| Wednesday, July 19, 2006 |
| Administering Justice |
Patrick Buchanan has written a commentary on Israel's current conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas on WorldNetDaily's website (Link).
In the commentary, he asserts that Israel is waging the war in a way that is "un-American and un-Christian." He writes:
Let it be said: Israel has a right to defend herself, a right to counter-attack against Hezbollah and Hamas, a right to clean out bases from which Katyusha or Qassam rockets are being fired and a right to occupy land from which attacks are mounted on her people.
But what Israel is doing is imposing deliberate suffering on civilians, collective punishment on innocent people, to force them to do something they are powerless to do: disarm the gunmen among them. Such a policy violates international law and comports neither with our values nor our interests. I -- along with others -- have been reading through the book of Psalms since May 1. Today's psalm is one of many written by Asaph. In this group of songs, Asaph laments the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. Commentators disagree on the date when Asaph's psalms were written, but it is evident that something terrible had just happened to the Jewish Nation: "O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble" (Psalm 79:1, NIV).
Nowhere in these Psalms does Asaph ask God why Israel was laid to ruin. A righteous person knows that God is just in his dealings with him, his neighbors and his nation. However, you will see Asaph cry out for justice. "Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name" (Psalm 79:6, NIV).
I don't know about you, but I get uncomfortable when I read prayers or pleas asking God to destroy people. Could you pray, "Lord, please wipe out Iran in one fell swoop?" But in this manner, Asaph is being more moral than we are today. God says repeatedly in His Word that there is a price to pay for evil. Asaph is praying God's Will.
It is uncomfortable to watch punishment poured out on the old, on women, on children. But keep in mind that at times wars are waged to carry out the Lord's vengeance (see Psalm 179 149). |
posted by Joe Napalm @ 4:10 PM   |
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| 4 Comments: |
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You know, there's a difference between how God treats us between the Old and New testaments... the whole "vengeful God" thing went away after the flood w/ Noah...
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Do you really see a duplicity in God like that after a complete reading of the scriptures? Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. I think we too easily dismiss God's anger and God's vengence..(see Revelation 19:11-16). God provided the blood of Christ, John 3:16 that who ever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Those who do not believe are still "Sinners in the hands of an angry God." (http://www.jonathanedwards.com/sermons/Warnings/sinners.htm)
We are only fooling ourselved to see God as "all loving, all caring" that He is but He is also all justice, all Holy, all righteous which is where His anger and vengence comes from. Jesus displayed this anger when He drove the money changers out of the temple and He will display His righteous anger again upon His return. God is Love but not the distorted love we reffer to when talking about a parent, a cheesburger, and a car.
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Wow! That sure is short-sigted to say "the vengeful God thing went away after the flood w/ Noah"! What about Sodom and Gomorrah, the toal destruction of Jericho and other cities and peoples in Canaan? And what about Samson's destruction of the Philistines (aka Palestinians), and David killing his tens of thousands? God's prophecy concerning the city of Tyre was carried out between the Testaments with Alexander the Great, then God allowed the total destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (not the first time the city had been punished for her sin)and one day all of creation will be destroyed under the wrath of God because of mankind's sin! I am glad I "know Him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" (Hebrews 10:30,31, ESV)
:o)}
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Ooooooooooooo, you won't hit'em. JK, great post! It's not that scarey of thing to fall into the hands of a living God if you know Him, have a realtionship with Him, and do what His word tells you to do. I'm so glad I'm saved, and I'm glad I know who the person of Jesus Christ is in my life. I know I'll spend an eternity in heaven with Him one day soon.
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You know, there's a difference between how God treats us between the Old and New testaments... the whole "vengeful God" thing went away after the flood w/ Noah...