As I read 2 Kings (and other portions of the Old Testament), I find the accounts of total annihilation difficult to digest. While I understand that God was SERIOUS about his people rejecting idolatry and embracing Him as their one and only deity, these stories can be difficult to digest when viewed through the lens of the New Testament.
In the note on 2 Kings 10:24 in my Life Application Study Bible, I read the following:
"Israel was supposed to be intolerant of any religion that did not worship the true God. The religions of surrounding nations were evil and corrupt. They were designed to destroy life, not uphold it. Israel was God's special nation, chosen to be an example of what was right. But Israel's kings, priests, and elders first tolerated, then incorporated surrounding pagan beliefs, and thus became apathetic to God's way. We are to be completely intolerant of sin and remove it from our lives. We should be tolerant of people who hold differing views, but we should not condone beliefs or practices that lead people away from God's standards of living."
This helped me to see that while I may never completely understand why God would condone the destruction of nations, He has something to teach me in these stories. Sin is serious business and should be treated as such. Through Christ and the New Covenant, God can eradicate sin from our hearts. We must allow Him to come in and make us clean.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The thing is, we are all worthy of total annihilation! It is God's mercy that gives us more time to repent and turn to His sacrifice, which is the only thing that can substitute for our annihilation... and the New Testament actually INTENSIFIED all of this "judgment for sin" business... in the Old Testament, people were judged for their acts. When Jesus came He reminded of us of what God expected all along and intensified the "standard" to your heart... if you even THINK about a woman lustfully, you have committed adultery in your heart! So if you have even lusted after a woman, you deserve death! The good news of the gospel is that 1. Jesus is your substitute, and 2. the Holy Spirit works inside you to "go and sin no more." Oh... and don't forget Ananias and Saphira! They were struck DEAD for withholding part of what they had dedicated to the Lord... a little extreme from our vantage point, but a good reminder that we deserve no less for our sins... I think we just get a little more lenient on ourselves as we continue to wait on the Day of the Lord, watch evil prosper in the world, and (from our vantage point) see sin going "un-judged." But the Lord WILL judge... it is called the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and is described with the blood of Christ's enemies coming to the horse's bridal! These are all New Testament!!!!
Your reading is also a good reminder with where our country is headed... when God lifts His Hand of Mercy and Longsuffering off of an nation, that nation will at very least be open to attack and severe limits to freedom... I think both are at our doorstep!!!!
Sorry I wrote a book, Amy... but I guess you have gotten used to expecting it from me!!! LOL
Miss you guys!!!!
Becky
Good reminders, Becky! Thanks!
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.