Readings for today: 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25, Acts 3, Psalms 123, Proverbs 16:21-23
There are so many stories I do not understand. So many things the Bible says that I do not get. I question. I doubt. I struggle. I fight. The cynicism in me wants to chuck the Bible across the room at times. Today is one of those days. Every time I read this story about God inciting David to sin and then turning around to judge him for it baffles me. Sure, I know what the Old Testament scholars say. They argue this is theological spin from the “court scribes” who are trying to make sense of what happened. They argue that the people of Israel were superstitious and took such a strong view of God’s sovereignty that when a plague is unleashed on the nation, they have to come up with some kind of theological rationale. All that sounds good but I’m not sure I buy it.
I think the Bible says what it says. “The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel...” I have spent many hours pondering what it must be like to be a totally holy God interacting with an unholy people. The Bible is clear that not one of us is righteous. All of us are corrupt. Selfish. Greedy. Lazy. We do not do the things we ought to do. We choose self-destruction over and over again. In the way we spend our time. In the food we eat. In the activities we pursue. Medical health professionals everywhere agree. The data is unequivocal. Furthermore, we often make choices that hurt not just ourselves but others. In the words we say. The actions we take. The anger and rage that boil up within. We are so prone to hate and violence. Again, medical health professionals everywhere agree. The data is unequivocal. It’s why I believe if there’s one doctrine in Christianity that is empirically provable, it is total depravity. Original sin. It impacts us all.
If this is true - and I firmly believe it is - then it is truly wondrous God’s anger isn’t kindled against us...ALL. THE. TIME. He has every right to be angry at the way we treat our bodies. The way we treat others. The way we treat the world He has made. He has every right to judge us for our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. He has every right to condemn us for our inaction and unwillingness to love ourselves, others, and the world He has made in the way He demands. He is God. He is the one who made us. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is our Creator and we are living in constant rebellion against His sovereign will and plan. And the anger of the Lord does indeed break out against us at times. Especially against His people. Those called and set apart to reflect His glory in the world. Those whom He loves. Those whom He saves. God even uses Satan and evil and sin at times to do His bidding. Consider the case of Pharaoh, Job, Saul, or in this case, David. While I may not understand, God is righteous in His decision because David is an adulterer and murderer. Someone worthy of death. As are the people of Israel. None of them is innocent. Innocence is not a category one can apply to any human being.
So where can we find hope? Only in God’s mercy. Only in God’s grace. I love the words from the Psalmist today. “To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.” (Psalms 123:1-3) Without God, we are helpless and hopeless. Lost and doomed to wander in darkness. Our strength will fail. Our willpower is not enough. Our self-discipline will crumble. We have nothing. We bring nothing. We offer nothing back to God. Thankfully, He doesn’t need anything from us and out of unconditional love offers everything to us in Christ. He takes our place. He is punished on our behalf. He pays the price for our sin. He bears the full weight of God’s wrath and judgment. He endures. He suffers. He dies. And God’s justice is satisfied. The work is finished. Recompense has been made. Forgiveness is now extended. All I can do is pick my Bible back up and praise God for His amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 1, Acts 4, Psalms 124, Proverbs 16:24