Why Does God Judge the People He Loves?
By Dr. David Talley, Guest Contributor
As a professor of the Old Testament, I begin my classes by asking for students’ views of God. Without fail, the intensity of God’s judgment surfaces. Someone always asks, “If He is loving, why does God judge His people so harshly?”
And it’s true. God’s judgment can be shocking. From Scripture, we know such events as the destruction of the Canaanites, a global flood, and the exile of Israel were all ordained by God Himself. In Amos, God told the nation of Israel, “I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps …” (Amos 4:10).
When we read those words, we struggle to reconcile a loving God with one who judges His own people. We are tempted to cast our own judgment by crying out, “How dare He do that? That is so wrong!”
But God’s actions are undeniable, printed in the pages of the Bible. So how should we process these events?
Before we cast God in the role of “angry punisher,” we should ask ourselves some questions.
Who is the Judge behind the judgment?
When you hear the word ‘judgment,’ what comes to mind? Maybe you picture a high-profile court case weighed by a jury. Or even a disapproving family member with impossibly high standards. In today’s environment, the word “judgment” carries some extremely negative connotations. We typically go out of our way to avoid being labeled as “judgmental.”
But the Bible does not cast us in the role of the “ultimate judge.” That position is reserved exclusively for God. So before we ask the question, “why would God …”, we have to begin by asking “Who is God?”
God is not a human jury, weighed down by preconceived notions or flexible standards. He is not the disapproving family member who judges others to elevate Himself. He is divinely perfect, free from the hindrances of our human failures.
Our understanding of God’s judgment must be grounded in the very attributes of who He is. An attribute is simply something that is true about God. From His Word, we know God is three-in-one, self-existent, immutable, infinite, eternal, self-sufficient, omniscient, wise, omnipresent, transcendent, faithful, good, just, merciful, gracious, loving, holy, and sovereign.
God is all of these and more, simultaneously, all the time. If we are truly seeking to understand God’s judgment, we have to unpack the character of the judge Himself. When we do, we can acknowledge that God’s judgment is God’s, not ours.
Is judgment really part of God’s character?
In exploring God’s character, we must separate God’s actions from His attributes. “Judgment” or “wrath” are not listed as attributes of God. They are not fundamental elements of God’s character. Instead they are necessary responses born of His character. In the face of injustice, a just God casts judgment. Confronted by unholiness, a holy God responds.
God’s responses are never random. In His judgment, God remains fully faithful, merciful, gracious, and loving. He is fully God in every moment.
In Amos 4:10, God’s judgment may feel extreme. The language is strikingly vivid.
But God’s extreme measures in verse 10 are in response to the people’s extreme sin. Through Amos, we know that the people worshiped false gods; rejected God’s law; and exploited, even “crushed,” the poor and needy. Faced with the wreckage of human sin, God responded.
True to His character, God delivered justice for the poor and needy. He remained consistent, doing what He said He would do. And through it all, He extended mercy to the guilty. Throughout Amos 4, God repeated the refrain, “… yet you have not returned to me.” In His grace and compassion, God called the people back to Himself again and again. God’s purpose in judgment was not destruction, but reconciliation. His motivation was not revenge, but compassion. He wasn’t wielding his power and justice merely as punishment, but as invitation.
In every ounce of rendering judgment, God calls to his people, “Come back to me.” His perfect character never wavers.
Does God take His judgment too far?
We may accept that God’s character is perfect but still struggle when His judgment feels extreme. Why does God judge the people He claims to love? On the surface, we may believe that a God without judgment is a God of love. But when we really consider the evils of this world, no one wants a God who simply looks the other way.
Just ask the parent of a child who has been abused or the spouse who has been widowed through an act of violence. No one wants a God who casts the victim aside and looks at a perpetrator saying, “We need to be a little nicer.” That is not loving.
When we see the evils of this world, we want justice. We want a God who is both gracious and just – a God who judges evil even while He offers grace to the perpetrator. We want loving justice and love that is just.
As humans we are simply too flawed to offer this perfect blend of love and justice. It is impossible. Only God can accomplish that work. And in His mercy, He did so through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus. In that moment, He was condemned so that we might live. God’s perfect love and perfect justice collided, resulting in eternal grace for those who believe.
So perhaps God is challenging us to ask a new question. Instead of “Why does God judge the people He loves?” maybe we should ask, “Can I trust the One who judges?” When we reflect on His full character and honestly seek to know Him, we discover that He alone can deliver true justice. And He does so in perfect love.
More in this series:
Did God Choose Israel and Not the Other Nations?
New vs. Old Testament: Is God the Same?
Coming Soon
Dr. David Talley
Professor of Old Testament, BSF Theologian
Dr. David Talley has served at Talbot School of Theology since 1998, teaching Old Testament and occupying various administrative roles. He has also served at Cornerstone Church Long Beach since 2020 as Pastor of Teaching and Theology. David is passionate about teaching God’s Word, discipleship, and “passing on the faith” to the next generation. He has authored or co-authored several books, including The Study of the Old Testament and Maturing the Flock of God. David has a heart for the international church and has taken over 50 international mission trips to train pastors in some of the most difficult parts of the world. David has been married to his wife, Joni, for 35 years, and they have two children, Amanda (1989) and Andrew (1995).
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This commentary has been such an illuminating and informative explanation to the hard questions I am presented. Thank you so much
🙏🏼
Greetings. I come in peace. A few years ago l found myself in a conflict with a couple of family members. In that conflict I found myself at the helm of it all. Things were laid to my charge that l knew not of. With that being said l fought back. I did not do what was right and pleasing unto God. So with that l suffered because of my disobedience.
I have repented.
God has brought correction to me and l know His justice is near.
You see, l wanted Him to judge them because of their lies against me but l had to realize that l too was wrong. I trust the ONE who judges. Thanks be to our God for enabling you to teach His sheep.
Thanks
My cross-references are Psalm 143:2 and Romans 3:19-21 on judgment.
Excellent discussion on God’s judgement! You really helped me understand this topic. I never divided God’s attributes from His actions. But by looking at who He is helps to explain His responses.
thank you for this article. God’s judgement can feel very painful even though you know and understand it is out of love. nevertheless, I feel paralyzed by fear that his judgement is all i will know and I can’t seem to move past it
I want to be born again and believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Thank you for sharing! Are you in a BSF group? Your group leader can help answer your questions and share some helpful resources. Praying for you!
Reading this has helped me understand God’s judgment and wrath. I still am not clear about severe storms, tornados, hurricanes, etc. that kill so many people and destroy whole towns. God is responsible?
‘So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.” ‘
Ezekiel 9:10
I’ve always thought that despite God’s judgement, compassion could be found in the midst of it. However, the loss of pity here seem to indicate a loss of compassion?
Zac – these are excellent questions! Are you in a BSF class? This is a good conversation to have with your group leader, Teaching Leader, or trusted pastor. Studying the surrounding Scripture at a deeper level can help provide insight. Also- WordGo will be launching a course on Ezekiel later this year!
I have struggled and struggled with the issue of the Judgments of God Does he judge believes? Haven’t those who belong to Christ passed out of judgment. Does not God discipline his children that he loves
Marianne – this is such a difficult topic. Praying for you as you continue to study!
Thank you very much for such a wonderful insight.the judge behind the judgement. After pondering I realized we are the judges behind every judgement of God.because Gods ways are perfect and He never errs. But human does.
**Psalm 96:12-13**
“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.”
—
All people will ultimately be judged by God. On this side of life, no one is perfect, as everyone has sinned and fallen short. There are no individuals, even among pastors and ministers, who are without sin. The Bible states that “the wages of sin is death” and it is appointed for every person to die. This is because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
God will judge all people, including those who have passed away many years ago, as well as those currently living and those yet to come. No one will escape death, as it is appointed for each person once. Following death, there is the resurrection, and with it, judgment.
In studying the concept of judgment, it becomes clear that it involves correction. God will be making things right with His people. This is why the Bible mentions that there will be rejoicing in the days of judgment. In those days, sin will no longer exist. Regardless of how this judgment and correction occur, God will bring about correction for all people.
Do you know that God offers us a life beyond this one?? Matthew chapter 24 NIV
The LORD has to execute judgement, especially with errant believers, but Mercy comes with it. I understand this, because I gave myself over to a devastating addiction to pornography and sexual sin that literally shipwrecked me. My Heavenly Father had no choice but to judge my sin, because in my pride and darkness, I built walls around my sin to protect it. But, the Mercy….my wife has forgiven me, the LORD tore our marriage of 31 years down to solid bedrock, the lies, the darkness is gone. Yes there are consequences to sexual sin, but even there, He is showing grace and mercy.
This makes me question God. Over and over. I am devastated.
Dear Amanda – you are not alone, this is a very difficult topic! This post was written during our study year of People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided when we were reading about the Israelites’ constant rebellion against the Lord. As you consider this post, take your concerns to the Lord in prayer. For those who have asked similar questions, He has faithfully met us in the searching. Your group leader and teaching leader are also wonderful resources on these difficult topics!
I will never understand if being a born again Christian how they judge or say God would condemn Gay People, Transgender, or anyone different. The God I praise judges no one . Please do not point out Scripture. We can put Scripture in the way we want people to understand it and God Loves everyone no matter who we are. I am not condemned to go to hell cause I am not a born again Christian, how dare the ( Human) judge me on that. Only God does that. I hold back from being a born again cause of your judge mental ways with people. Not Gods judgement, but yours. 😞 please do not point scripture out to me cause God is my scripture and judge, how dare you say you are Christian and you condemn people, what kind of born again Christian does that?
Dear Meg – thank you for sharing! In BSF this year we are studying John’s Gospel where Jesus talks to Nicodemus about being “born again.” You might enjoy the study! To find a BSF group go to bsfinternational.org/find-a-group
Are you born again though? Because you will not go to heaven by works. “By grace are ye saved and not by works for it is the gift of God.”
Salvation is a gift from God.”By grace are ye saved through faith …. ‘ His grace trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…. Titus 1:11-12 .God’s grace brings a change in our behavior.
Questions? God has chosen the Jews, yes. But the Jews has not follow the law and/or instructions that has been given to them through Joshua, correct? And is it to this day that since the Jews has not follow what God had in store for them, they are constantly punished for all their wrong doing?
Can you shed some light on this please.
Dear Denese,
God’s relationship with Israel is certainly important to study and seek to understand. To begin, consider trying some BSF Old Testament studies from wordgo.org. In this year’s BSF John study, we will also explore Jesus’s interactions with Jewish leadership during his ministry. Next year, BSF groups will study the book of Revelation. To discuss in depth, contact your group leader or teaching leader with specific questions! Diving into God’s Truth is always worth the time and effort. Praying for you as you study!
I like the way you put this; I would like to add 1 comment; If you look up the word fear it means in the Hebrew to revere; Till I learned that the passages to fear the Lord really mean to revere, to take to heart, beware of what you are doing and make sure you are on the right side of things. God’s discipline is to lead us back to Him and away from things that can and will hurt us; His discipline is for our own good just as you said, as a loving parent disciplines a child, so God disciplines us. Some it takes a little correction and for others as myself it took a 2×4 to the side of my head to wake me up.
I enjoyed it.
Amazing. I have a colleague in my bsf class who confessed to struggling with the idea of a God who forgives but still let’s us suffer the consequences of our sin. And everytime Gods judgement is fulfilled she says she doesn’t understand why. I hope she read the blog
This question was asked of me .
Why does God allow evil to do evil? Ex.: sexual abuse of a child ?
Please expound in this
Hi Sherry, thank you for sharing your question. We will pass it along and consider it for future blog posts.
Thank you Dr. Talley for setting me straight. I have studied Gods Attributes many years ago from Packer’s book. I still had the impression that Wrath was an attribute of God. I stand corrected and informed. God’s wrath, if I understand the blog correctly, is a consequence of our own rebellion and refusal to repent.
God’s judgment is not for punishment but for correction. He judges to correct us when we go astray and bring us back to Him. And He does this because He loves us , does not want to abandon us and looks at our sins with compassion. His judging has a plan and purpose. As it has been rightly pointed out by Dr David Talley God judges but is not judgemental .
thank you rachel! thats a super helpful explanation.
Thanks to professor Talley for teaching and sharing his insight to help me understand one layer deeper of His Judgment instead of misunderstanding it.
I love “God’s purpose in judgment was not destruction, but reconciliation. His motivation was not revenge, but compassion. He wasn’t wielding his power and justice merely as punishment, but as invitation [return to Him].”
Thank you for sharing and providing clarity about God’s judgement which is a response born of His character. God never ceases to be merciful and faithful in His judgement but rather He longs as a loving Father for me to return to Him.
God is God and Not man. When I try to access God in human understanding and perception I can fall far too short. I am at peace with the word of God as it is in the scriptures. And what I have seen it doing in my life.
I also know God is spirit and I must worship Jim in spirit and in truth
Does God judge His people harsley.
My thoughts are this, God is portrayed as our Father.
We as parents have children and we have given them rules to follow.
If they do not follow those they are punished according to what is laid down.
The parents are just in punishing their children.
So does God. God is justified in punishing His children as He has laid down rules and regulation in His written Word.
Yes God is just and Merciful, Gracious.
I hope you understand my reasoning.
God Bless
Great analogy of parenting. Greatly appreciated.
I keep in mind of Dr. Halley’s comment – “As humans we are simply too flawed to offer this perfect blend of love and justice. It is impossible. Only God can accomplish that work.”
God bless!
Our loving God is divine. He has blessed out by being the Father and the judge. Thank you for the insight to see His attributes.
God and Jesus are one.
He loved everyone; He sent in his Loved Son to restore a relationship with Him; His Love is for you and I to validate our sinful and weak condition unto him. You seek and He answers.
Receive God’s Love and allow Jesus Christ shine in your heart, mind and soul.
Thank you so much for these wonderful insights. Truly blessed
Reading this has given me a more deeper understanding of God’s purpose in judgment upon His people in Scriptures. Only God can perfectly exhibit love and justice in judgment!
Iam truly blessed by this yrs study..thank you so much for making me understand the chapters especially the minor prophets..
Love This
I believe that God’s grace and mercy and his forgiveness is much more than my day to day transgressions , which covered and washed daily from the blood of Christ coming from the cross . I deserve more punishment but saved by His grace.
Thank you professor. Yes, our question is always WHO IS GOD? No matter what I and family have gone through, I always remember who my God is. Loving and responds to all our needs and situations with the caring and loving arms of our FATHER. Thank you God for sending Jesus. We are saved !!
I have learned so much from BSF in calif and thank you for your devotion to God. I have used the knowledge from the BSF I attend for the ministry outreach I have to those who are incarcerated.
Your comments encourages believers to trust God in all of His attributes when injustice is observed. God is just and compassionate and always has the final word.
Thanks Dr. Talley. Though provoking and deep insights there.
I really enjoyed reading about God’s judgment. Thank you.
May the word of God be preached to every corner of this world. I thank the BSF international team for the great job they are doing. My salvation came through BSF.
I have been baptized for 60 years. Many of those years I was not as close to God as I should have been. Now my husband has had to go to an Alzheimer’s care center. I have been through a liver transplant and colon cancer surgery, which I know I have been truly blessed through both issues. I guess sometimes I just question whether I’m paying for my past sins, was I learning through all of this to trust God more or was satan testing my faith. I am a 6th year member of BSF and learning so much and loving it. Thank you so much for this great organization.
I will be praying for you and your husband, as a caregiver for Alzheimer’s and dementia residents i truly feel God can work even there! Pray that someone who works there who is a believer will come and minister to him… And I will be praying for someone to be able to come minister to you also! Much love in Christ and in His Holy Name!!
I always feared JUDGEMENT, and I hear we’re all going to be judged. I guess that’s what scares me. I don’t care how much I try to do good, by the end of day I feel I have failed God and myself. I found the article on judgement very interesting. I want to thank you for this article. I know God is a God of love, trust, faith.
I am so blessed to have come across this teaching of who God really is.I have a deep desire to know my God.Know His character.Why I need to know Him,this Perfect God who loves me so much that He sent His Son to die for me.I feel so blessed.This is no accident that I came across this teaching.Thank you!
God does not judge the people He loves. God judged Jesus Christ on the cross instead. That is the fundamental truth of substitutionary atonement. There is no double jeopardy. God only judges the wicked. When both the righteous and the unrighteous are caught up in the same act of apparent judgment, we should not assume He is judging His people. For the wicked, it is judgment, but that same fiery trial is a trial of faith for the righteous. It is discipline and training but not wrath. Consider Job who was severely tested by what might appear to be an act of an angry God. On the contrary, God Himself testified that Job was the most righteous man on the earth. The same is true for the beloved people of God who suffered under God’s wrath for the wicked at the hand of the Assyrians and Babylonians. They were not being judged but our good God was proving and improving their faith. Any wrath they might appear to deserve was poured out on Jesus Christ in full. “There is, therefore, no condemnation . . .” (Romans 8:1).
Man that sounds right to me as well John C. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard the distinction you make quite that clearly before. What you are saying make sense, but does it square with what Dr. Talley was trying to communicate? I’m curious what his reply would be.
Thx for commenting.
Just as Dr. Talley stated above,
… “God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus.”
A very profound teachings from Dr. Talley. I now have a better response to say if I’m asked the same question.
Thank you for the insight.
I’m struggling to understand the sovereignty of God and free will.
Does God choose to save some persons but not others? In other words, are some foreordained to everlasting death?
Peg – this is such an important question. Adding to our list for future hard questions posts
Does God show favoritism? Was the subject heading of this email. I’ve been pondering this through study for a couple years now. Is this blog on Israel suppose to answer that on a bigger scale than I was anticipating? Life has been so full of hurt for me, I have to wonder the answer. Feel I’m being punished for past family sin?
Hi Lori – thank you for asking! It’s definitely an important question on a much broader scale. We will add it to our list of hard questions to explore. Praying for you this study year!
Looking around me, at those who received blessings and those who are suffering. I cannot help but conclude that God has favourites. God is no doubt a merciful God, but is He also fair ?
Thankyou for your true observations. I was really blessed!
Thank you for this explaination of God’s justice. It will help me in conversations with others. This hard question is important to answer in a culture that rejects absolutes and sets up every man to do what is right in his own eyes. so again thank you.
Thank you for sharing. A good read. I’ll certainly share it with others.
Wow! This is refreshing. Thank you for sharing this layer of teaching of who God is and His judgment. No doubt in my mind that when He discipline me it is for my own good. One thing I always pray to God is “if it is your will, would you let me live for another day?” I can’t thank God enough for sending Jesus to die for me so that I will live again. I’m looking forward for your next blog. Thank you sir!
This helps me and confirms what I have come to think about God’s character. God fills up a spectrum with love, grace, and mercy on one end and truth, justice, and righteousness on the other. He consistently and perfectly blends all these qualities in all His dealings with us, His creatures.
As Dr Talley says, we find this impossible to do on our own. And yet He instructs to do just that. Eph.4:15 “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Our human tendancy is to land on one end of this spectrum or the other. We choose to be loving while ignoring truth or to be truthful while ignoring love. As we grow in Him He stretches us to become both… like Him. Instead of being just a dot on this spectrum, He grows us to become an ever lengthening line that can graciously share the truth in love. And when we fail in our attempts, He gently picks us up and says,” Now let’s try that again… but this time… don’t let go of my hand.”
Now that we are heaven bound there is a way that we should go,
And if we will walk that way our Father’s blessing we will know;
An easy way it may not be but on that way we will be free,
For our Father knows what’s best and in His will we will be blessed.
Sometimes as we walk along we’ll slip and fall and lose our song,
But if we will on Him call He’ll lead us back where we belong;
Then again with joy we’ll sing… the joy that only Jesus brings,
Then the world will truly see that only Jesus makes us free.
So my friend as you move on that straight and narrow road to heaven,
Veer not to the left or right but only follow Jesus light;
And if you do you need not fear what lies ahead where sight’s unclear,
The future’s in our Father’s hands and He will lead us home to heaven.
Thank you for bringing light into this very difficult question and allowing us to reflect on Who God is. You are absolutely right with everything you have said. It is a great help to us all.
God is sovereign. But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3) I cannot nor will I ever this side of heaven understand why God does things that do not seem right in my eyes, but I am made for His purpose and His glory. God is good. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25) Yes, He will.
Dr Talley was one of my daughters favorite professors at Biola University (which Talbot Seminary is part of). This study in Gods Word has been eye opening to Gods power and grace, His plans and purposes. This article is a great resource!
Thank you so much for taking such a difficult topic from a ‘world view’ & breaking it down to the true question we need to ask God to help us with…”instead of asking ‘Why does God judge the people He loves?’, instead we need to ask ourselves, ‘Can I trust the One who judges?’
God can & will answer our hard questions if we seek Him honestly.
First & foremost the great exposition done by Dr. David on ” Why God does God Judge the people He loves” Our God is awesome God since creation. He entrusted Adam & Eve to eat every tree in the garden of Eden except the tree of knowledge of good & evil. They failed miserably and that’s God’s judgement on the people He love started. God will never judge us before He warns us of implication of our action.
However, when we go astray and come back to Him in total repentance He never holds grudge, He welcomes us back to His bossom with open heart. That’s why He gave His Only son Jesus Christ to come and reconcile us back to Him.
God’s judgement is for correction and reconciliation but due to mankind Stony hearts we fell he is harsh in His judgement. For instance when you faithfully trust you child with your friend and on return you find your friend have abused or killed your child how would you judge that friend of yours. The way you would judge that friend of yours is the same way God judges us. Am sure some of us would kill that person without a second thought. As for me God is harsh in His judgement to the people He loves.
Correction “God is not harsh on the people he loves”
Kindly edit. Also ” feel not fell” on sentence six.
This was a wonderful message on God’s judgement and has provided much understanding. Many questions and comments regarding the severity or harshness of God’s judgement has been discussed in our group.
This statement says it all: ” God’s perfect love and perfect justice collided, resulting in eternal grace for those who believe.”
What a wonderful perspective to view a God who is gracious and just.Thank you for this truth which makes one look at life in this evil world from a sober and true perspective.
GOD’s judgement is His love to draw my attention to my sins and an invitation to come closer to Him. GOD’s judgement is good and just.
Powerful new question & challenge, “Can I trust the One who judges?”
In light of who He is, His holiness & sacrifice & love & grace & justice & faithfulness… YES!
“Judgment” or “wrath” are not listed as attributes of God. They are not fundamental elements of God’s character. Instead they are necessary responses born of His character. In the face of injustice, a just God casts judgment. Confronted by unholiness, a holy God responds.
Dr. David’s Talley’s message and especially the above statements made me think how true they really are and how they reflect God’s righteousness in judgment!
Thank you for pointing that out. I needed to again reflect on God’s true attributes and those definitions rather than always connecting ‘wrath’ with ‘judgement’ instead of resting in His true attributes that protect us in Jesus when judgement comes. Grace, so grateful for Grace.
Thank you so much for the realization that God’s character is not judgmental or wrath.
His character is however just and merciful.
His goal is to bring us to Himself a loving God .
Reading Dr. Talley’s message was well worth the time!
God is the only righteous judge.
He judges rightly, and righteously.
People who haven’t experienced God’s forgiveness and grace have much more difficulty with the truth of His total character.
Is there “only love in the heart of God “?
Interesting, fits my way, God’s way is his and God gives us many opportunities to change, even forewarnings. I truly believe that God’s judgement is good.
This was very good and helped me understand more about the judgments in the Bible..Thank you
This a such a good explanation of God as Judge. I have had people ask about this often. When younger I may have contemplated this myself, but generally His judgment makes sense to me. Some questions that plague me are: 1. Why does it take Him so long to judge us? 2. How can we expect God to love us and not correct us when we sin? And 3. Why can we not see that His long suffering and generosity far outweigh His judgments?
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Thank you for this clear discussion on God’s judgment. I so appreciate the listing of His attributes and how judgment and wrath aren’t listed. They are required because of man’s sin. Yes. I can trust our God to handle each situation for good knowing His desire is reconciliation and not destruction. He acts to redeem and restore.
“Loving justice and love that is just”
Succinctly describes God’s actions. Thank you for the reminder that God is mankind’s trustworthy judge.
God judges us because He loves us enough too. Thank you, God.
What we know is limited but God’s is infinite
He is All kwowing
God of past present and future 🙏🙏
Thank you for that insight- God’s judgement is not a part of His character but a response out of His character. Also, as short sighted humans, we only see the immediate. God sees the effect of sin way into the future.
Very often l have been questioning God why He creates something which will ultimately die. Many thanks for the answers to my puzzles.
God bless you.
My humanness makes this subject matter so difficult to grasp. Thank you for this very thought-provoking blog.
I truly received better understanding and gained more reverence for our Holy and perfect God as judge. What a mighty God we serve! Thank you .
Zach Williams has a new song out called “There’s only love in the heart of God”. Can we reconcile that statement with God’s character? Is it possible that every act of God is motivated by a heart full of love? Including his harsh punishment and judgement?
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Thank you for the commentary on God’s judgment.
Thank you for sending this article. It is so nice to see that some preachers do study and preach from the OT. We are so fearful of what is coming that we forget that we already have the answers in the Bible. We need not worry when a just God has this world in His Hands. Thank goodness that it isn’t really in the hands of politicians as some assume. God bless you and again THANKS for true words.
We will always be judged our entire lives. God is fair and his judgement is fair . I am glad Jesus was sent to forgive us of our sins
Thank you for your blog. I found it to be really helpful.
GRATEFUL FOR A JUST GOD WHO IS LOVING IN HIS JUDGEMENTS
I APPRECIATE DAVID BLOG ANSWERING QUESTIONS THAT COME TO SURFACE WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH BELIEVERS AND NON BELIEVING INDIVIDUALS !!
This is a profound understanding of difficult questions people ask which includes me. Thank you for addressing God’s judgement in this year’s study. It is very helpful. I hope to be able to use this knowledge to grow my spiritual walk.
Thank you for such information on difficult questions. I am a member of a virtual BSF class. I feel that all information that comes from BSF to us is worth reading and studying. How I have grown spiritually since becoming involved with BSF. Thank you.
Thank you Dr Tilley.
In understanding God first we find answers to our questions regarding His justice and mercy.
Thank you so very much! Once we as mortals,made in the image of God Himself,realize He Is Lord,and Our Creator,we will desire with all our hearts for the ability to submit our selves,our opinions,and our total will to Him ,who loved us and gave His life for us to LIVE!!! Not exist,but LIVE.That is made possible by His Spirit only!Thank you again.
Thank you so much for this great teaching. I fully understand that God MUST judge because of who He is; divinely perfect!
The presentation of this truth was so well put. I hope to be able to present it as well to those that say a loving God would not do the things he did in the old testament. Thank you for your wisdom.
This piece is incredibly enlightening. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping me to understand this topic that has been so difficult to understand for a long time. I bless the Lord so much for the wisdom and understanding that he bestowed upon you.
Blessed to read and meditate
“God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus. In that moment He was condemned so that we might live.”
This is so beautiful. It is a way of explaining God’s judgment in light of His sacrifice. His judgment ultimately fell back on Himself. Thank you for this blog. It is one I will always remember.
Thank you Dr. Talley for sharing with us how loving, kind, powerful and gracious our God is. In my early study I got angry at the Israelites for causing God to judge them so harshly. Then I saw His mercy toward me. We serve an Awesome God. I appreciate you.
Why is wrath not a characteristic of God? Or a part of His character. Scripture refers to His wrath as coming from Him. I don’t see Him picking it up as a useful tool for corralling in His people or the enemies of His plan. I’ve learned from BSF that God’s Glory is a sum total of all His attributes. Wrath seems to be held in perfect balance as is His love and kindness and judgment and goodness and severity. Love is action and wrath as you stated.I am not a theologian but a student of The Word and I believe that I, we all, would be crushed by the weight of God’s love and wrath and kindness; in fact, by any of His attributes were it not for Jesus Christ sent by the Father. He shields or covers or hides us in the fortress so that God’s Love won’t destroy us or compress us to nothing nor will His wrath.
If Jesus had not come to fulfill the Father’s plan of salvation then God of wrath would be our only experience. Without Jesus God’s love might also be a fearful experience? I can’t conceive of God as a God of Love without Christ. I guess, in my inadequate way, I’m just trying to say that I’m OK with God as a God of Wrath. Even thankful. It makes His Glory even more magnificent and incomprehensible.
I have been a student of God’s word for a long time and I so agree with what has been written here. This gentleman is my brother in Christ and worth listening to. Thank you sir, for sharing your giftedness with us.
I have been blessed by this blog .Thank you. I have understood that God judges out of love so that I do not remain wayward and hurt myself through sin of disobedience. God loves me so much to let me remain prodigal , hurting myself.
He judges to let me come to and gocome back home to his perfect loving arms.
The ball is in my court.
Thank you for this refreshing exposition of God’s Justice with his perfect love in dealing with all situations that make me think that his judgement is severe. God is truly the only perfect judge in all the earth. Bless His Holy Name.
I love BSF. Our leaders are non judgmental and support us even if we are late or have other issues that prevent attendance They are up-scaled and work well with us in small groups or individually. I love the commitment from the leaders and the main office Thanks goes to Kingsland Baptist who offer us their facilities each Tuesday
Illuminating! From time to time, I have found myself concerned and wondering, especially when the Scripture reads, ” hardened his heart… .” such as Exodus 7:3 “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” One would reason or ask, Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Is HE causing Pharoah to act the way he does?
Thank you. i have a better understanding. It is easier to see his Grace in dealing with these evil, self-centered kings, for their actions, especially are the actions of Ahab and his wife intentional, for they entertain no thought of doing what is right. I will ever keep the true attributes of our heavenly Father in the forefront of my mind and not mix His actions with attributes of His character.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
I understand God punishing His people for their idol worship, etc. in order to have them turn back to Him. What I have trouble wrapping my mind around is the judgment and punishment suffered by His chosen people during WWII. This grieves me. I believe the precious children who died while under the age of accountability are in heaven, but are their parents in Hell? The Book of Revelation reveals that one day “ALL of Israel will be saved”. Will this be only those Jews who are alive at the end of the Tribulation? I do understand something had to happen to bring the Jews back to their homeland and “The Valley of Dry Bones” is a prophesy about the return. But 6 million? I believe that most of them had lived in Eastern Europe and had been persecuted for generations. From reading and studying history, I see them as being all about family and worshiping God in their Temple. Although they did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, they did worship God and followed the Law of Moses. I will understand when I get to heaven, but it won’t really matter then. I do know that God is just and loving. He is God and I am not!
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
A very good article!!! I trust God’s judgement because He’s perfect and we are not !!!! He knows the future and what is best for us because He loves us and we are part of His family!!!!!
Yes, I understand that about G-d’s judgment. I grew up in Judaism, and the “Angry G-d” of the “Old Testament” (the Tanakh) was part of my view of the world. G-d has always severely judged Israel. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a “kind, compassionate” view of G-d. I didn’t read the New Testament when I was growing up, and didn’t know much about Jesus. Even today I am always afraid that G-d is just waiting to punish me even for something I did years ago. I still do not understand why G-d allows suffering of innocent people: including children. Sometimes I am afraid to pray for something fearing that G-d will get mad about it. I would appreciate any thoughts on this. Thank you.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Thank you for the Dr David Talley blog. I was concerned the video “How can a Christian finish strong?” was the last. I like the videos and I like the blog. More neat in the blog but he does “concise” very well. The extra teaching etc. this year has been wonderful.
This to me was very enlightening. Since studying God’s word from reading the Bible, I can explain to my children or friends about why God’s judgment on individuals.
We should live right in the eyes of the Lord, always.
Hello BSF Staff,
I wanted to know how you got my email to forward these comments to me.
I did join the Word and now, I am confused about how you got my email or what list
you got it from. There is another BSF’er who would like to know too.
If you can point me in the right direction as to how I got on the list, I can print it out
and advise her.
Regards,
Zoe
Hi Zoe – when you signed up for a BSF class or for a mybsf.org account you provided your email address. If you do not want to receive emails from BSF, simply go into the last email you received and press “unsubscribe” and you will not receive any further emails. That is why you may be receiving member communications from non-reply@bsfinternational.org. If you are referring to a personal email you received after commenting on the blog from a bsfblog email address, it is likely because you provided your email address to comment on the blog (it is not publicly visible).
Does God view some sins greater than some?
King David was a man after Gods own heart and as forgiven adultry and planned murder yet one who tried to stop the Ark from falling was struct instantly dead
All sins are grave in the eyes of a holy God. But God is merciful. Even though Ada and Jehoshaphat made mistakes, they were still considered good kings because they were ‘directionally correct’. They sought the Lord. David is a man after God’s heart even though he committed adultery and murder. He was ‘directionally correct’.
2 Sam 6:6 Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.
Only God knows the heart of Uzzah if he was ‘directionally correct’ and judged him accordingly.
Another example is Cain and Abel. Why did God not favor Cain’s offering? Is He partial? Only God knows the hearts. Later we read about Cain’s anger and lack of repentance. His heart was not ‘directionally correct’. God is all knowing. He is just and does not make mistakes. It is our heart that He sees clearly.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Thank you. Even though at times my self righteousness rises within me I trust that the Lord is always right in His judgements; whether innocent or guilty.
I am sharing your article with others so they me be blessed by your words as I have.
This is a difficult topic to discuss. I agree consideration of God’s character, judgement is in consistency with His character.
However, with His “purpose in judgment was not destruction, but reconciliation. His motivation was not revenge, but compassion. He wasn’t wielding his power and justice merely as punishment, but as invitation. ” (quote fr. article). I can’t help to think of those who were innocent but perished in His judgement, a typical example of which were the first born from the Egyptians. It might be necessary to let the Egyptians felt the grief and pain to let the Hebrews go but zooming in from the babies’ perspective, was it fair for the innocents to bear the consequence of their parents’ sins? We each are responsible for our own sins when we see God again. Please help me to clarify this
God is merciful. He is all knowing; He knows the future of everything and everyone. He does not make mistakes.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
I believe in Gods judgement even for me. He is in control and above all. I’m sure I deserve more than I will ever receive. I don’t like it but God knows what is best for me and everyone else
I so love when my mind can be provoked to think on the character of God. Thank you for sharing,
“As humans we are simply too flawed to offer this perfect blend of love and justice. It is impossible. Only God can accomplish that work.” So true!
This post reorients my thinking about God’s justice, and I find it very hopeful. Thank you. I especially appreciate this observation: “ . We want loving justice and love that is just. “
This message is very well said and important for us to understand. Many people have the impression that God is mean, that He causes people to be to be raped or murdered. When I have told these young people that God allows free will, they reject Him even more. One person told me, after her husband had died of cancer, and going through trial after trial in an attempt to cure her husband, she remarked that God couldn’t have known. He wouldn’t have allowed it. How do we attempt to clear up misconceptions about God? God is a loving and just God who wants the best for us. I pray for those who don’t understand who God is, and all He wants is for us to be in a loving, obedient relationship with Him.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Your blog has really helped me understand the harsh judgement of God. Instead of asking why He did and what He did, we should ask Who God is first. I wonder if this blog has Mandarin Chinese version. It would be very helpful for some of my BSF group members who can’t read English that well.
I am a CL-SP. This is a very helpful blog for helping the children navigate these difficult truths. Thank you for this!
When it’s hard to comprehend God’s judgment, I like to refer back to Deuteronomy 29:29…. There are some things we are supposed to know, but one day these secrets will be revealed. I have always struggled to understand why God struck Uzzah when he tried to stable the ark when the oxen stumbled. I look forward to the day I understand this along with many, many other questions I have! The important thing I remember is that God is sovereign and He can be trusted whether we understand His ways or not!
Moses a faithful servant of God was so severely punished for one wrong action yet God sent His Son to die for the likes of me the greatest sinner so l am forgiven and will be with Him forever when I leave this mortal life.
I struggle to understand but I also know that God’s ways are not my ways etc.
A wise woman once told me that it sometimes not our place to understand but to accept. It is hard advise, but I find when I do my best to live like that, that I am a much more loving and accepting person.
The more perplexing question for me is not God’s justice which results in His judgment (condemnation) of us as sinners, since “all have sinned and fall short the glory of God.” The more perplexing question is why he demonstrated “mercy” to me by calling me to be His disciple. I strive to have my life express my profound gratitude for His mercy.
Thank you so much for this rich and necessary teaching, which illuminated and magnified the grace and love of God even more! God bless you Dr. Talley and BSF for sharing this timely Word of encouragement with us today.
Is it too simplified to say, “God knows the plans He has for us”…even before we were born?
Thank you Dr. Talley and BSF for your teaching on this central question of my faith. I accept the necessity of God’s judgement in response to evil. Yet Jesus came to “re-present” a God of non-violent justice vastly different than the God of the OT. Our human history has been a history of violence against ourselves, our fellow man and our planet; too often in the name of God. We are trending in the wrong direction as a species and non violence is the only option left just as Jesus taught us. In my humble opinion, love and non violence are the only forces that will truly change human hearts and save us from ourselves.
Your blog helped me to understand, the harsh judgment of God. Why He did , what He did. Thanks
Thank You so much for publish this article!
Sometimes I heard comments like! Why God allow evil? Why He allows rape or mistreat!
Thank You for allow some to go deeper in the Love God has for His creation!
We are the ones that are wrong! Not Him! And who we are to speak about injustice?
God is a God of Love and He knows everything.
I will love for BSF to give Bible studies about theology Going deeper in His word.
Just think about!
Yes, God does seem like he goes to the extreme sometimes but usually he warns us many times, but we turn a blind eye to his warnings.
When we know God’s character, we trust His judgment. He is faithful
Thank you
This has been very helpful. I have not thought of God’s judgment not being part of his character, rather as a response to his being just. Just the list of God’s character in a single sentence made me realize anew how limited my understanding of God is.
I really benefit , and enjoy these commentaries!! I share them with the ladies in my discussion group!
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom on God’s Holy Word!
Please keep them coming!! Katie Naylor
Your blog is very interesting for better understanding of God’s word.Thank you brother.
“As humans we are simply too flawed to offer this perfect blend of love and justice. It is impossible. Only God can accomplish that work. And in His mercy, He did so through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus. In that moment, He was condemned so that we might live. God’s perfect love and perfect justice collided, resulting in eternal grace for those who believe.”
Amen. Thank the Lord for using you Dr. Talley to share God’s Word of “God’s perfect love and perfect justice.” May God bless you and family and ministry. God gets the glory!
God judges evil for he is God who cannot look away when evil is done.I thank God that when he judges he wants us to be reconciled to him.Thank you David for making me to know that l must trust God who judges.
IIs it okay to search for deeper answers to questions that arise when studying scripture? Or are we to not lean on our own understanding in difficult passages??
2 Kings 2:23-25
Were these kids killed by the bears for mocking Elisha? How did calling down a curse on them fit with his personality? In seeking information about Elisha’s personality compared to that of Elijah, we are told “Elijah seems to have been a man of moods—experiencing great emotional swings between euphoria and depression. We see no such evidence of this in Elisha, who was probably more even-tempered.” We are told “Elisha’s compassionate miracles for the common Israelites provided them a needed reminder of God’s love for all of them, and of his faithfulness to them when they were faithful to him.” It seems out of character for Elisha to have cursed these kids.
Judges 11:28-40
In my search for clarity about this event in Judges, about child sacrifice, I read a narrative written by a Jewish Rabbi. As a side note it was suggested the daughter may have just lived out her life as a virgin as opposed to sacrificial death. For some reason the word virgin was specified along with the statement that they mourned because she would never have children??
These are great questions – and we hope that upcoming blog posts in this series will help you both ask difficult questions AND lean on faith in difficult passages. We know that God is big enough to handle all our questions. We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Thank you for this information. Which is so much needed and asked so frequently.
I have another question however. Was the Holy Spirit present in the Old Testament? For all that becomes saved in the New Testament receive the Holy Spirit, but the prophets in the Old Testament “definitely“ needed to hear from God! Thank you.
The Holy Spirit is very present in the Old Testament, but he does not indwell followers of Yahweh like we are indwelt when we become followers of Jesus. 2 Peter 2:20-21 reminds us that prophecies came as men were “moved by the Holy Spirit.” We also know that the Spirit indwelt leaders in a special way, Numbers 11:17, 25, 27:18; Judges 3:10, 6:34, 13:25, 14:6; 1 Samuel 10:9-10. Other examples could be cited as well.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
Your blog is a thought provoking and helpful answer to a difficult question. Thanks you
Your article was well written and thought provoking. It digs beyond the surface and forces one to think.
Thank you for the Good Word
Thank you for the insight..
This really helps me understand God’s judgment.
Thank you for giving me a better understanding of God’s actions in His love for me and His people.
Only God can accomplish the perfect blend of love and justice. “And in His mercy, He did so through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus. In that moment, He was condemned so that we might live.”
Thank you God for who you are! Just and merciful at the same time.
Thanks a lot
Found this article searching for the true meaning of God’s judgments. This article gave such clarity! And understanding God responds to Injustice and unholiness because of his character.
Dear BSF, I just discovered the blog and am truly learning so much from the writers. It really makes me think in these hard times. It is a relief.
Thank you all.
Thank you for this blog – helpful with this weeks question 8. This judgement seemed to randomly pop up in the Elijah Eliasha story.
Yes, God’s ultimate judgment came down on Jesus Christ. Of that we are eternally thankful. God’s goodness and mercy was greater than we can imagine.
Excellent! One of the best blogs published!
Thank you for this awesome reminder of God’s judgement and what it is and what it is not.
Loved “God’s perfect love and perfect justice collided, resulting in eternal grace for those who believe.” Thank you!
Thanks for reminding me all l need to do is to Trust God for Who He is. HE is the Potter and a l am the clay so despite what l am going through I will wait on the All faithful God who judges justly.
Thank You.
Thank you, sometimes we need to pray, take a deep breath. God does know it all. Before, present and our future. He gave His all to us. We know He is love. I trust Him completely. In all things. I have peace, rest and joy, knowing His is our God.
This quote below from Dr Talbot helped put things into God’s perspective.
“As humans we are simply too flawed to offer this perfect blend of love and justice. It is impossible. Only God can accomplish that work. And in His mercy, He did so through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus. In that moment, He was condemned so that we might live. God’s perfect love and perfect justice collided, resulting in eternal grace for those who believe.
This is helpful
The key notes clarify our. God is too good to overlook evil.
Powerful revelations.
Thanks for the insights.
I have been reminded of God’s love even when He seems to judge me in a way I least expected.
Thank you Dr. David Talley for explaining the answer to this FAQ so clearly 👍👍👍
Thank for this explanation David, we all struggle with this question. What stands out most for me in this publication is that judging is not an attribute of God, but a response to evil. Evilness should be punished for people to see that justice has been served.
May God bless David and family. I am very grateful, now I am understanding who God is after reading this blog. I pray that David may continue teaching God’s word. Glory to God.
God’s judgement can indeed be shocking – teaching a passage like 2 Kings 2: 23 -24 (the jeering boys mauled by the bears) can be hard – knowing God’s judgement is His not ours, asking who God is, before asking why God would do that, is a great perspective to talk about this hard issue which is replicated throughout the Old Testament. It’s humbling every time to remember God is immanent, yet transcendent – thank you for teaching that helps me and the audience move towards God as He is always moving towards us like you say elsewhere !
God is as gracious as He is righteous in His judgements. Amen.
You mentioned God’s purpose of judgement is not destruction but reconciliation. But there are many events where His judgement brought destruction. Just a thought for clarification.
Thank you, Dr Talley for sending this wonderful explanation on God’s judgement. Helpful when the topic comes up not only with Christians. Human judgement generally comes out of a need for revenge but God’s judgement comes out of love. That difference is so important. Many thanks.
Thank you David for your insights on God’s judgement. As a children’s leader I’m equipped
Indeed an important discussion … sometimes i wonder if we should first ask ourselves, what if there was no justice – anywhere – what would life look like?
Lord,teach me to trust and obey you in every season of my life however tough it feels
I have found some of His judgements challenging to fathom and honestly, I felt very bad about thinking this way. This article has explained it to me and I now realise that I wasn’t the only one too! It is comforting to know I am not alone in this and that God’s judgment is God’s and not ours. And he is perfect. Thank you for the article. Will read it again.
We humans are neither perfectly Holy nor perfectly loving and just! So, how can we understand God’s ways. Our ways are tainted by our fleeting thoughts and emotions. If God’s character and attributes were not firm and dependable then nothing in this world would make sense and collapse on itself.
While reading on why does God judge the people he lives what comes to mind is Jeremiah 9:23-24 where he says that he delights when we know Him and understand Him as the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness on the earth.
He is HOLY & just!
Amen never looked at God’s judgment that way. But it made sense thank you for the enlightens.
Thank you!! Your insights and comments help me to understand so much better who God is in all his glory, sovereignty and faithful loving righteousness and mercy!!
Impossible to comfort a parent whose young child died.
This question “how can a loving and just God to allow a these things?
It seems we just have to trust this kind of judge
Your words touched my heart. I would not feel comfortable deeming that as God’s judgement to the parents.
The death of a young child may be a result of a fallen evil world.
Just like disease
War, child abuse,
Evil is real, we are all suffering the consequences of evil choices of others. Be it individuals or governments or church leaders.
My oldest son died a few years ago. I found Ecclesiastes and Luke 13:1-5 helpful with that question. And while it may seem difficult to comfort someone who is experiencing such tragedy, I do think it’s worth the effort. You may not feel that you’re making any difference, yet our God is a God of comfort and we are His agents in that ministry (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). In faith, I encourage you to continue to provide comfort and engage with the parent; you may be the difference between life and death.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
God’s judgment is His tough love for mankind!
Appreciate this thoughtful sharing. Thank you Dr Talley!
“..separate God’s actions from His attributes. Judgment or wrath are not attributes of God. They are necessary responses born of His character.” Only God who is perfect can accomplish the perfect blend of perfect love and perfect justice.
I love the teaching and I would love to join next week class
Hi Rebeccah! We’re so glad to hear it. Are you already part of a class? If not, you can find one near you or online here: https://join.bsfinternational.org/.
We do not see perfect justice in this world. But one day there will be perfect justice. Thank-you God for your perfect blend of love and justice. And for taking the punishment I deserve.
Hi
I am new to BSF and I’m learning so much by being in it.
Lesson 8 said that Elijah went to heaven where God is
How can this be, when he wasn’t redeemed by Jesus?
I thought that he went to Abraham’s bosom with the other OT prophets etc.
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
In statements or God’s judgement there was nothing about choice or consequences. Can we speak of judgement and an omnipresent God and not speak of these terms?
As we speak of Jesus and His death and resurrection, are we also concerning judgement or perhaps judgment deferred?
Our concepts of justice and that of God’s are creations apart in context. Can God’s judgement be clearly seen or understood by humanity? I am not even sure we truly understand the concept of death or life. “Why does God judge the people he love?–we should ask God; don’t you think?
Maybe the question should be “what is man that God should consider him at all?’
I fully agree with God’s judgement is a means of invitation to the people He loves to return to Him and serves as a warning to others. He is the ultimate Judge.
Yes, we as mere humans see the God of love’s judgment as harsh. But look at who is questioning sovereign God’s punishment. We are sinful finite creatures, looking through the glass dimly. We are sinners saved by Jesus, God’s son. God is holy and we are not.
Fully agree. Hard to imagine a God who introduces Himself as merciful Exodus 34 ( said no human being ever), being held to account by man. We do not have moral authority to question him.
This is so helpful for this week’s lesson – for the third day’s questions 8a and b regarding God’s judgment. Thank you!
Thank You! I have not read or heard a more complete thoughtful response to the question of God and His judgements.
While it certainly provides a framework for deeper thoughts, it succinctly and clear frames the construct in a way to return to the crux: Do I trust God?
My deepest thanks.
True love & justice can only be found in God’s Amazing Mercy through Obedience and Submission (AMOS)
Thank you for this. I read Deuteronomy 28 to my children last night. Your explanation will help me to explain the difficult concepts in the chapter.
God only wants total commitment from us bur when we sin, God can only respond to us and our behavior in the way it deserves to be identified. God only wants us to keep our focus on Jesus our Christ as we try to live as he did on this earth. Jesus tells to come to him if we want to have life and have to the full and that means to be baptized and keep our thoughts and desires on Jesus. We can’t get close to Jesus and his example without knowing the scriptures and memorizing them because they are God’s commands that show God and Jesus we love them.
Excellent! Don’t know that I have seen it explained so simply yet so thorough. What a wonderful Savior and God we have. Trustworthy, Just, and loving beyond our comprehension. God bless you my brother in Christ.
Very informative, thank you
The historial Books of the Bible; the Old Testament, are thousands of years of God trying to teach HIs people how to live and why they should live in Him. Rather than focus only on the harshness of God’s judgement and promised wrath we should try to look into how many times and how many chances He gave His children, chosen or otherwise, to stop their horrific sinning (much of which is unimaginable), repent and listen to Him and learn the righteous way to live. When they did not the result for not doing so was of their own making from a God who did not lie to them and kept His promises. Yes, we can trust our Sovereign God to do what is right.
Yes and amen
I love the Old Testament though as a much younger person I found it “difficult” to understand. Looking at it today I see through different eyes. We are living in the midst of these times today. Elitist who mock our God and even hate Him. Corruption all across our world determined to destroy us by their power as elected officials. Allowing deadly drugs to come across our borders and kill our sons and daughters. God has been so patient as He waited for people to wake up and return to Him. But the allure of sin, power, money and the evil it could purchase were stronger than loving our God and seeking Him. I see His wrath that’s coming as a blessing in our times as it was in Amos’ time and many other Old Testament books. Those who know and love God need not fear for He is with us always. Be in prayer for the lost during this needed cleansing in our time.
This is a very helpful and balanced article on a difficult topic. It is very God-centred and challenging.
Great article. Just processing all God’s attributes from the first of the article is mind blowing. Thanks for sending this out on the blog. Does this go out in multiple languages?
Christi, unfortunately the blog is not translated at this time. We are so grateful that Dr. T alley’s article was helpful!
Very helpful. Thank you.
But why does God punish the innocent?
At the end of I Kings: After the king finally repents why does God bless him by delaying punishment until his son is king? Why does he forgive a king but punish his son who didn’t do those sins?
great question! We will share this with Dr. Talley and consider your question as a future blog post
I’m so grateful for these blog posts. These are hard issues! I sometimes need help to keep my own view of God true to His character as opposed to the world’s ungodly ideas. These posts and the videos are such a big help. Thank you.
I appreciate what you have said! Your last statement, “Can we trust the One who judges?” really turns the table on what we believe and know about our God. We say he is trustworthy—do we trust Him as our righteous judge? Our Kingdom Divided lessons have truly caused me to look deeper into my relationships with God! Do I live by what I profess I believe?
Thank you.
Our judgement is for reconciliation to God our perfect Father.
His judgement is perfect, not fully understood by the human mind. And yes we can trust He is perfect.
When judgement falls on people for their sin, there is collateral damage. People are impacted or killed that are not directly connected with the sin for which the punshment is inflicted such as children. So when we sin, we cause collateral damage. We must carefully think through and realise that there will be an impact of our sin on others when we decide to sin knowingly.
Two adages come to mind:
1: There are some things up with which God will not put.
2: The Ten Commandments are not the Ten Suggestions.
Hi Dr Talley
Thanks for your article.
Can you please offer a comment balancing the Grace of God as per Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” against that expressed in you article.
Adding to that; a little back ground…I grew up having fear instilled into me possibly as a way to keep me on the ‘straight and narrow way’ so a strong emphasis was given to the judgement of God. However over the last decade there has been what is termed. ‘a Grace Revolution’ which polarises this discussion expressing that because we live within the blessed framework of the Grace of God which teaches that Jesus has paid the entire price of past, present and future sin, we no longer even have or need to be repentant for any sin.
Absolutely. Romans 8:1 offers some of the most powerful words in the Bible. To answer your question simply, when a person puts their faith in Jesus for salvation and becomes one of his followers, THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION for that person. That person is declared righteous because God’s “condemnation” in the form of his wrath was poured out on Jesus on the cross…completely! We belong to him NOW and ETERNALLY.
However, we still battle sin. And, when we sin, because of our love for the One who has loved us so completely, our hearts should quickly and freely repent of that sin so that we are in sweet fellowship with our Savior. His continuous amazing grace should lead us to brokenness over our sins and then to repentance.
We are sinners. AND we are forgiven. I love the words of the song: “Our sins, they are many; his mercy is more. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
True love and justice can only be found in our
Awesome Mighty God through Obedience & Submission
Love this!!
This is a great article on a subject that often perplexes us. Thanks so much. It was a great read & hopefully I can explain God’s judgement more succinctly to others.
The word “harsh” is human perception and therefore, human judgement without all perceivable information. Unfortunately, we are not capable of perceiving all, without being bound by physical laws ie. time and place. We are not omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and hence, we have this word “harsh” which implies unfairness. The key nature of our relationship with GOD involves exercising our free will to trust Him and it requires faith. The word “harsh” is limited to human existence, and therefore, will not exist in eternity. God is never hash and always a fair judge.
What a beautiful glimpse of God’s perfect blend of love and justice. And, He took the ultimate justice onto Himself to save us. He doesn’t punish us because He is harsh, He judges evil, yet offers grace and mercy. Rather than asking why, I will strive to just trust the One who judges.
amen. You said what I feel in my heart also. HE is worthy of our trust in all situations.
Thank you for the well-reasoned argument. If we cannot trust God for wise judgment, then there is no one we can trust. Borrowing the format of Pascal’s argument for faith: If I can trust God to judge then I can gain spiritual peace in an unjust culture and if God does not exist then I lose nothing. If I choose to not trust in God to judge, then I lose any ability to live in peace. I choose to trust God and live in peace waiting for his eternal justice.
So true. Very good and inspiring teaching. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Haleluiah! Excellent True! The Lord attributes are His almighty. Man freedom in choice and deed signify the Lord’s honour and glory besides how the man be crowned in end days. To God be the glory! Isaiah 30:!5
Judgement is by and only by God our creator
He created us and only he determines the severity of his judgement toward out sinful acts
Core Values taught by His WORD do not require our evaluation by our manly standards
The fear of the Lord Is the beginning of wisdom! When People saw the Judgement of God, They began to realize this is no joke or fairy tale. God means what he says and says what he means. Sometimes we need to see to understand the weight of the matter. It should drive you to take inventory of your life and get right with Him.
Enjoyed the read! It’s always hard to think about God’s wrath and God’s love and make sense of it all! Thanks for the article.
We often talk about Gods great love and rightly so. But we seldom talk about Gods hate. Psalm 5:5 says God arbors the wicked. His holy righteousness demands that he does. So the only way we can truly experience Gods delightful love is through believing in His son, with whom he truly delights in.
Thank you for reminding us of God’s nature. It helps me to trust what he does because the word says he does not punish us as we deserve Psalm 103:10.
Such a clear and helpful discussion. Thank you so much. Everytime I begin to wonder about his actions, I remember He is God and I am not – and focus on all his attributes as much as I can grasp them.
Dr. Talley, Thank you so much for this wonderful look in the heart of our Creator God and Lord.
It gave me so much to think and prayer about. I will share this with our Seacoast Church Married Small Group. Sending lots of Blessing to you and your Precious Family
This blog has reminded me that God only judges in love because that’s who He really is. Thank you
There was a time when I felt the Spirit prompt me confess a behavior. Although my actions were 10 years previous, the Spirit kept telling me to confess.
My husband was shocked and wondered why I told him. He forgave me and I know that our God is even more forgiving when I confess to him.
I realized that my husband had every right to be angry and hold it against me, but he didn’t. Love does cover all sins. God has every right to condemn me for eternity but I trust that He knows and loves me even better than my husband. I accept his judgement and am willing to accept the consequences for my sin. I am indebted to our Father for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every thing I do now, I understand that they are either godly or not… acceptable in the eyes of the Lord or not. I pray that God give me grace and wisdom to live out my life honoring him.
Dr. Talley,
I am presenting to a group of Deaf women in the Minneapolis, MN area Nov 12 via Deaf FRUIT Ministries.
(See Facebook)
Prayers Accepted.
My Husband Stuart (Deaf) and I have been in ministry for 30+ years. He is the Theologian In the family. He works with DOOR International.
I would love to use some of your thoughts in my presentation. May I?
Linda- we would love for you to share Dr. Talley’s article! Feel free to also share BSF and WordGo as opportunities for your ministry.
God is in Control. We are in awe of Him. He shows grace and mercy to His people. He promises to lose none. Man’s problem seems to be God is not fair. He is just. We are fallen yet He provides Salvation. For fellowship. For His pleasure.
Great hearing this explanation of justice!!
What a beautiful explanation of God’s judgment by studying His attributes. Thank you. As another reader also wrote, I will be reading this again and again.
We call him Lord and Savior, but it seems most want the Savior part but the Lord part not so much.
We trust judgment is a consequence too and is not without warning and not unexpected for He says the wages of sin will be death.
When He says “ thou shalt not…” He wasn’t looking for our opinion but
our obedience . The law/s were given to not take our choices, our freedoms and our joy, they were given to preserve those things. Given to preserve our very life. He judges according to His revealed
law and alerts us as to consequences. We knowingly invite judgement when we sin , because we are sufficiently informed.
Thank you Dr. Talley. We must not take lightly the wrath of God poured out on all mankind. We serve a holy God and do so by the grace of God. Through the shed blood of His son, and only through His blood can we enter into His presence. A just and holy God deserves my full devotion. But when I slip, there will be consequences, but too, there will always be gracious restoration.
Getting into Kings 2 this week and it’s as if you read my mind thank you for the beautiful explanation my heart soars.God bless you and your vocation.
When God purposed (not “allowed”) that the nations surrounding His people (e.g., Assyria, Babylon) should attack, defeat, and subjugate them because of their unfaithfulness, why does He then judge and punish those same nations for doing what He purposed for them to do?
Agnes, such a great question. We will add it to our list of possible articles for this series!
What a wonderful commentary on God’s judgment. His love for His children justifies His judgment against evil. I would have a difficult time loving & serving a God who winked at the unconfessed evil perpetrated against me.
My question is today the world is so full of evil from all corners; is God waiting for the world to get better? And people are suffering from the evil of others?
Joyce, such a great question! We will add it to our list of possible topics for this series. Thank you for sharing, it’s a question I have wondered too.
Thank You for such a wonderful explanation of God’s wrath and love. I will need to reread this blog a couple more times to get the full understanding of Pastor Talley’s descriptions.
People are in need of truth today and even look for evidence of a Godly lifestyle in the teaching of BSF . Thanks for checking your contributor’s thoughts.
Insightful, in a way that this old believer has not experienced before.
Keep it up!
I believe there is God’s eternal judgement. He has made it very clear He wants to have a relationship with each of us. He is holy and we are made in His image and yet because of our sinful nature and His desire that we choose Him and His holiness it is impossible to live our lives holy as He intended. Therefore during our short time on earth we will bear many consequences of hurtful action to others and ourselves. And most fearfully if we never surrender to God’s love and mercy we not only bear consequences on this earth but will suffer with the Devil in Hell forever. For those of us who receive His mercy and grace we not only immediately experience His amazing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control, and His abounding love, compassion and mercy during our short time on this earth, and I look forward to it forever with rewards in Heaven for my good choices and the opportunities I have had to love others as He desires to love them and as He desires me to do as His hands and feet and in accordance with His Spirit. I believe in His healing power of body and mind and pray for this daily for the innocent ones who suffer cruel and evil actions unjustly.
I have been been interested in God’s judgments since studying Matthew in BSF last year. I wrote a paper to keep it in order. The summary:
The Bema Seat Judgment (of Christians for their works while on earth) takes place at the end of the Church Age immediately after the Rapture of the Church to meet Christ in the heavenlies (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). Salvation is assured. Crowns are awarded (Rev. 19:9).
The Sheep and Goat Judgment takes place after the tribulation and just after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Cor. 5:10). Only the sheep (believers) are kept with Christ in His (Millennial) 1000 year reign, while the goats (unbelievers) are sent away to torment.
The Great White Throne Judgment takes place at the end of the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:13-15). All the unsaved will be assigned their final destiny in the lake of fire.
I am not sure if these are the judgments you referred to and I look forward to your response
Excellent justification.
But when He came to earth as Jesus, the only justified anger he showed is when he cleared the traders from the temple. A lot of evil happened before His eyes and even to Him. Yes, one understands that He was on a different mission, but the message He left was one of ‘giving another cheek’.
A very thought-provoking assessent of how to look at God. A very interesting and informative article.
It’s God the judge, and it ain’t man nor woman who’d are not to judge than God only is the real true judge over things like that
Love reading BSF studies on the Old Testament and also the comment👍🙏👏❤️
Thank you, makes sense to me,
Thanks for sharing great information