Reverend Rognyt

Why do the heathen rage.

How many of us remember Salmon Rushdie and The Satanic Verses? His book caused so much uproar, that there were death contracts (not just threats) on his life forcing him to go into hiding. What deep, dark, heinous crime did he commit? His text suggested that the Koran was not absolute, that it might in fact have untruths in its pages. For that, the followers of Mohammed could not contain themselves, they cried out in “righteous indignation” for the blood of Rushdie.

Why are Christians less offended when the Bible is questioned? Are we cowards not to take up arms, or to charge the “infidel” screaming at the top of our lungs? The reasons for our restraint are in the character of our God and the instruction to the Church.

I have to start with who our God is and demonstrations of His nature. We are told in Exodus 33:19,

“And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Bottom In Deuteronomy 32:35,

“It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”

He will bring greater destruction than is possible by us. He is watching and will mete out His fire on those who turn their backs to Him. Job 21:18,

“It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’ Let Him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!”

Jehovah is distinct from Allah (in so, so many ways) in that He owns vengeance but can show mercy to someone like Saul of Tarsus, who was not seeking Him, was cursing Him, and yet was found of Him.

The justice of Adonai is longsuffering. 2Peter 3:8-10,

“ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”

The argument for righteous wrath could be made from the case of Elijah and the five hundred prophets of Baal. Elijah personally delivered the deathblow to that crowd, should we not also be so bold? The difference is Elijah was acting on the rule of law that Israel was living under. Israel was to be an earthly kingdom, the commands were literally written in stone. The full Law of Moses called for the death penalty to those who go after other gods. Deuteronomy 18:20,

“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

And Leviticus 24:14-16,

“Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.’ ”

Today Israel exists and they should hold the Law of Moses as their mandate. I am not Jewish, nor am I living in Israel. Those who are Jewish and live in Israel, aught to live by Moses Law. I myself, and most of my acquaintances, are Christians living in the United States of America. We live under the laws of this land, established by The Declaration of Independence, and The U.S. Constitution. Looking back on Lev. 24, note that the judgment is upon those within the congregation. Not for those who are without.

Jesus laid out the pattern for us in the current age. We will be brought before judges and councils for our Faith, as in Matthew 10:16-20,

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you,”

Mark 13:9, has the same message. We are to allow ourselves to be quietly brought before evil rulers, but not retaliate. BottoRomans 14:11,

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

And Philippians 2:11,

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We can rest assured that the day will come when ALL will stand before His Throne!