“So fix your gaze on the simultaneous kindness and strict justice of God.
How severely he treated those who fell into unbelief! Yet how tender and kind is his relationship with you.
So keep on trusting in his kindness; otherwise, you also will be cut off.”
(Romans 11:22 TPT)
I was reading something yesterday that led me to the Old Testament book of Nahum. Nahum is one of the “minor prophets,” very short (three chapters), and somewhat lost among the rest of the minor prophets in the end of the Old Testament. The prophet Nahum spoke God’s word to his people in the southern kingdom after the fall of Israel and before the fall of Judah, when the fearsome and unbelievably cruel Assyrians were breathing down the necks of smaller and weaker nations. Much of the book is Nahum’s warnings to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and the symbol of that nation.
But the book begins with a reality check for both the Israelites and the Assyrians.
“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
“The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh;
he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.” (Nahum 1:2-3, 7-8 NIV)
This ties tightly with Paul’s letter to the Romans where he says,
“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22 NIV)
Sometimes our understanding of God can be unbalanced. If we focus on God’s wrath, anger, and judgement – which are real and still true today – then we miss the mercy, grace, and kindness of God. But God’s beautiful mercy, grace, and kindness – also real and true today – come out of his great love for us and his distinct displeasure at our sin. When we do not live with a realistic understanding of God’s hate for our sin which then causes his wrath, anger, and judgement, we miss the opportunity to more fully understand God’s mercy. The Apostle Paul wrote it this way:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16 NIV)
Paul knew himself to be the “worst” of sinners, and when we know the reality of our sin, then we begin to understand the fullness of God’s grace toward us.
Nahum warned that God will not leave the guilty unpunished and that he will make an end of his enemies. But he also said the Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble, and cares for those who trust in him.
Paul called us to fix our gaze on the “simultaneous kindness and strict justice of God,” so we can remember how severely God treats unrepentant unbelievers, but how tender and kind is his relationship with those who trust in him.
Today, let us remember to find our healthy balance between these two of the many parts of God’s nature.
And let us remember to continue in his kindness.
Good, Gracious, and Just God,
In this world there are many examples of injustice, corruption, wickedness and downright evil that seem to be breathing threats against your people. Thank you for being a jealous and avenging God who takes vengeance on your foes and enemies because of their vast unrepented sinfulness. Thank you that, while you consider all of humanity to be prisoners of our unbelief, you want to unlock our hearts and show your tender mercies to all who come to you. Thank you that you are slow in anger but great in power and that you will not leave the guilty unpunished. Thank you that you are good and a refuge in times of trouble. You care for those who trust in you. We pray in the name of Jesus that you would make an end of your (and our) enemies, pursuing them into the realm of darkness. Destroy the power of the wicked. But uphold your people and help us to continue in your kindness. Help us to fix our gaze not on the evil of this world, but on your simultaneous kindness and strict justice. In the strong, kind, and gracious name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
“Actually, God considers all of humanity to be prisoners of their unbelief, so that he can unlock our hearts and show his tender mercies to all who come to him.” (Romans 11:32 TPT)
“The power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.” (Psalm 37:17 NIV)