This is always a difficult question to answer. I've always answered this question in the past by saying 'God is a just God so whatever decision he makes will be just.'
But, it is always nice to get a glimpse of God's justness with a practical example within the Bible.
In Numbers 14, the Israelites are on the brink of entering the Promised Land that God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They sent spies into the land to scope the place out. The spies came back saying that the land was good but the Nephilim were there and they were big looking. The Israelites complained that God brought them out of Egypt only for them to fall by the sword. God replied to Moses:
'How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?'.
God's judgement was:
'not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it...As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.
Once the Israelites were on the verge of the Promised Land again after a generation of wandering in the desert, God gave them a history lesson via Moses and reiterated:
'the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.'
This is just a thought. I haven't looked into it that deeply. There is probably a deeper scriptural lesson that I've overlooked. But if the Promised Land is a 'type' of what is to come i.e Heaven, I'd say this is a little insight into the attitude God has, when it comes to children arriving at the judgement seat.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
God is not your besty! He is the Lord your God
As God was giving the 10 Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai, God's presence was there for the people of Israel to see:
Ezekiel 20: 18-20 - When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."
It is interesting that the Israelites had to have the 'fear' of God to keep them from sinning. In the modern day vernacular, God literally pulled out a bit of 'shock and awe' for the benefit of Israel. The 'fear of God' evidently does not mean to be 'afraid' of God because Moses started his response with 'Do not be afraid'. There is a difference between being 'fearful' and being 'afraid'. Israel was God's chosen people to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, yet they were still called to 'fear' the Lord their God.
Now that we Gentiles have been grafted into the branch of Israel, we are also his chosen people, and we too are called to 'fear' God.
Christians still have to appear before the judgement seat of God to receive our inheritance and the knowledge of this leads us to 'fear the Lord':
2 Corinthians 5: 10-11 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.
'Fear' without being 'afraid' is the domain of the Christian.
Being 'afraid' is probably reserved for those who deny Jesus Christ and only realise what they have done when their number is up. Knowing what it means to 'fear' God motivates us to persuade the non-believer.
Christians don't have to 'fear' being rejected by God. We are supposed to live out the reality of our salvation with 'fear and trembling'.
2 Philippians 2: 12-13 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
So what does 'fear of the Lord' mean for the Christian? I'm no theologian and don't know what 'fear' means in the ancient Hebrew dialect. God doesn't need us to be multi-lingual or be the sharpest tool in the shed to understand what 'fear of the Lord' means. We are to fear is nature. We are to fear who he really is. God starts the 10 commandments by establishing who Israel is reckoning with. He clears this up before he lays down the commandments on how they should treat each other. The 10 commandments start with 'I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me'. He is a jealous God. To 'fear' God is not to fear eternal punishment. 'Fear' is for the believers. 'Fear' is knowing who God is and knowing he won't share his supremacy with anyone else.
The rich young ruler in Mark 10 asked Jesus, what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replied that he should keep the commandments (i.e 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother). The rich young man did all these things. He adhered to the commandments on how to treat is fellow man. It is interesting that Jesus 'looked at him and loved him'. Jesus' command to sell everything he had and give to the poor was not even part of the 10 commandments. I reckon Jesus knew the way the young ruler regarded his wealth was in violation of 'You shall have no other gods before me'. Jesus looked upon him with love, but saw that the young ruler was lacking in fear. Therefore just because God loves us, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't fear him.
Ezekiel 20: 18-20 - When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."
It is interesting that the Israelites had to have the 'fear' of God to keep them from sinning. In the modern day vernacular, God literally pulled out a bit of 'shock and awe' for the benefit of Israel. The 'fear of God' evidently does not mean to be 'afraid' of God because Moses started his response with 'Do not be afraid'. There is a difference between being 'fearful' and being 'afraid'. Israel was God's chosen people to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, yet they were still called to 'fear' the Lord their God.
Now that we Gentiles have been grafted into the branch of Israel, we are also his chosen people, and we too are called to 'fear' God.
Christians still have to appear before the judgement seat of God to receive our inheritance and the knowledge of this leads us to 'fear the Lord':
2 Corinthians 5: 10-11 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.
'Fear' without being 'afraid' is the domain of the Christian.
Being 'afraid' is probably reserved for those who deny Jesus Christ and only realise what they have done when their number is up. Knowing what it means to 'fear' God motivates us to persuade the non-believer.
Christians don't have to 'fear' being rejected by God. We are supposed to live out the reality of our salvation with 'fear and trembling'.
2 Philippians 2: 12-13 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
So what does 'fear of the Lord' mean for the Christian? I'm no theologian and don't know what 'fear' means in the ancient Hebrew dialect. God doesn't need us to be multi-lingual or be the sharpest tool in the shed to understand what 'fear of the Lord' means. We are to fear is nature. We are to fear who he really is. God starts the 10 commandments by establishing who Israel is reckoning with. He clears this up before he lays down the commandments on how they should treat each other. The 10 commandments start with 'I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me'. He is a jealous God. To 'fear' God is not to fear eternal punishment. 'Fear' is for the believers. 'Fear' is knowing who God is and knowing he won't share his supremacy with anyone else.
The rich young ruler in Mark 10 asked Jesus, what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replied that he should keep the commandments (i.e 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother). The rich young man did all these things. He adhered to the commandments on how to treat is fellow man. It is interesting that Jesus 'looked at him and loved him'. Jesus' command to sell everything he had and give to the poor was not even part of the 10 commandments. I reckon Jesus knew the way the young ruler regarded his wealth was in violation of 'You shall have no other gods before me'. Jesus looked upon him with love, but saw that the young ruler was lacking in fear. Therefore just because God loves us, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't fear him.
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