God Punishes Sin- God's Character 8

8. Punishes Sin—

Although God is loving and forgiving and repentant of punishing, nevertheless He does not withhold judgment against those who refuse to repent. Yes, God is love, but that love means benefit to those who are like God. Mercy goes to the merciful, forgiveness goes to the forgiving, generosity goes to the generous. Those who are characterized by God’s character receives the benefit of God’s character. But those who undermine God’s character by acting selfishly, by taking from the needy, by being unfaithful, by being hateful to God and His people—these will be punished. They must be punished or else the merciful and faithful cannot live in community. Those who take from the merciful and those who take advantage of the faithful due to their naïve faithfulness must be separated from those who act like God. For the despisers of God’s character destroy the community of God.

It is God’s purpose to have the whole world act like Him. To be loving and faithful and merciful and forgiving and kind and gracious. The would can and should be this way. But only if the unfaithful and unmerciful and unkind and unloving and unforgiving are separated. Ultimately, both communities can’t live together. And that is the purpose of God’s punishment. Not in order to be mean to those who disobey. But to forge a community of those who live according to God’s character.

It may look in Exodus 34 that God punishes both the evil and their children and grandchildren automatically. But if that were the case, then it would take away from all that God just described himself as: forgiving and relenting of evil. The compromise is found in Ezekiel 18, where God speaks directly against the assumption of punishment of children for the sins of the fathers. He says that each person is judged on their own merit. It is true, most children follow in the ways of their fathers—no matter how much they want to be different—and if they act in the judging, unmerciful way of their fathers then they will be judged. But if they repent and do what is good and righteous and kind and loving, then God will act in accord with His character—relent from evil, and forgive.

Finally, this last characteristic, the punishment of God is the one characteristic that God’s people in Jesus are not to emulate. Yes, the people of God in the Hebrew Bible act this way, in destruction to those they consider evil, impure. But even in the Hebrew Bible, God relents from having his people act this way (e.g. Judges 2). And in the NT, God reserves punishment only for Himself.

Humanity takes the idea of punishment and goes too far, every time. They punish too much, punish the wrong people, punish by appearances instead of by truth. The final command of Christ to be obeyed is, “Judge with a right judgment.” Thus, it is better for no one to judge at all. Humanity cannot punish justly, therefore all judgment must be handed over to God, and we trust God to do what is right. God certainly has the power and He has the anger against evil. So let us entrust all vengeance, all destruction of people who act in evil ways to God and God alone. He will do what is just.