Why
did Paul give us these two scriptures below, why didn’t Paul say, “Father
forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” Why are we leaving
room for God’s wrath in our lives?
Do not take revenge, my friends, but
leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I
will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:19
Alexander the metalworker did me a great
deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 2 Timothy
4:14
Joseph
was a type of Jesus Christ. After Joseph’s brothers tried to kill him and
sold him into slavery, his brothers came to Egypt to buy food during the famine
that hit their land too, and then they ran into Joseph who was second in
command to Pharaoh. Did Joseph just accept and forgive his
brothers? It was at least 20 years since Joseph’s brothers sold him into
slavery and Joseph “tested” his brothers to see if they had a repentant heart.
Joseph
put a silver cup in his brother’s bag and then had them arrested accusing them
of stealing. He was testing his brothers to see if they had a conscience
of doing wrong. Even threw all of them in jail overnight, and then kept
one in the place of Benjamin. Without a true repentant heart, Joseph
would not have been able to restore his relationship with his brothers, and how
would there have been healing if they still harbored jealousy and hatred
against him? (Genesis 43 and 44)
Anyone who hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 1 John 3:15
When
a horrendous crime is committed what do victims want to know from the person
who committed the crime? Does that person have any remorse or
conscience about the crime when the person is caught? That is the
same sentiment that God is also looking from us is a repentant heart. What does
this scripture mean about God having mercy, and then it talks about Pharaoh was
a vessel of wrath? Because Pharaoh hardened his heart believing he is a
god, rather than repenting. When we harden our heart, and we don’t
believe we need forgiveness for something we do wrong, than are we saying that
we are god (we do not need forgiveness for our actions). We are putting
ourselves on the same level of God.
Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants
to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Roman 9:18
What if God, choosing to show his wrath
and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his
wrath--prepared for destruction? Romans 9:22
Is
God responsible for his actions? No, because God does what He is
going to do. God is a God without iniquity. Why did the leaders
in Jesus time kill Jesus? Because he put himself on the same level of God
in forgiving sins as the son of God.
He is the Rock, his work is
perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without
iniquity, just and right is he. Duet 32:4 & 2 Samuel 22:31
Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? Luke 5:23
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins
have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little
loves little." Luke 7:47
Only
one thief on the cross was told, “Today you will be with me in paradise." In separate accounts of the gospels, both thieves mocked Jesus, but later
only one thief regretted his actions.
One of the criminals who hung there
hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said,
"since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are
getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then
he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus
answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in
paradise. Luke 23:39-43
Many
people get under condemnation about not trusting certain people whose track
record has proven untrustworthy. Saul headed down this path of disobedience
and rationalization where David could not trust Saul, because he wanted to
kill him. This is a good example of a believer who has shipwrecked his
faith since Saul did have a relationship with the Lord. David did not
take Saul’s life, trusting that God was able to take care of the problem and
Saul killed himself rather than let the enemy make sport of him and capture
him. Same way with Hitler in killing himself when the armies of Germany
were defeated. We can’t really tell with Judas if at the end he
regretted killing Jesus, he may have truly regretted betraying Jesus for money.
Nothing bothers me more is when myself or others have no conviction or repentance
for doing wrong. When apathy, lack of concern and/or no repentance is in the
church, that is more disturbing (a lack of conscience for doing wrong).
The Bible talks about a “great falling away from the faith.”
Because of the increase of wickedness,
the love of most will grow cold, Matthew 24:12
Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2 Thess. 2:3
Paul
was upset with the Corinthian church because when a brother was overtaken in a
fault which was sleeping with his step-mother, rather than mourn the sin,
put the person out of the congregation that did this, they got puffed up in
pride.
It is reported commonly that there is
fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among
the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And you are proud!
Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your
fellowship the man who did this? 1 Cor. 5:1-2
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. Luke 16:15
That
pretty much sums up why many people don’t reconcile situations with an
ex-husband or ex-wife, because there is no remorse, conviction of doing
anything wrong to their ex-spouse. This can even result in the escalation
of physical violence and abuse. The only thing I can determine is that
somewhere in that abuser’s mind that they believe the woman and/or children (victims)
are guilty to be punished by shooting them or beating on them. God hates
divorce (Malachi 2:16) and it’s in relation to a person’s hard heart.
The Bible warns in the last days there is going to be a great
falling away and that parents and family will even betray others.
Believing spouses betray each other in the faith so the falling away is already
happening.
Brother will betray brother to death,
and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them
put to death. Mark 13:12
The sins of some men are obvious,
reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind
them. 1 Timothy 5:24
I
encouraged a woman who had an alcoholic husband who kept beating on her and
three children at my church to get out of the situation,
and she sent me a letter that she finally left him and found a married couple
in a another state to live with. She kept going back to the abuser when
he said he was sorry, and he would attend church, but then he was back drinking
alcohol and beating on her and the children again. It was not “godly
sorrow” that leads to repentance. Some people may be sorry that they lose
their family or children and they are like Esau who had tears for losing his
birthright, but it was not a repentance that leads to the change of one’s
actions.
Just as it is written: "Jacob I
loved, but Esau I hated." Roman 9:13
Afterward, as you know, when he wanted
to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of
mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. Hebrews 12:17
God
wants us to show mercy and the example of showing mercy is the man in the
temple that humbled himself and repented. A person who gives no
mercy to others and does not repent will not receive mercy. Repentance is
the key to mercy. When we try to restore a person in a fault, it
says to “consider ourselves.” When Peter saw Jesus, he said, “Lord depart from me, I am a sinful man. Luke 5:8”
When he heard that it was Jesus of
Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Mark 10:37
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin,
you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you
also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1
To some who were confident of their own
righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: Luke
18:9:
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about
himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers,
adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a
tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not
even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a
sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified
before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles
himself will be exalted." Luke 18:11-15
Commentary:
You can’t hide
from your sin. Time does not erase the guilt of your sin. Only the blood
of Jesus can. Through this chapter there is remarkable evidence of the changed
hearts of Joseph’s brothers. (Genesis 43 and 44)
· They
did not resent it when Benjamin was given the favored portion (Genesis 43:34)
·
They trusted each other, not accusing each other of wrong when accused of
stealing the cup (Genesis 44:9)
·
They stuck together when the silver cup was found. They did not abandon the
favored son and allow him to be carried back to Egypt alone (Genesis 44:13)
·
They completely humbled themselves for the sake of the favored son (Genesis
44:14)
·
They knew their predicament was the result of their sin against Joseph (Genesis
44:16)
·
They offered themselves as slaves to Egypt, not abandoning Benjamin, the
favored son, their brother (Genesis 44:16)
·
They showed due concern for how this might affect their father (Genesis
44:29-31)
·
Judah was willing to be a substitutionary sacrifice for his brother out of love
for his father and his brethren (Genesis 44:33)
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