Desire the Judgments, 9/15/17

The issue of the judgments of God is a wildly misunderstood topic in the body of Christ, at least in America. Today there are many popular voices that claim to be prophetic but teach wildly inaccurate things about judgments saying very confused false things like: "New Testament prophets don't judge sin" or "God is not judging America, only the systems of America." But God is most deflnitely judging America. If someone can't see that from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma then they are really not in touch with spiritual reality. Is it the full weight of judgment like it could be if we continue to refuse to repent as a nation? No, it is still incredibly merciful and light compared to what we deserve for our great wickedness as nation. But it is still judgment and God is doing it to teach us righteousness because he loves us and does not want us to destroy ourselves completely with our sin. There is a prevailing attitude of very great aversion to the thought of the judgments of God coming to America. But is this a biblical attitude? Let's look at what the scripture says.

The Word of God tells us that his judgments are a good thing:

Psalm 19:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Isaiah shows us that if we are on God's side, and when there is great wickedness, we desire the judgments to come:

Isaiah 26:8-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

Yes, in the way of Your judgments,

O Lord, we have waited for You;

The desire of our soul is for Your name

And for the remembrance of You.

With my soul I have desired You in the night,

Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early;

For when Your judgments are in the earth,

The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

The judgments are desirable because they are designed by God to teach righteousness. We should want men to learn righteousness. I do, don't you? When a nation persists in rebellion and and unrepentant attitude as America has, judgments are the only way to get the people to repent. And, as we are seeing in this nation, the judgments will keep getting stiffer and stiffer until we repent as a nation. This is not happening because God is brute who just wants to beat us up but rather because he is full of love and wants to save us from our self-destructive path of sin and restore us to the blessings that come from righteous living. If we live an unholy life then yes we truly have something to fear. But if we live well before the Lord and want to see his purposes prevail then we have this desire to see him crush unrepentant wickedness and teach righteousness. Understanding this makes clear why the scripture also teaches us to rejoice at God's judgments:

Psalm 48:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 Let Mount Zion rejoice,

Let the daughters of Judah be glad,

Because of Your judgments.

Psalm 96:10-13 New King James Version (NKJV)

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved;

He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth.

Psalm 98 New King James Version (NKJV)

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

The Lord has made known His salvation;

His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.

He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

Sing to the Lord with the harp,

With the harp and the sound of a psalm,

With trumpets and the sound of a horn;

Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell in it;

Let the rivers clap their hands;

Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

With righteousness He shall judge the world,

And the peoples with equity.

So let us not fear the judgments of God and teach people that God will not judge this nation. Let's repent so we have noting to fear from tee judgments. Let's live righteously and welcome him doing what he needs to do to teach others to live righteously. He is doing it and because he loves us he will continue to do it until we repent and live righteously as a nation. God is a good Father and his motivation is love, he wants to drive wickedness out of the land and restore his people. Let us agree with him and desire and rejoice at the judgments he is bringing as his word teaches us. I am not saying we should delight in the suffering of what is happening. However, when those how are suffering allow it to turn them to God and repentance, that is a very good thing and that we should delight in, that is the teaching of righteousness that God intends by sending judgments. Let's take a biblical attitude toward the judgments of God. Be blessed.

Steve Pursell, 9/15/17