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UNION GROVE CHURCH OF CHRIST, CLEVELAND TN. |
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"THE GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD"
In Romans 11:22 it is written, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." This statement is made in a context that discusses the past unfaithfulness of some of the Jews and the salvation of God that is available to both Jews and Gentiles. Anyone that will be saved in God’s sight is one that stands "by faith" (11:20). The apostle Paul encourages his readers to note both the goodness and severity that God has demonstrated. Those who read the Bible find that in the Old Testament and New Testament alike there are sundry examples that show God’s goodness and severity. Some Bible readers have the idea that the God of the Old Testament was a God of wrath, while the God of the New Testament is a God of love. There are two truths relevant to this matter that we must ever keep before us. First, the Lord God about whom we read in the Old Testament is the same God whom Christians serve today. Who was it that spoke "at sundry times and in divers manners" in times past "unto the fathers by the prophets?" (Hebrews 1:1)? Answer: the God of heaven. And, who is it that in these last days has spoken unto us through Jesus? Answer: the same God (Hebrews 1:2). The second point that cannot be overlooked is this: while it is true that we read about God’s wrath in the Old Testament, it is equally true that in the New Testament we also see His anger and punishment of sinners (cf. Mark 3:5; Acts 5:1-11). At the same time, while the New Testament declares that "God is love" (1 John 4:8), the Old Testament just as plainly speaks of God’s love (cf. Deuteronomy 4:37; 7:7,8). Away, then, with the idea that God’s character somehow differs from one covenant to another. With the Almighty there "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). God’s qualities and character do not change, as it is written, "For I am the LORD, I change not" (Malachi 3:6). The last twelve prophetical books of the Old Testament are packed full of statements that help us better understand our Creator. A recent study of these books once again impressed me with that two-fold aspect of God’s character: His goodness and severity. While many examples might be sighted, we will confine our present observations to one book, the Book of Nahum. Lest there be any confusion, we hasten to point out that when the Bible speaks of the "severity" of the Lord, by no means does that mean that He has ever done (or will ever do) anything that is out of place. Abraham asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). Of course, He will! In Him there is no unrighteousness (Psalm 92:15), as God’s prophet declared, "He will not do iniquity" (Zephaniah 3:5). Jehovah can do not wrong. Never. Thus, we must not make the mistake of concluding that due to our Lord’s "severity," He sometimes does wrong. Consider the Book of Nahum, which has as its central theme the downfall of the city of Nineveh, the capital city of the ancient Assyrian Empire. "Nineveh is laid waste" (Nahum 3:8) is a key statement in this three-chapter book. Why was this mighty city destroyed? Because its wickedness was continual (3:19). That brings us to the severity of Jehovah. God’s message to Nineveh was, "I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts" (2:13; 3:5). Why would God be opposed to Nineveh? The answer lies in the fact that the Ninevites imagined or conspired evil against Him and abounded in ungodliness. (1:9,11; 3:4,5). Nahum 1:2 declares that God is jealous, that He revenges, He is furious, and He reserves wrath for His enemies. Verse six of the same chapter speaks of God’s indignation, fierceness of His anger, and His fury. Concerning the city of Nineveh, God’s message through Nahum is that Nineveh must be "brought down." But why? One answer, as noted above, is because of her sins and rebellion against the Almighty. Her "cup" of iniquity was full (cf. Genesis 15:16). The other point to observe is that God, because of His justice and righteousness, must punish evildoers. History records that in B.C. 612 the combined forces of the Babylonians and Medes wiped out the city of Nineveh. But in the Book of Nahum we see God Himself leading the charge against that ungodly place. God said that He would be the one to burn her chariots with fire and "make an utter end of the place" (2:13; 3:5,6; 1:7,8). God brought Nineveh down by using its conquerors as His instruments of punishment. In all of this we see God’s severity in that He poured out His wrath on the wicked. Yes, the Old Testament message about Jehovah was "written for our learning" (Romans 15:4), and hopefully we see the truth that, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). However, Nahum’s message, which the Holy Spirit inspired, shows us more than the severity of God. It also emphatically declares, "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him" (1:7). Dear reader, let those words, "The LORD is good," sink down in your soul. While the day of God’s visitation ("the day of the Lord") would come to Nineveh as that city’s destruction, it is also true that those who trusted in Jehovah would be safe (Nahum 1:7). Such is evidence of the goodness of God. The Psalmist wrote, "For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting" (Psalm 100:5). Because God is good, He had "good tidings" for the Israelites (Nahum 1:15). In this instance the good news was that the Lord would no longer allow the wicked Assyrians to "run all over" them. For you and me, the ultimate "good tidings" is that God offers us salvation through His Son (Romans 5:8-11). Even when God could no longer forbear, and determined to punish Nineveh for her sins, He did not do so with an "I can’t wait to wipe them out" attitude. "The LORD is slow to anger" (Nahum 1:3). Hear God’s own words: "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11). We must remember that all that God has ever said and done has always been in the best interest of mankind. He wants and does what is best for us, though at times we may not completely understand all of His doings. Someone might wonder if the people of Nineveh ever saw God’s goodness. They surely did. In the past God had sent the prophet Jonah to them to warn them of their city’s doom (Jonah 3:4). When they heard that message "they turned from their evil way" (Jonah 3:10) Jesus said the Ninevites "repented at the preaching of Jonah" (Matthew 12:41). And what did God do? He spared the city! (Jonah 3:10; 4:11). But Jonah’s preaching and the Ninevites repentance took place at another time. That was over 100 years before the Book of Nahum was written. By Nahum’s time, Nineveh was once again marred in wickedness. In days gone by the mighty city had been on the receiving end of God’s goodness – that is the message of the Book of Jonah. Times had changed when Nahum wrote. Now Nineveh will receive the force of God’s severity – that is the message of the Book of Nahum. So, which description of God is accurate, "good" or "severe?" Both are right. The Bible declares this to be the case, both with in the exact words "goodness and severity of God" (Romans 11:22), as well as with a number of other clear statements. The Book of Nahum shows us both God’s goodness and severity. Let us be grateful that in the Bible God reveals Himself to us, showing us the way to enjoy abundant life through Jesus on the earth (John 10:10) and the way to enter into eternal life "in the world to come" (Mark 10:30). -- Roger D. Campbell |
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