Punishment Is Not Elusive to Followers of Christ

Today's Reading
Numbers Chps 25 to 26

There are many examples in the Old Testament of God and his wrath, including two clear examples in my mind:
- God wipes out all of humanity except Noah and his family
- God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah

In these chapters in Numbers, God's wrath is clear; after the Israelites are seduced by Moabite women. God wipes out 24,000 Israelites:

⁶ Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁷ When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand ⁸ and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; ⁹ but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. (Numbers 25:6-9)

While God does show mercy throughout the Old Testament, one is left with an impression that God's mercy has limits. When one gets to the New Testament, one gets the impression that Christ - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - is more forgiving as there are fewer examples of harsh punishment; instead Christ sees the best in us even though we may act in ways that are entirely evil. He gives us an opportunity to seek forgiveness and to obtain eternal life through Him.

This does not mean that we are not punished of course.

See Luke 12:

⁴⁷"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:47-48)

We need to remember that although we have a God of great mercy, mercy and grace are completely undeserved. We need to act as pure and holy as we can, knowing that for any sin we commit, it is up to God how he is to deal with our sin.

My Prayer: Lord God, Christ, you ARE full of mercy. I am a deeply sinful man and I am sorry for my sin. Forgive me and thank you for you have already forgiven me. Help me act pure and holy and come to you for protection and forgiveness. I need you. Thank you Lord.