How God the Judge of all the earth administers his judgment

The judgments of God bring light

The judgments of God go forth as light (Hosea 6:5-6; Zephaniah 3:5) to show us how to live. The judgments of God demands that we do right on the basis of his self-revelation. God says through his servant, the prophet Jeremiah, that we should only boast in knowing God, but to know God is to know his judgments and to live according to this light in loving kindness, justice and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:23-24). In bringing this light, the prophets always called the people to repentance. Since God’s judgments reveal his will, the full seriousness of commitment becomes clear to us. Failure to uphold God’s revealed judgment means violating or breaking the covenant of God.

An example of how God administer his judgment

In Genesis 18:16-26 we find a story where God shows Abraham how he administers his judgment in the affairs of men. Sodom and Gomorra were very wicked cities and their evil deeds cried out to God for punishment. God tells Abraham of his intention to destroy the two cities, “For Abraham will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord and do what is right and just. Then I will do for him all that I have promised” (Genesis 18:18-19).

Abraham is presented with a moral dilemma. What is right and just is not clear to him. If the two cities are going to be destroyed, what about the righteous people in these cities? It was unthinkable that God would destroy the righteous with the wicked, the innocent with the guilty, so Abraham asked God: “Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” The Lord agreed to save the cities if he found ten innocent people there, which he sadly could not find. Eventually judgment had to be brought, but the innocent Lot and his daughters were rescued before the judgment was executed.

The ways of God are always right

God is a righteous and holy God, he can only do what is right. Throughout history he has brought his judgments. “Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge.” (Psalm 50:6). God is the universal judge and all creatures are accountable to him for what they do (Psalm 94:2; James 4:12; Hebrew 12:23).

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

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the fields and their crops burst forth with joy!

Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord!

For the Lord is coming! He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness and all the nations with his truth. (Psalm 96:11-97:1)

Sowing and reaping

Our Creator has established a moral order of existence, therefore we are living in a moral universe. His demands correspond to the very structure of human life and decide its destiny. Obedience or disobedience to the commands and ordinances of God will mean integration with the created order or friction with it. Obedience brings life, disobedience means restriction of life and finally death (Romans 6:23). All human acts are sowing that will bring a reaping (Gal.6:7-8). God’s judgment is repayment (Romans 1:27). This judgment begins in this life and is consummated in the next (Romans 1:18ff. and 2:3ff).

God has revealed himself through acts of judgment and salvation in history. In the Bible he has in his kindness made known to us his judgments and revealed to us his will. The commandments and ordinances of God revealed to us in the Bible are part of God’s eternal judgment, his declaring of what is good and right or bad and wrong.

Exercise:

How do the judgments of God bring light or revelation?

How does the teaching about sowing and reaping affect you?

Continue to memorise the previous Bible verses, and add this one to your list:

For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. (Isaiah 33:22)