Of Evil, Judgment, And Salvation

"Today's Devotion" For November 21, 2005

Read: Habbakuk 3:1-19; Revelation 20:11-21:8

OF EVIL, JUDGMENT, AND SALVATION

"Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.'" (Rev. 21:5)

In a world full of turmoil and uncertainty, where nations contend with nations, and wars dot the globe human beings need some hope and comfort. It often appears as if the innocent suffer and the oppressors have the advantage. There's a sense among many that the world is an unfair place. It's an old story. Such is the picture that we see throughout history. If we look back at the days of the prophet Habbakuk, we hear the prophet lament and agonize over the evil he saw affecting people, particularly God's people. His lament takes the form of the age-old question, "Why does God allow evil to flourish and evil people to succeed?" He saw that the "ruling classes" in Judah were oppressing the weak in Jewish society, and he couldn't understand how God could them to get away with such behavior. Habbakus saw much the same kind of evil affecting people as we see today. Bribes were offered, the wicked abused the righteous, the court system was corrupted, and there was a distinct impression that success was disconnected from a relationship with God.

God's answer to Habbakuk not only surprised him but left him anguished. God declared that He intended to use evil to punish Judah's evil. It was God's intention to use the power of Babylon, perhaps the most decadent and evil empire ever known to human history, to punish His people in Judah who had become arrogant and haughty in their behavior, ignoring the will of God and treating the innocent with contempt and injustice. While anguished by this news, Habbakuk also acknowledges the justice of God's actions, noting that Judah deserved the punishment it had coming. Scripture tells us that God did so as the people of Judah were carried off into exile in Babylon. At the same time God also promised Habbakuk that evil Babylon will itself be destroyed and that God's people will, in the end, possess the earth.

As Habbakuk examines this Word from God in answer to his questions and laments, he receives understanding. He uses phrases such as "the righteous shall live by his faith" (2:4), "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (2:14), and "in wrath remember mercy" (3:2) to remind himself and God's people that God is just and righteous, merciful and gracious, and filled with compassion, love, and forgiveness for all who turn to Him in repentance and faith. In the face of the most trying of circumstance, Habbakuk shows us that God is always involved in what's happening - He's still in charge and nothing happens without His knowing it.

That's what we are reminded of also through John's vision in Revelation. In the last three chapters of Revelation the final judgment is examined. John sees the power of Satan in the last days seeking to deceive as many people as possible into following him into the fiery realm of Hell for eternity. At the same time John notes that God is sitting on His throne and judging the people with righteousness and truth. Despite the turmoil that evil brings into the world, God is still in control. God Himself encourages us as He tells John "Behold, I make all things new." In the face of the very worst that can happen, God's promise and assurance is that He is in control and He's making everything new as He leads us into eternal life through faith in Jesus. He leaves us with the confidence of His words to John that all John has seen and heard is "trustworthy and true." As the old saying goes, "You can take that to the bank."

As we face the challenges and vagaries of life in this world; as we look at the various faces of evil and wonder at its seeming success; as we experience injustice and unfair treatment by others; as we face ridicule for our faith and trust in God and have every Word and promise of God challenged we are encouraged to know, as Habbakuk was, that God is in charge and nothing happens without His knowledge. We are encouraged in our lives of faith to know that God's promise is that He will preserve us for Himself, even in the face of the most dastardly evil of Satan himself. The picture of God sitting on His throne, unruffled and undeterred by the turmoil that surrounds us in life, is a powerful statement of hope and invites our trust and faith in Him. He who judges evil, He who judges the world, He who judges sin, is also He who saves us from the just destruction we deserve for our disobedience and sin. He assures us that he is "making all things new," and we receive His daily reminder of that promise as, in the power of our baptisms, we are daily renewed and refreshed by His Word and Spirit - recreated through His forgiveness of our sins and faith in Jesus. As the redeemed children of God, we are blessed by faith to not just speak about the evil in the world, but to be certain that God will judge it, and that He will save us for Himself through Christ our Lord.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for the great gift of faith in Jesus You have given me. In that faith I am led to daily repentance for all of my sins and am strengthened to live a life humble righteousness as one of Your redeemed children. As I face the challenges of evil in the world around me, keep me from succumbing to the temptation to disobedience that evil offers. Help me to live in the confidence that, regardless of the perceived power of evil in the world, You are still in total control of Your creation and are the true Judge and Savior of the world. Father, help me to see Your hand creating everything new as You promise in the vision of Revelation You gave to John, help me to trust that You are in control and do what You promise, and keep me faithful to You in Jesus so that I might continue to tirelessly share Your love and forgiveness with others so they, too, might be saved. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright ©2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.