Tag: punishment

In the midst of this Corona virus crisis, I occasionally hear from Christian circles that this is God’s judgment on people for their sin.

Is that true? Is God punishing us?

I wouldn’t rule out that there is some aspect to God’s judgment in all this. He has used plague in the past as judgment (see Egypt in the book of Exodus, for example), and he will use it in the future (see Revelation).

That said, I wouldn’t dogmatically say, “This is God’s judgment on the world!”

What I will say is that we Christians, as God’s people, should never think that God is punishing us in order to destroy us.

One thing you see in this passage is that there is a clear distinction between judgment to destroy and judgment to discipline. God will sometimes punish his people in order to discipline them. 

That he makes clear in verse 11 where he says,

I will bring destruction on all the nations
where I have scattered you;
however, I will not bring destruction on you.

I will discipline you justly,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished. (Jeremiah 30:11)

Here you see the clear distinction between those who are God’s people and those who are not.

Just as God ultimately judged Israel’s conquerors Assyria and Babylon for all their sins, so he will judge all those who reject him.

But God’s promise to Israel, and to all who are all God’s people, is that though he may discipline us, he will not destroy us. And ultimately, he will restore us. (17)

How is it possible that he shows us such grace? Because of Jesus. And in this passage, we see the promise of his first coming.

God told the Israelites,

Jacob’s leader will be one of them;
his ruler will issue from him.

I will invite him to me, and he will approach me,
for who would otherwise risk his life to approach me?

This is the LORD’s declaration. (Jeremiah 30:21)

The interesting thing about this leader is that he would act not only as king, but as priest.

The language of approaching God is the same that God uses of a priest approaching him.

With rare exception, none but the high priest ever did dare approach God in the Old Testament.

And as the high priest did on the Day of Atonement (Levlticus 17), Jesus approached the Father with blood to atone for all our sins.

But Jesus didn’t come with the blood of bulls and goats. He came with his own blood shed on the cross.

And because of that, God can now say the same thing of us that he said of the Israelites,

You will be my people,
and I will be your God. (Jeremiah 30:22)

One final thing on God’s wrath. Jeremiah said concerning the nations that had conquered Israel,

Look, a storm from the LORD!

Wrath has gone out,
a churning storm.

The LORD’s burning anger will not turn back
until he has completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart. (Jeremiah 30:23-24)

Again, both Assyria and Babylon faced God’s full wrath and were overthrown.

But remember this: the Lord’s burning anger did eventually turn back when he completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart.

God’s wrath turned back after the full storm of it was poured out on Jesus on the cross.

And when it was done, Jesus said, “It is finished. All your purposes have been fulfilled, Father. I have paid the price for sin.”

So as God’s people, even if you may be struggling in these difficult times, remember that God is not punishing you. Jesus took all of the Father’s wrath on himself, and there is no wrath left for you.

God may discipline you, and you may go through the fire of refinement. But remember the words of Job, and hold on to them.

Yet he knows the way I have taken;
when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold. (Job 23:10)