Many times people question is God a moral monster for his judgments on humanity. A good example here is how God dealt with the Jews in the book of Jeremiah. They were entering into judgment and most bible students could tell you that is because they entered into idolatry. Now you and I suffer from this world where betrayal is an almost everyday event in some way. So we need to consider how idolatry looks from this side of the super natural.
“For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire,which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.”
– Jeremiah 7:30-31 (ESV)
Now simple minded thinkers might say, see religion is bad. And then conclude that any form of worship is bad. But what they are missing here is that it was humanity who had fallen into a devious practice of false worship of a false god. It was God who intervened and stopped the slaughter of the innocents. It is God who did the right thing. His judgment is just here as it is every time.
The people involved in this practice didn’t know God was right before He stepped in. His actions revealed the truth to the people and hence he was not only just but also merciful. Our judgments of God are so wrong. We even confuse His judgment to be like our own. It is not. With absolute knowledge, goodness and power He has the ability to see what is really just and really merciful. Not just one side of an argument (your side) but He sees the whole truth. He sees the greed and malice of all sides of an issue. He knows the flaws in my heart and desires as well as what is in the next person. But he loves me anyway. The Bible says it this way, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV) God is the one who loves. He is the one who really loves humanity.
That love is shown on the cross. God is just, and any complaining of ‘that’s not fair’ needs to be met with a quick understanding that fair means we all deserve His judgment, because we have all sinned (we have all acted selfishly at one point or another) we deserve death as a judgment the Bible says. But God, in his mercy sent His own Son to take your place and mine under judgment. That was what happened at the cross. People may ask, why did God kill his own Son? But the real question is why have I been so self centered that the Son of God had to pay my penalty so I could live? I am not deserving of this gift that Jesus stepped in to pay. But I am thankful for it. And so I praise Him, I give Him my faith and my trust. Knowing that where as He is just… He is also merciful.
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