Tag Archives: vengeance

Hate can run deep (John 16:1-5), April 10, 2017

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Today’s Podcast


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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. If you lived shortly after World War II, you’ll remember the war crime tribunal headlines that plastered every paper around the world for months. People thinking they were doing good, tried and convicted for horrendous crimes against their fellow man. But that really wasn’t news. It had gone on long before, is going on today, and will go on until Jesus comes again.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 16:1-5
    2. Jesus: I am telling you all of this so that you may avoid the offenses that are coming.  The time will come when they will kick you out of the synagogue because some believe God desires them to execute you as an act of faithful service.  They will do this because they don’t know the Father, or else they would know Me.  I’m telling you all this so that when it comes to pass you will remember what you have heard. It was not important for Me to give you this information in the beginning when I was with you.  But now, I am going to the One who has sent Me, and none of you ask Me, “Where are You going?”
  4. Devotional
    1. Because in some armies soldiers follow their leaders blindly without any thought as to the morality or legality of what they do, our Uniform Code of Military Justice has some peculiar articles in it.
      1. Carrying out illegal orders is not a defense in a court-martial
      2. Commander who tells you to kill prisoners – illegal order
      3. Commander and any who carry it out are guilty
      4. Following orders is not a defense
    2. Temple leaders thought they were doing good when they threw Jesus’ followers out of the temple and synagogues
      1. Tried to stop Jesus’ teaching
      2. Didn’t matter by what means
      3. Even in violation of their own commandments
      4. Hate got in the way
      5. Christian martyrs have felt the promise throughout the centuries
    3. Sometimes we can get blinded by hate if we’re not careful
      1. War crimes
      2. Atrocities against civilians or prisoners
      3. World War I/II
    4. Even thinking we are doing things in the name of religion
      1. Crusades
      2. Jihad
      3. Abortion clinic violence
      4. Violence against ethnic groups or the LTGB community
      5. Violence against anyone that doesn’t agree with us
    5. Vengeance is mine says the Lord
      1. Tells us it is coming
      2. Tells us so we can avoid it
      3. But promises trouble, not peace with the world
      4. Warns us this is not the place for us, but we must live here until He comes again
      5. Be prepared for the worst, give thanks if things turn out better than expected
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Vengeance belongs to God (Joshua 20), Mar 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 20
Set – Joshua 20; 1 Corinthians 9
Go! – Joshua 18-20; 1 Corinthians 9

Joshua 20
1Then the Eternal One spoke to Joshua.

Eternal One: 2 Tell the Israelites, “You must set apart cities of refuge, as I directed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who accidentally or unintentionally kills a person may flee there. These cities shall be set up as a refuge from anyone seeking blood revenge. 4 If the slayer flees to one of these cities, he can stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain the case to the elders of that city; then the fugitive will be taken into the city and given a place, and he will live among them. 5 If the person seeking to avenge in blood comes after him, the people of the city may not give up the slayer since the neighbor was killed by mistake and there was no premeditation or prior hatred. 6 The slayer may remain in that city until there is a trial before the congregation. And when the high priest who currently holds the office dies, then the slayer may return home to the town from which he fled.”

7 So they set apart and consecrated Kedesh in Galilee (in the hill country of Naphtali), Shechem (in the hill country of Ephraim), and Kiriath-arba (Hebron, in the hill country of Judah). 8 Beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer (in the desert plateau from the tribe of Reuben), Ramoth in Gilead (from the tribe of Gad), and Golan in Bashan (from the tribe of Manasseh). 9 These, then, were the cities set aside to be sanctuaries for all the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who killed a person accidentally could flee there and not die at the hands of someone seeking blood revenge until there was a trial before the congregation.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Vengeance is Mine. It was true during the most violent times of ancient biblical history and is still true today. The laws that meet out punishment for crime is necessary to keep order in society, but ultimately, I will dole out the appropriate punishment for the sins and evil of the world. Vengeance is and always will be Mine and belongs to no one else.

You might say, “But you don’t know what he or she did to me.” Yes I do. I know all things. Still, vengeance belongs to Me alone. That’s the reason I set out the cities of refuge in the early days of the nation of Israel. I wanted reason and justice to prevail, not the heated emotions that follow an action. I know the motive and intent of men’s hearts and so I own the final say in giving the punishment due each, not you.

I didn’t want family members to conduct mock trials and hold the blood of the innocent on their hands because of rash decisions made in the heat of the moment. The cities of refuge reduced that opportunity and placed it into a more just system. Witnesses must prove guilt before priests who I would hope would also consult Me before making their final decisions about the guilt or innocence, and punishments given to accused.

Laws changed through the years and you no longer go out and kill those who wrong you. But I’ve see society at work. You can kill in more ways than with knives and guns. Words can ruin and destroy people just as easily as weapons. You can cut as deeply as a dagger with your words and ruin reputations with just a few sentences on a piece of paper or a few characters in an email. But remember, vengeance is Mine, not yours.

There are no more cities of refuge. I wish there were. I wish I could take all the times people exact revenge on another person, separate them, and put one into a city of refuge until real believers can consult Me on what should be done. What a different world it would be! How much violence, gossip, and discord would decrease if I could do it!

Think about the cities of refuge the next time you think you’ve been wronged and want revenge. Remember vengeance is Mine, not yours. Don’t let yourself get trapped by your emotions and do something you’ll regret. I’m the Avenger. Vengeance is Mine…always. Let Me handle the outcome. I will, trust Me. Yes, I want all to come to saving knowledge of Me and have their sins forgiven, but I also know best how to deal with the consequences, the guilt, the restitution, the punishment in this life and the next. I am the one who can bring justice to the world. After all, I give you My grace and you don’t deserve it either. All have sinned and come short of My glory. But I am the giver of grace and mercy. I am also the deliverer of justice and wrath.

Vengeance is Mine, not yours.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.