PRÉCIS ON THE GOD WHO LOVES JUSTICE: AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY’S FORGOTTEN CANON

SCRIPTURE. “O Lord God, You to Whom vengeance belongs, O God, You to Whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! ‘Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render to the proud a fit compensation!’ Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph and exult?” – PSALM 94:1-3, AMPC

KEY TERM. “VENGEANCE.” ‘Neqamah’ [נְקָמָה]: “The term used to describe ‘Divine Retribution for the worship of false gods, improper sacrifices, or a plot against the people or spokesman of the Lord; the infliction of pain on one’s enemy, in return for an injury or offense.”

QUOTATION. “How can a sane man go against the LORD? Whose gentleness is described like this, ‘I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them’ (Hosea 11: 4, ESV). Tragically, hard-hearted, close-eared, blind-eyed, dumb-mouthed, stiff-necked people are still there ‘acting smart, not knowing that their End is near.’” ― ROYAL RAJ S, Malachi, n.d.; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘O God, to Whom vengeance belongeth’ — To Whom, as the Supreme Judge of the world, the Patron and Protector of the righteous, and the declared Enemy of all wickedness and wicked men, and to Whom alone it belongs to take revenge on those who oppress Thy people when they should protect them; ‘Show Thyself’ — Make thy Justice conspicuous, by speedily avenging Thine elect, and rendering a recompense to their enemies. ‘Lift up Thyself! — To punish Thy proud enemies. Be exalted in Thine own strength, and let those proud men, who have acted as if they thought none could control them, know that they have a Superior. 

‘How long shall they utter’ — Pour forth freely, constantly, abundantly, as a fountain doth water, (so יביעו, jabbignu, signifies,) ‘and speak hard things’ — Grievous, insolent, and intolerable words against Thee and Thy people; ‘and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves’ — Of their invincible power, and prosperous success in their wicked designs.” – JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

DK. It has been wisely both said and written that “The same LORD who is the Gentle Shepherd is also the LORD who is a Brutal Predator.” But you see, beloved, that is too strong a theological brew for the American Church. Oh no, “God would never get angry,”as I astonishingly heard with my own ears from a guest Megachurch preacher from my old assembly here in Colorado Springs.

What is this malignant treachery that has infected the American Church? It is heinous! It is blasphemous! It is Satan’s Lie straight from the lowest echelons of Hell! And it has poisoned the Stream of Living Water into a polluted bilge that not only cannot save people, but indeed speeds them toward their Final Destruction.

CODA. Yes, my friends, God is Love. But be very careful about which ‘Love’ of God you inspire. Selah.