Judges 15: Revenge and Forgiveness

"Then 3,000 men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, 'Don't you realize that the Philistines rule over us?  What have you done to us?'  'I have done to them what they did to me,' he answered."

Judges 15:11

Samson took revenge against the father of his bride because he had given her to another Philistine man after the ceremony.  After he burned the fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and after he slaughtered many Philistines, the Philistines sent 3,000 Israelites to capture him and bring him in for justice.  The Lord overtook him again and killed a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone.

I have heard many people say that God doesn't get angry with us.  While I like the sentiment, and agree that He does forgive us (if we turn back to Him), the bible is quite clear (in both Testaments, I believe) that the Lord does get angry with us... and not just a little bit!  "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23a)  Does it get any more explicit than that?  That's not talking about consequences.  It's talking about wages.

Wages are what you are given for your work, not the benefits that come naturally with the work itself.  I am a teacher.  One of the consequences of my job is that I constantly see children who know me any time I go out in public.  My wages, however, are the money that I earn for doing my job.  The wages of sin is death - meaning that when you sin, you are earning death.  God wants sin to die!

The good news: Jesus was willing to die for us.  He is always willing to be our scapegoat.

Question of the Day:

Is the Lord angry with you for opposing Him?  Will you allow Jesus to be your whipping boy?  How does your outlook on Salvation change when you remember that He is taking the punishment for your crimes?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, thank You for providing me a way to steer clear of our Father's vengeance!  I am eternally indebted to You, and I owe You my life!  Take my life, and make it worthy of Your Sacrifice.  Help me to live in a way that doesn't bring any more nails into Your hands, nor thorns into Your brow, nor whips upon your back.  Amen.