Resting In The Righteous Judge

/ Abiding in Christ, Awe, Belief/Believe, Church, God's Character, God's Glory, God's Mercy, God's Sovereignty, God's Wrath, Grace, Hope, Mind/Thoughts, Obedience, Persecution, Perspective, Praise, Pride & Humility, Priorities, Rest, Suffering, Surrender, Trust, Truth & Error, Wages, Walking with God, Wisdom & Folly, Witness/Testimony, Worship/Adoration / By

November 8th, 2021 – Late Monday Evening

“Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” ~Genesis 18:25

This is amazing! Abraham is pleading with the LORD on the basis of His own character and nature; he knows that the LORD will not violate His own righteousness and justice. That Abraham could even do that is shocking, given the fact that the LORD is the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all the living and the dead. Yet, because of the relationship that Abraham and the LORD had, and because of the LORD’s desire to have an intimate relationship with mankind, and because of the LORD’s mercy and longsuffering towards those who love Him, Abraham was able to converse with God and ask for His perfect judgment.

A second important note or reminder in this passage is the reality that the LORD is the just Judge. He cannot be swayed by evil or bribed by good, but He can be trusted and called upon to act rightly and with perfect integrity. This true and unchanging truth about the LORD becomes more and more comforting as we look at the wicked world around us. In Abraham’s time, Sodom and Gomorrah’s iniquity was vast and infamous; yet, Abraham had a nephew in that region whom he loved and whom he seemed to trust was not mixed up in the utter wickedness of the day. That is what seems to have led Abraham to cling to the truth of God’s righteous justice and plead for His mercy and just actions in the execution of wrath.

How about you and I? What do you fall back on in the midst of trouble? Even when the severe consequences of sin are coming upon others (or ourselves), where do we turn to for mercy? The LORD obviously hasn’t changed; He is still just as faithful and trustworthy today as He was thousands of years ago. He is still slow to wrath and attentive to the pleas of His people. It is time to get serious about trusting Him and falling onto His character, His nature, and His promises. He is God. He is the righteous Judge of all the earth. He does no wrong and He executes perfect wrath. And, He is merciful and gracious towards those who rest in Him.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!