, things happen when God gets angry; and many times we make assumptions about why something bad happened to someone--or even why something good always happens to someone else. Neither of these circumstances may have anything to do with God's anger or favor. I remember two tragedies when this theory became front and center: Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti. Many people suggested that these tragedies occurred because of the "overwhelming presence of Voodoo and other dark practices". However, many "Noah's" were killed or affected in the wake of those events, too, so it doesn't quite follow the normal path of God's plan; and God is consistent in the way He does things.
There was another time, when people incorrectly made assumptions about the righteousness/unrighteousness of a person because of his blindness. They assumed that his disability had to be related to some sin in his life, or possibly his parents. I like to call this the Job's Friend's Effect. Thankfully, Jesus, Himself, was there to clear up that matter! "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." That was a common error in that day, by now, we should know better. I'm just saying....
The truth is, "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
God is not using such things to recompense evil on the world, today. That day will come, but it isn't happening by earthquakes and hurricanes that affect the "just and the unjust". In other words, those things are not punishment. They are a part of living in a sin-marred world. They can happen to any one of us, anywhere in the world. Be grateful that it hasn't (if it hasn't), and show love and concern towards those who have been affected by these tragedies.
God is not judging those outside of His Body (or anyone else) with hurricanes, tsunami's, freak storms, earthquakes, or even gun violence. That can happen to any of us. If you look carefully, at the Old Testament, you will see a pattern. Post-flood/deluge, God's wrath was directed at His OWN who refused to follow Him, in spite of His care, mercy and deliverance. God said this to Jeremiah, "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." And, this was just one instance, with one prophet. God's people were, and often still are a "stiff-necked", hard-hearted bunch.
Let's be careful pointing our fingers at those who don't yet know Him; they don't have His Spirit to enable them to live godly lives, according to His Word. And understand this, that cannot be legislated--we will never win them by forcing our beliefs on them. Trying to legislate righteousness is merely a return to the Law in the presence of GRACE. Why??? Paul asked the Galatians, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth...Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? We have grace, walk in it and extend it to others, lavishly. It is God that changes hearts, not laws and rules. But, we are responsible for how we live, and how we treat one another. "By this, shall all men know that ye are My disciples, that ye have love one to another." The proof is in the love.
My point, today is, things happen when God gets angry; and many times we make assumptions about why something bad happened to someone--or even why something good always happens to someone else. Neither of these circumstances may have anything to do with God's anger or favor. I remember two tragedies when this theory became front and center: Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti. Many people suggested that these tragedies occurred because of the "overwhelming presence of Voodoo and other dark practices". However, many "Noah's" were killed or affected in the wake of those events, too, so it doesn't quite follow the normal path of God's plan; and God is consistent in the way He does things.
There was another time, when people incorrectly made assumptions about the righteousness/unrighteousness of a person because of his blindness. They assumed that his disability had to be related to some sin in his life, or possibly his parents. I like to call this the Job's Friend's Effect. Thankfully, Jesus, Himself, was there to clear up that matter! "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." That was a common error in that day, by now, we should know better. I'm just saying....
The truth is, "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
God is not using such things to recompense evil on the world, today. That day will come, but it isn't happening by earthquakes and hurricanes that affect the "just and the unjust". In other words, those things are not punishment. They are a part of living in a sin-marred world. They can happen to any one of us, anywhere in the world. Be grateful that it hasn't (if it hasn't), and show love and concern towards those who have been affected by these tragedies.
God is not judging those outside of His Body (or anyone else) with hurricanes, tsunami's, freak storms, earthquakes, or even gun violence. That can happen to any of us. If you look carefully, at the Old Testament, you will see a pattern. Post-flood/deluge, God's wrath was directed at His OWN who refused to follow Him, in spite of His care, mercy and deliverance. God said this to Jeremiah, "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." And, this was just one instance, with one prophet. God's people were, and often still are a "stiff-necked", hard-hearted bunch.
Let's be careful pointing our fingers at those who don't yet know Him; they don't have His Spirit to enable them to live godly lives, according to His Word. And understand this, that cannot be legislated--we will never win them by forcing our beliefs on them. Trying to legislate righteousness is merely a return to the Law in the presence of GRACE. Why??? Paul asked the Galatians, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth...Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? We have grace, walk in it and extend it to others, lavishly. It is God that changes hearts, not laws and rules. But, we are responsible for how we live, and how we treat one another. "By this, shall all men know that ye are My disciples, that ye have love one to another." The proof is in the love.
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