Judging God

“Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth ….” —Psalm 96:12-13a NLT

We humans are hard to please. We refuse to believe in a God who would decide to destroy the world through a flood and decimate whole cities, as we read in the Old Testament. How terrible and awful we decide. And so we don’t believe.

And yet, when we read today about some atrocity happening to innocent children or people groups, we refuse to believe in a God who would allow such evil to persist. How could He not intervene, we mutter to ourselves.

Well. Which is it? Is God too harsh with evil or too lenient? Doesn’t it seem silly to declare our disbelief for totally opposite reasons? And yet, both those arguments against Him are among the most common from those who have yet to come to faith in the living God.

I would like to suggest a third way. The way the poet who penned Psalm 96 felt about a God who judges the earth—burst out with joy! Be glad that God is coming one day to judge the world. Be relieved and grateful and feel safe with that knowledge. Life isn’t a random series of events that make no sense … moments of happiness in a sea of fears, anxieties, and bad things happening to good people. A time will come when every wrong is made right. That is cause for great joy!

How could God, in times past, decide to wipe out people and start over? To answer that, we must examine both the first and the second arguments. God will not let absolute evil go unpunished. In the days of Noah, before the flood, humans were actually that bad. Hear the words from Genesis: “The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (vss. Genesis 6:5-6 NIV). What happens to children when every thought of every adult in their life is only evil all the time? They grow up abused, emotionally damaged, and sadly ready to repeat the cycle. Perhaps God’s choice of the flood was a mercy—and when we arrive in Heaven, we’ll meet children spared the wickedness that would have fallen upon them. (Just a thought.)

How about the second argument: How does God leave so much wickedness unpunished today? Why doesn’t He fix it? We are obviously not at the same stage of wickedness as the people in Noah’s day. It is still possible today to grow up whole and emotionally stable. Before He chose that flood, God’s heart was “deeply troubled.” His strong desire is that we all be allowed to love Him as He loves us. In fact, that’s the reason He hasn’t yet come to judge the world and set it straight. When He returns, the choosing time will be over. Here’s what Peter says in explanation to those who want the wicked judged now, please: He starts by referring to the time of the flood. “By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But 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. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:6-9 NIV).

We can be assured of two things. First, God is merciful and does not want any of us to perish but to come to Him for forgiveness. He distilled Himself into human form as Jesus and took the punishment for us, satisfying justice with His own tortured death so we can be saved and forgiven. What an incredible and undeserved gift! Second, those who are evil and not repentant will, indeed, face judgment. And it will be dreadful. So, let’s pray that they turn and are forgiven before that great day of judgment arrives.

This. This is why Psalm 96 says, “Sing for joy,” because “he’s coming to judge the earth!” We can rest in the sure knowledge that God is perfect in justice—and in mercy, love, and righteousness. We are foolish to think we can judge Him. We ought to be grateful that His justice is real—and so is His mercy.

Father, I’ve wrestled much over the wickedness and evil in this world, as have millions of others. I thank You that You have it all under Your perfect control. Thank You that justice matters to You! Thank You that You see evil, hate it, and will one day destroy it. Thank You for the mercy and grace available to all who turn to You. Dear God, Almighty, You are perfect in every way, and I rest gratefully in that beautiful truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You are loved,
Sharon

Sweet Selah Ministries 

Vision     
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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