Woe And Judgment

Apr 28

4 min read

I have been reading lately in both Hebrews and Revelation.

Jesus will be crowned Kind of kings and Lord of lords!

But not before the judgment of God is felt by all who live in rebellion.

"The wrath of God flows out of his excellencies and perfections. It is the righteous, pure and perfectly appropriate expression of his justice toward evil." Nancy Guthrie.

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Heb 10:31

"Our God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12:29

Sometime ago, I wrote a four part picture God's judgment in history past:

The people of Noah's day,

the Pharaoh of the Exodus, and

the priests of Baal in the contest with Elijah.

In the fourth quartet, the wrath of God falls on Jesus.

Part One

“This can’t be!”

Someone finally voiced their uneasiness.

“Noah was an idiot.

His god is an imagination.

His boat is a fool-hardy endeavor.”

Years of scorn had been followed by

Seven days of laughter.

“Good riddance,” they thought.

“Seal yourself up in that gopher wood coffin,

And be done with your pronouncements of doom.”

Then the deep burst forth

And the heavens opened.

Confident smiles became

Doubtful glances

Until subdued fears

Erupted into panic.

Woe and Judgment

Climbing onto rooftops and trees.

Clinging onto floating debris.

Gasping for one last breath.

Silently slipping below the surface.

Darkness. Despair. Death.

“It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”

Part Two

“Who is this"lord"

That I should obey him?

Moses was a nobody.

A filthy shepherd with a few magic tricks.

Confident in his authority

Arrogant and powerful

He could and would prevail over

These bothersome plagues.

Harassment seemed only to harden his resolve.

But when midnight struck dead his son,

He summoned Moses and surrendered.

“Go. Get out.”

Bereavement turned to anger.

Anger to revenge.

Pursuing them in chariots he declared,

“They shall feel my whip again.”

As clouds and darkness held his fury back,

Impatience grew and caution was ignored.

At morning light

He raced into the sea.

Wild with murderous intent

Until with panic too late he realized

It was against the Lord of Host

they had waged war.

Woe and Judgment.

Walls of waves came crashing down.

Chariots splintered. Horses hopelessly struggled.

Men’s bodies tossed in heavy, churning mud.

No one or thing escaped the watery grave.

“It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”

Part Three

Orlag never thought there would be a confrontational challenge of propped up deities unless one side was assured of the infallibility of their trickery.

He did not believe all the dark secrets as Zuhan did. But this role gave him a position of authority. Deceit served well his lust and greed. The pageantry was empowering. The readily available debauchery was a distraction from the bloody temple scenes.

There had been no rain for seven years. The famine of field and vine was being felt now even at the table of the king who ranted and cursed the “Troubler of Israel” while Zuhan demanded more sacrifices.

Bothered by the edict that interrupted his drunken sleep, Orlag trudged up to the top of Mount Carmel before dawn had arisen over the hills to the east. The whole hill was crawling with hundreds of priests and thousands of people. He snarled at the small concession that he would not be at the altar. He was only to hold the crowd of onlookers back at a distance.

Two altars. Two bulls. One positive outcome: Fire from heaven.

How could Zuhan be so confident? The restlessness was palatable. He realized an unexpected fear gnawing at his chest. The chanting frenzy began. The bloody mess was made. As the sun rose in the sky, a darkness crept into him. Wailing, screaming, sweaty bodies writhing in trances mingled their own blood with that of the bull’s.

“O Baal, answer us!”

At twilight they dropped famished, exhausted, defeated, yet arrogantly assured that Elijah would fare no better. The people pushed past Orlag who was now frantic to hide among the company of priests. They watched as Elijah repaired the altar the queen had destroyed in defiance of Israel's God. The blood of his sacrificed bull spilled into the trench around the altar. At his command water was poured over the sacrifice and over the altar until the parched ground in the ditch was overflowing with this precious commodity.

Silence.

At his prayer, “Lord, answer me,” fire fell from heaven.

Terror and panic energized the priests wildly fleeing down the mountain side. Woe and judgment. Seized by the people - now in dread of the God they had ignored- they were slaughtered at the brook Kishon. Blood flowing where water once did. None escaped.

“It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”

Part Four

He knew the terror coming.

Man’s rebellion

Had long provoked

A Holy God.

The full fiercful fury of God’s wrath

Never known before

Would soon be hurled

On Him alone.

“Could there be another way?”

He cried aloud