God's judgment and compassion: which one wins? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 2:12-18,

"They [the Israelites] forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who
had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various
gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger
because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his
anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who
plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they
were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the
hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn
to them. They were in great distress.
Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of
these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but
prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their
fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had
walked, the way of obedience to the Lord's commands. Whenever the Lord
raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out
of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord
had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and
afflicted them."

This cycle repeats itself over and over in Israel's history. They turn
from the Lord so the Lord brings judgment upon them. In their
resulting suffering the Lord's compassion brings them relief. When the
suffering is ended the Israelites go right back to turning from the
Lord. The two chief aspects of the Lord's nature is on display in this
cycle. The Lord exercises judgment upon sinful man and in his kindness
he exercises compassion. It is a living out of Jeremiah 9:24, "'Let
him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness
on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the Lord."

The Lord's justice is horrific and brings to us what we deserve. His
kindness and love are unfathomable and bring to us what we do not
deserve. As I think of how the Lord expresses both, when it comes to
which wins out over the other I am reminded of James 2:13b, "Mercy
triumphs over judgment!" However, I notice that comment of James
points to the truth that those who are not merciful will face
judgment, "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the
law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown
to anyone who has not been merciful." Verse 12-13a. It is Jame's
recognition that the unmerciful manifest they are not saved because
they are not filled with the Holy Spirit as evidenced in their lack of
"spiritual gifts", as Paul enumerates in Galatians 5:22-24.

My perspective is the cross of Jesus Christ. God expresses his
unfathomable love for us by providing his own Son as a sacrifice to
pay for our sins, making provision for the possibility of joining
God's family. All he asks is we trust in him. Such love is beyond my
comprehension. I know of it, I express my deep appreciation of it, I
celebrate it, but it is simply beyond me to fathom. While such a
wonderful expression of love has been provided us from God, I note
that it is not done without God's justice also fully expressed: Jesus
suffered and died for our sins! Judgment and compassion in
breath-taking display!

When it comes to God's judgment and compassion, one does not "win"
over the other. Both are expressed by God and both of these aspects of
God are fully satisfied!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com