Part 4The Christian Response
After reading through the Bible one can clearly see the many stories in which their were obvious consequences for people’s actions. The nation of Israel as a whole can attest to this fact. Many times throughout it’s history, Israel had to live and sometimes suffer under the authority of ungodly and totalitarian-like empires such as: the Babylonians, the Medes/Persians, the Assyrians, the Grecians, and lastly the Romans. Was it just because they were a weak and vulnerable entity in Palestine at the time? No, it was simply because of the consequences for it’s many sins, primarily idolatry. Many prophets had arisen to tell of the impending doom that would soon befall the nation if it did not seek repentance and turn from it's evil ways. However, the nation would often times ignore God’s warnings only to later find themselves living under a ruthless empire.
Many prominent individuals of the Old Testament had to suffer the consequences for their sometimes wrongful behavior as well. Cain, Moses, David, and many more. Cain for instance, murdered his brother Abel (Gen. 4:8). His consequences - he became a wanderer, and he was “driven from the land” (Gen. 4:11-12).
Take someone like Moses. He was a very godly and upright man who found favor with the Lord. A man who would eventually lead the people of Israel out of 400 years of bondage in Egypt. He essentially became God’s spokesman to the people. Well, he too sinned and disobeyed the Lord God.
“Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, ‘If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!’
Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.’
So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’
Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:2-12)
The Lord had told Moses specifically to speak to the rock; however, Moses struck it, not once, but twice. God performed the miracle; yet Moses was taking credit for it when he said, “we bring you water out of this rock”. Because of this action, Moses was forbidden to enter the promised land, “the land of milk and honey”. It does seem that God’s punishment might have been a little too harsh for Moses. However, Moses was the leader and role-model for the entire nation. Because of this great responsibility to the people, he could not be let off lightly. By striking the rock, Moses disobeyed God’s direct command to speak to it and thus dishonored God in the presence of his people.
As previously mentioned, King David was yet another individual who sinned by committing adultery with a married woman named Bathsheba. We also have learned what his consequences for that one night of passion was. The death of his firstborn son (2 Samuel 12:14). David, as we know, was yet another individual who was a leader and a role-model to the nation of Israel. People trusted and heavily relied upon this chosen and annointed man of God. We can conclude that God seems to have higher expectations and standards of those He chooses to set aside and to be leaders.
The New Testament gives us further insight into what God’s Word says concerning consequences. Many New Testament stories come to mind.
One such example is the man who betrayed and turned Jesus over to the authorities, Judas Iscariot. He hardened his heart and chose to side with the enemies of Jesus. Judas remained unrepentant to the end, until finally committing suicide. Matthew says that he hung himself (Matt. 27:5). Dr. Luke, the author of Acts, says that “he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.” (Acts 1:18). Do these two passages contradict one another? No, the best explanation is that the limb from which he was hanging broke, and the resulting fall split open his body.(3) Nevertheless, Judas had suffered the consequences for his actions. With the constant thought of what he had done and the enormous amount of guilt that followed, he resorted to the unfortunate act of suicide to take away the intense emotions which enveloped his mind.
God simply disciplines and provides consequences for all of our actions. However, His punishment is meant to correct us and restore our fellowship with him, not for us to suffer in torment. God treats us as his children. Just as a father or mother disciplines their child, so does He.
“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11)
Imagine what our society would be like today if God had never disciplined or provided consequences for man’s sinful and evil acts throughout history. Our world would probably be in a state of total anarchy and would have no regard for the sanctity of life. Their would be no love, no charity, no compassion, no family, and certainly no regard to the existence of God.
From God’s Word, we have observed the many consequences in people’s lives. Therefore, we can clearly expect there to be consequences and discipline for the actions of our President. We would hope that his resignation or impeachment would be the consequence of choice. It might never happen, and personally I’m not expecting it to. However, what we don’t know is what God has in store for President Clinton. As a leader of this nation, we know that God has a higher standard for him. Be assured, just as surely as he punished Moses and David, he will surely discipline and punish our President. We don’t know what’s happening inside his mind, or if the thought of suicide has ever crossed it. We don’t know if Bill and Hillary intend on divorcing after his term in office is over. We don’t know if his entire family is emotionally distraught and split apart. We don’t know if the President will someday soon, be afflicted with some life threatening disease or illness. We don’t know if he will have to pay by someday serving prison time. We don’t know if he’ll have to repay monetarily so much that he will have to declare bankruptcy. We don’t know the anguish in which his soul is going through. What’s worse is, we don’t know what his eternal consequences might be. For all we know, we as a nation, might not ever see any consequences for his actions. But ultimately, it is up to God to decide his punishment. “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” (Deut. 32:35) and, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.” (Nahum 1:2)
(3) Life Application Bible, pg. 175, footnote to Matt. 27:5, 1991
