Vengence is mine, says the Lord. Does this mean that He is vengeful or that we don't need to concern ourselves with correcting our neighbors? If we spend our time taking vengence ourselves aren't we consumed with anger or hatred?
Jesus warns us to not be angry with our neighbors. He says it is the sin of murder. Who among us hasn't felt anger at someone? If we stay vengeful, the anger never ceases. If we express our anger to the One who can do something about it, He will release us from the anger, setting our hearts in order, leaving us able to love our neighbors who are sometimes our enemies.
He tells us to love our enemies, pray for those who would harm us. We change our hearts into loving everyone knowing that correction need not come from us because vengence belongs to the Lord. Other people don't belong to us but to the Lord.
An objection to loving the Christian God heard from Pagans is that we worship a vengeful God. Is this true?
Yours in Christ Jesus, Grace
2007-06-23 14:52:30 · 18 answers · asked by Grace 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, we worship a vengeful God. Humble people appreciate what this means, maybe. Proud people don't appreciate the sentiment. God is our Maker. Ecclesiastes 7:13, 14 says: "Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, you cannot discover anything about your future."
We are not to take vengeance. Jesus said when he was dying, "Father, forgive them for what they do." 1 John 4:18 says: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." People act out of fear. Proverbs 21:15 - "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." Therefore, all God has to do is bring about justice, rather than punishment itself, if that makes any sense. If it's the same thing, then that is still vengeance that God has taken anyway.
This is a warning for Christians. God loves those who fear him. He is not just a philosophical Higher Entity. Song of Solomon describes love this way. 8:6 says: "Love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame." Deuteronomy 4:24 says: "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." The apostle Paul reflected this sentiment in 2 Corinthians 11:2 - "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him."
In the Old Testament, there are accounts of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, for example. They are used as a symbol of homosexuality throughout the Bible. This is the description of the activities of homosexuals in Romans 1. "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy." These are the people that God destroyed. The Canaanites were similar. They sacrificed their children through the fire.
This is what the Assyrians would do to the Israelites, according to Elisha. 2 Kings 8:12 says: "'Why is my lord weeping?' asked Hazael. 'Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites,' he answered. 'You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women.'" The Assyrians (and the Philistines, according to the Bible) used to do things like gouging captives' eyes out.
Here's another account of what people were doing in the Promised Land before the Israelites got there. 2 Kings 17:31 - "the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim." The Israelites were corrupted and followed this example as well. Jeremiah 19:5 - "They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind."
We are living in a pagan world. Fortunately for pagans, they are noted to have a higher conversion rate to Christianity than those of influence or noble birth (assuming that's two different groups of people I'm talking about). 1 Corinthians 1:26 says: "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth."
2007-06-23 15:12:22 · answer #1 · answered by MiD 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I will be completely honest with you... I am a Christian--however, I am not a Christian that can spout off scripture from memory, nor am I a Christian that can speak eloquently about God and his love. I can only tell you my experience. I believe in God because I don't know how not to... Make sense? If I look around at what surrounds me--I can not possibly believe that there is a scientific reason behind it. I know that I am an emotional person, I base much of what I believe, decisions in my life, etc, off of emotions. This world is much to beautiful to just be... I became a mother in 2007--the miracle, true miracle of birth is amazing! When you witness a heart beating only 10 weeks after conception, when you witness your first ultrasound, and when you hold your child for the first time--truly, truly amazing. I can not even begin to believe that was the miracle of science--I have to believe that it was the miracle of God. There are so many things like this in life that I believe there just has to be a higher being involved. Regardless to all the horrible things that surround us--I still think that this world is too beautiful to just be... I know this is probably not the answers you were looking for but I just wanted to give you a positive answer--an answer with a little bit of hope. I want you to know that I will pray for you and pray that God reveals himself to you in an awesome way.
2016-05-18 22:46:21 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no debate jonjon, it means what is says. We are not to wish vengeance on any one, we are to pray for our enemies. In the end, it is Christ that will come back and repay the world for all the wrong done to him, and he will be like no one has ever seen before. His eyes will be flaming and he will have raw power coming from his mouth so that when he speaks, it will be like a nuclear bomb blast. Yes, he will kill those that oppose him and stand in his way on that day.
(Zechariah 14: 1-21, Revelation 19: 11-16)
And what of all the poor pathetic people that have believed in him and were wimps all those years and forgave and prayed for their enemies? They will be beside him and he lets them take over the city of Jerusalem and take it by force. (Joel 2:1-11)
In that day, Jesus will rule with a rod of iron and his people will rule the planet with him for 1000 years. No more religious debate in those days.
Zechariah 14:1-21
Revelation 19: 11-16
Joel 2:1-11
2007-06-23 15:15:06 · answer #3 · answered by plowmscat 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
After a quick search on biblegateway.com, nothing came up with the keywords "vengeful God" in either the NIV or the KJV. It does say that God is a jealous God and will not tolerate worship of other Gods before Him.
Exodus 20:4-6
4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
2007-06-23 15:00:03 · answer #4 · answered by Erin C 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
NO .Christ was the sacrficial lamb,for our sins. But their are warnings that we need to keep in mind.
Judge not less you be judged,loving others is pure worship ,even when you dont like them,and death is the wages of sin.This does not mean we will go to hell, if saved.
It means we seperate ourselves from Chist,and the guilt,remorse,and hiding our selves in shame is painfull.But forgiveness is there if we confess to Christ and possibly we hurt.
2007-06-23 15:07:43 · answer #5 · answered by jeff b 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No the Christian God is the God of Justice and Mercy not vindictiveness or peevish offendedness. However, there are alot of Christians who have not arrived at the God of M&J
2007-06-23 14:57:09 · answer #6 · answered by James O 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is a righteous Judge. He shows mercy every day. For instance as Noah was building the Ark he was preaching to all of the people for 100 years to turn from their wicked ways to God. They did not repent and finally a day of judgment came. God did not desire anyone to perish, but man must choose who they will serve.
2007-06-23 15:00:44 · answer #7 · answered by wordoflifeb216 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't see how you can get much more vengeful than the concept of "Hell."
But I'll just sit back and watch all the Christians try to debate the meaning of the word "vengeance."
Incidentally Erin, it's Hebrews 10:30.
2007-06-23 14:56:27 · answer #8 · answered by jonjon418 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes. Vengeful in that those who are innocent and yet are harmed, taken advantage of, murdered, etc, will get the proper punishment for their actions.
He does not want us to allow anger and hate to fester in our spirits. Personal vengeance is restricted, but one of the purposes of government is to prosecute crime.
God is saying that He is the Ultimate Judge and Jury for personal vengeance. It is in His hands.
2007-06-23 15:05:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes, if what is written by man in the bible is true, then yes, Christians worship a vengeful God. It would follow then that what keeps them in thrall to such a god, would be fear of that same vengance should they fail to behave as he has directed. Seems too human a god for me. I do not fear my God.
2007-06-23 14:57:52 · answer #10 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋