There are those who struggle with a God who actively punishes people for their sins or wrong doings. They believe in a God of love, and find it entirely inconceivable that He would ever condemn someone to hell or punish them in any way.
While the God of the Bible is loving, the attribute many forget is that God is also JUST. It's logical that we want justice when it comes to interacting with people. For example, we want our law enforcement personnel to be just; we want our courts to be just and fair. From childhood, we've known justice is natural; injustice is just, well, wrong! Just listen to a child on the playground that feels unfairly treated. What's the first thing he says? "That's not fair!" Intrinsically we have a desire for fairness and justice.
There are many occurrences throughout Biblical history where God acts justly in punishing people and even entire nations because of the sinful behavior.
However, today if a nation occupied another country and began to systematically murder its inhabitants, essentially wiping them out, we'd call that genocide. It would be condemned by the world powers and ultimately stopped.
So, how to we synchronize our understanding of a loving God and a judgmental, Old Testament God?
First of all, we believe God created us. Therefore, God decides when we live and when we die. We are not the decision makers as to when we are born nor when we die. God is. While murder, homicide, and suicide, as well as assisted suicide (euthanasia), all occur, they are not a natural means of ending one's life. The only one who should have the right to end our physical lives is the very One who created our lives in the beginning.
Secondly, it appears from just a cursory reading of the Bible, that God always offered a "Grace Period" before He mete out punishment. He always allowed the people an opportunity to change their evil behavior or in other words, repent of their sins.
Examples of a GRACE PERIOD
- Noah and the flood - It appears that Noah preached (2 Peter 2:5) to the people for 120 years while he built the ark. The people were indeed wicked and corrupt (Genesis 6:11,12), and yet only Noah and his family were spared even as God waited patiently for them to repent (1 Peter 3:20, 21).
- Sodom and Gomorrah - Abraham pleaded with God's representative, the angels, to not destroy the cities if he found 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10 righteous people among them (Genesis 18:16-33). Sadly only Lot's family escaped the fire and brimstone that rained down from heaven.
- Ninevites - Here's an example of a nation that DID repent when confronted. Jonah, although reluctant at first, preached to the people of Nineveh that in 40 days God would judge them, and they turned from their wicked ways and God spared them (Jonah 3:4-10).
- Canaanites - This is surely the most problematic judgment for most people in that not only were men killed, but entire families including women and children. How is this justified? Again, we read in Genesis (Genesis 15:13-16 NLT) the prophecy that God's people would return to the land of Canaan after 400 years "for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction." Interpretation: The people had 400 years to repent and turn from their wicked ways! The deaths of children can be explained in that they would live on beyond the earth - whether it be in paradise or heaven. This was not their end, but only a passageway to a better place.
God is loving and just! He waited patiently in the Old Testament for people and nations to repent. If they turned back to Him, he spared them. If not, they were destroyed.
Today, God is again waiting patiently (2 Peter 3:9) for us to come to repentance. We have been given a "Grace Period." He doesn't desire that anyone would perish (John 3:16, 17). What will we do? What will you do?! The earth is again increasingly wicked and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). God's Grace Period only lasts so long.
