From Experience = Living And Coping With Injustice And Hurt (Third Part) – Guidelines – (The Retribution Of God – Part 8 In The Series) Series

FROM EXPERIENCE = LIVING AND COPING WITH INJUSTICE AND HURT (THIRD PART) – GUIDELINES – (THE RETRIBUTION OF GOD – PART 8 IN THE SERIES)

[7]. GOD IN RETRIBUTION

There are some parts of the Atacama desert in South America which have never seen a drop of rain for 400 years. If you lived there and every day from the age of five you studied the heavens for the possibility of rain that day, could you possibly imagine how you would be warped in your thinking, attitude and behaviour by the time you reached 50? Christians who go around expecting to see the retribution of God, if not this day, then the next, would slowly become like the sad Atacaman.

Don’t necessarily expect to see the retribution of God even during your lifetime. God may not choose to raise His hand for you in this matter so it should not be your occupation. True, it is not easy to cope with the matter when so much wrong has been done by numbers of people but the whole subject of retribution rests in God’s hand and in God’s timing as we have already seen. All we need to remember is that God will avenge; He will repay; He will recompense the harvest that was sown against you.

Paul had a problem in his ministry, but how did he solve it? This is what he shared privately with Timothy – {{2Timothy 4:14 “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.”}}

The first thing to note is that Paul did not blab it all over in his letters to the churches. Yes, Alexander did a lot of harm to Paul but he was content to share it only with Timothy. The second thing we note is that Paul did not add any sort of “cursing” upon Alexander, but what did he do? He was content to let the matter rest with the Lord. Jesus is the final Arbiter and we must be humble and let it rest there.

There is a problem in modern society especially in the USA where is seems fashionable always to be suing someone. In the New Testament era there was the facility where one could take another to court but it seemed to be for really concrete matters. Today it seems to be for anything. Be very careful if you are considering suing a Christian brother, for not only does Paul forbid that in Corinthians, but you might be guilty of taking the matter out of the Lord’s hands.

A Christian can suffer loss and gently suffer that loss and not rise up in judgement. The Lord repays His own saints with far more than they could ever lose, in eternity!

It might be that you may see where God has repaid those who have raised themselves up in unjust opposition against you. If that is so then praise God for His faithfulness and be humble before the presence of God. If God’s retribution or judgement is not seen, then do not be disheartened. In a significant sense it is not your concern. God’s plan for you is wonderful and you must accept it totally on that basis.

The illustration found in the parable in Luke 18 of the unjust judge is worthy of reflection. The woman in this example came face to face with injustice because she had no option other than to depend on this man for justice, but she received it not. Unjust judges are a scourge of the worst kind and along with false shepherds (spiritual leaders) are singled out the most for condemnation by the prophetic writers. Unjust judges and magistrates one day will receive the harshest penalty.

The woman kept persevering at wearing the judge down until she was granted her desire, which for her, was proper justice. How could we best apply this example to us so we can obtain something meaningful from it? Often the means of obtaining justice in this world are not open to us as they seemed to be to this woman. You may have to accept injustice and live for Christ in spite of it, but our loving Saviour will minister to you in a very special way.

This parable is often used as an example of persistent prayer. The following fitting quotation comes from August van Ryn in his book, “Meditations in Luke”.

[[ “Here in our parable, and in so many other places, our Lord shows how evil will triumph, and oppression rule. Our Lord said that in this world we should have tribulation. Paul said the same, as do all the writers of the New Testament.

“The elect are pictured in this parable under the figure of a ‘widow,’ a familiar figure in the scriptures for believers dependent on God alone, for He is the Husband of the widow; it is to Him alone she can look. And this widow cries to a judge who feared not God nor regarded man. She cries to be avenged of her adversary. We know who the adversary of the Christian is, of course - the devil. His very name means just that. He is the oppressor and opposer of the saints, and he uses men as tools to carry out his nefarious purposes. And alas, the Christian is in a world that is ruled or judged by those who often have no regard for God or man; by ruthless men working their own will. We do and can thank God for the comparatively good government we enjoy in the favoured land in which we live (U.S.A.); [Writer’s Note - BUT IT IS FAST DECLINING] and yet even here injustice and oppression often abound, and the believer is the first to suffer under it. But oh, how much God’s people have suffered throughout the ages in many lands, for Christ’s sake.