Today's Worship: The timing of God's terrible judgment!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 10:10,

 

"When I please, I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin."

 

God's judgment awaited Israel. She had sinned to the point she found the limit of God's mercy and now she faced the punishment due her. This verse points to not "if", but the "when" of God's judgment. It will be when he pleases to do so. The historical record tells us it was 722BC when God's judgment finally overcame the northern ten tribes of Israel.

 

Today the world awaits the judgment of God. Again, it is not a question of "if" but "when". We are told this age will come to a close when Jesus Christ comes back to planet earth to gather to himself those who are his. The rest, all of those who will not embrace him in faith, will be brought to God's terrible judgment.

 

Peter speaks of this. In 2 Peter 3:10-12 we read, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat." Here is a frightening scene! The story doesn't end until those who will not embrace God in faith are cast into a fiery lake of burning sulfur. We read of it in Revelation 20.

 

Peter makes a wonderful point about God's patience in all this, however. Where Israel had no opportunity to avoid God's judgment by the time he proclaimed it through Hosea, God patiently awaits today, holding off his judgment of the wicked, that there may be more who will embrace him - to join his kingdom. "Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9.

 

God's terrible judgment is coming! It is not a question of "if", but "when"!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com