"Fish Sorter"
EPISODE 97
See God’s Mercy and Wrath
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If you've ever watched fishing documentaries on TV, chances are you've seen people sort out the "catch" from the trash.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:47-50).
To truly understand the kingdom of heaven, and by extension, to understand the Lord, we must accept that God's judgment comes with blessings and curses associated with it.
God is Good and Merciful
"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him" (Nah. 1:7).
These words (and those in Nahum 1:2-3) also echo the words of God to Moses after the children of Israel built the golden calf at the foot of Sinai, "… The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin …" (Ex. 34:6–7a).
We prefer to think about God's nature as merciful. It's comforting to know that he's good — that he brings safety, shows mercy, grace, patience, love, and faithfulness by forgiving us of our sins. There is truly none like God!
God is Avenging And Wrathful
"But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness" (Nah. 1:8).
Again, these echo the words of God to Moses, "… but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Ex. 34:7b)
So, which is it? Is God "good," or is he "wrathful"? To understand God's complete nature, we must realize that his goodness makes him BOTH the One who blesses and the One who punishes.
It's not some paradox we need to overcome — look to a parent's relationship with their children. When a parent goes to either extreme by only lavishing blessings on their children or only punishing them, we see the error of these approaches quite clearly.
God, as our Father, shows perfect balance in requiring His children to live by his standard — either blessing them for their obedience or punishing them for their disobedience. Both approaches are necessary, and it's how he handles us even today.
So, may God help us see his abundant grace and mercy, but also develop a healthy fear of his avenging anger and punishment towards us if we disobey his will!
