THE RETRIBUTION OF GOD AND COMBATTING INJUSTICE – A LOOK AT JEREMIAH - AND VENGEANCE AND RETRIBUTION IS MINE – AND BABYLON - PART 4
[A]. A LOOK AT JEREMIAH – A MAN SUFFERING UNDER PERSECUTIONS
After the Lord had revealed to Jeremiah the abject horror awaiting the unrepentant, sinful nation of Judah, the authorities turned on him; he faced persecutors, so Jeremiah prayed very correctly for vengeance upon his persecutors. {{Jeremiah 15:15 “You who know, O Lord, remember me. Take notice of me, and TAKE VENGEANCE FOR ME on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away. Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.”}} That is the response of a persecuted prophet who wept for the waywardness of the nation, his people. He prayed and yearned and wept above all else that they would repent and God would restore them then, and deliver them by avenging Himself on the enemy.
Jeremiah was perturbed on one occasion about the increase of wickedness and its apparent prosperity without God’s intervening judgment. Here is what he wrote: {{Jeremiah 12:1 “Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You. Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You. Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?”}} All this tender-hearted prophet could do was to take his case to his Lord. He did that on more than one occasion for he knew that God was the final Arbiter.
Jeremiah was also persecuted by certain of his own nation and it was they who were subverting the truth, and very real enemies they were because they were turning the nation from God. They were God’s enemies, and therefore Jeremiah’s enemies. Pashhur, the chief of the priests, had violently opposed God’s truth and had ordered Jeremiah to be beaten and placed in stocks. The faithful prophet would gladly have refused to proclaim the message from the Lord but there was so much fire burning in the heart, that he could not endure it, and the forthright proclamation of the message would result.
A little further in the book, Jeremiah’s faithful preaching continued to be rejected by those who hated him. Cowards whispered among themselves of Jeremiah, “Terror. Denounce him.” Even Jeremiah’s trusted friends watched for his fall. They hoped for an advantage. They said, “Perhaps he will be deceived so we may prevail against him and take our revenge on him.” In chapter 11 we learn that the prophet had been threatened with death at the hands of the men from Anathoth if he dared to continue his faithful preaching of God’s true word. It was then that the Lord revealed to him that retribution was soon in store for those of Anathoth, and they would be punished by dying themselves by means of sword and famine.
Jeremiah suffered considerably, knowing physical deprivation, beating, slander, rejection, false accusations and many other things. That evil plotting and threatening and maltreatment is always the way of the world. Nothing is spared in the effort to eradicate the righteous or their testimony from the face of the earth. The righteous, and especially among them those who want to count for the Lord, will always be the objects of the enemy’s wrath. In Jeremiah’s case those who opposed him really opposed God so they were His enemies.
But what does Jeremiah do? It is his FAITH that holds to the victory, the very certain knowledge that his God is a personal and proven God. {{Jeremiah 20:11-12 “But the Lord is with me like a dread champion. Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. Yet, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous, who sees the mind and the heart, LET ME SEE YOUR VENGEANCE ON THEM; FOR TO YOU I HAVE SET FORTH MY CAUSE.”}}
Very correctly he calls for God’s vengeance upon the enemy because of their acts against the righteous. God’s retribution would most certainly have come. The men of Anathoth assuredly found the Lord to be Jeremiah’s dread champion. It might be asked, “Who was more correct - David who often avenged himself on the enemy, or Jeremiah who waited for God’s strong hand to prevail against them? Surely both positions are correct under the reign of Mosaic Law and both ways were applied as God saw fit. Of course we have seen that David, too, often waited on God for His justification and retribution from His hand alone.
Most Christians would probably claim Jeremiah as being more correct but his stance, certainly, would be more akin to the requirements of the New Testament though his requests for retribution would be more in keeping with the Tribulation saints already discussed, as Jeremiah 11:20 would suggest - {{“But, O Lord of hosts who judges righteously, who tries the feelings and the heart, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You have I committed my cause.”}}
[B]. VENGEANCE IS MINE AND RETRIBUTION
To conclude our look into the Old Testament we will examine a passage written by Moses under inspiration from God who has opened to us a revealing picture of His character. We are looking into the 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy, which is not only dealing with failure, but with God’s response to it. The compassionate heart of God is clearly manifest in the first part of the chapter, a heart of tenderness and nurture, a God of guidance and protection.
Then all went wrong - sin became entrenched in the nation when they grew fat and considered themselves self-sufficient; independent from God; masters of their own destinies. They enjoyed their sin and had no place for their loving God. The evil ones of the nation had persecuted the righteous, murdered the prophets, scorned the word of God, and utterly rejected the claims of God upon His people. Then come these three verses in powerful sentence upon the unrighteous. {{Deuteronomy 32:34-36 - “Is it not laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? VENGEANCE IS MINE AND RETRIBUTION. In due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them. For THE LORD WILL VINDICATE HIS PEOPLE, and will have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone, and there is none remaining, bond or free.”}}
The unmistakable fact burning from the verses quoted, is that the Lord will vindicate His faithful people and retribution belongs to Him. Is it not just so marvellous that retribution belongs in the hand of our loving God? No servant would want to pluck it from Him unless given to him directly by the Lord as I have shown was the case sometimes with the prophets and David and others and in a very special case in Esther 8:13. David actually acknowledges this vengeance on his behalf in 2 Samuel 22:48 and Psalm 18:47.
Chapter 32 of Deuteronomy contains a graphic, but solemn portion which clearly portrays God as the God of retribution. The reference focuses on Israel’s enemies, (therefore, God’s) - those from outside its borders, as well as those from within. {{Deuteronomy 32:41-43 “IF I SHARPEN MY FLASHING SWORD, AND MY HAND TAKES HOLD ON JUSTICE, I WILL RENDER VENGEANCE ON MY ADVERSARIES, and I will repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired leaders of the enemy. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for HE WILL AVENGE THE BLOOD OF HIS SERVANTS, AND WILL RENDER VENGEANCE ON HIS ADVERSARIES, and will atone for His land and His people.”}}
Right at this point in time (October 2023) Israel is taking vengeance on Gaza for the satanic and merciless attack on its citizens. If an individual was attacked then IF HE IS A CHRISTIAN, he must not take vengeance, but this was a national attack and must receive a national response in spite of the what the Israel-hating United Nations may say. I believe that is allowed by God. All these hate episodes against Israel will feel the wrath of God in the Tribulation and at Armageddon
“And He will atone for His land and His people.” As a case in point we will take a look at Babylon because that nation featured strongly in the historical and prophetic books of the bible. We will consider it in three sections.
(C) BABYLON – THAT POWERFUL WORLD EMPIRE UNDER NEBUCHADNEZZAR
[1]. BABYLON GOD’S INSTRUMENT – FIRST PART
Judah had become self sufficient in its luxury; blatantly indifferent in its dispensing of justice; totally polluted in its craving after idol worship, and wilfully arrogant about its rejection of Husband-Jehovah. Only judgment could be expected and that would result in expulsion from their chosen land. GOD RAISED UP BABYLON FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE. The Chaldeans were the “sword” in Jehovah’s hand. Some verses attesting this fact will follow.
[1]. Jeremiah 20:4-5 indicate substantial loss of life. {{“Because they have FORSAKEN ME and have made this an alien place and have BURNED SACRIFICES IN IT TO OTHER GODS that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent and have BUILT THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL to BURN THEIR SONS IN THE FIRE as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind;”}} Judah was polluted like the pagan nations. The next two verses spell out the sadness of the land.
Verses 8 and 9 following are just as horrific and that happened. When man pursues a course away from God the result is disastrous. Speaking about Jerusalem - {{Jeremiah 19:8-9 {{“I shall also make THIS CITY A DESOLATION and an object of hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its disasters. “And I shall make them EAT THE FLESH OF THEIR SONS AND THE FLESH OF THEIR DAUGHTERS, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them.”}}
[2]. Jeremiah 25 v 8-9 sees the prophet quoting God. {{“Therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts, “Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,” declares the Lord, “and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land...”}}
God’s reason in that excerpt is short and decisive - “BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT OBEYED MY WORDS....” Disobedience was their gross sin and led to all other subsequent evils. Lamentations 4:11 describes the way God severely judged His people. {{“The Lord has accomplished His wrath. HE HAS POURED OUT HIS FIERCE ANGER; and He has kindled a fire in Zion which has consumed its foundations.”}} Earlier in verse 6 of the chapter, the Lord declares the iniquity of Judah (probably along with what remained of Israel) to be greater than that of Sodom, and Sodom was overthrown.
[3]. {{Jeremiah 27:6-8 “And now I HAVE GIVEN ALL THESE LANDS INTO THE HAND OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR king of Babylon, MY SERVANT, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. “And all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. “And it will be, that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence,” declares the LORD, “until I have destroyed it by his hand.”}}
It might be surprising to read that Nebuchadnezzar is termed as “My servant” by God who has given everything into his hands. Those nations that don’t submit to Babylon, He will punish them with death. Thus Babylon was God’s instrument to censure the Jews for their continual sin while Nebuchadnezzar was His divinely appointed servant for the task. However when a servant is appointed he must be humble and fair. Did Nebuchadnezzar produce that?
(2) BABYLON - THE FACT OF RECOMPENSE – GOD’S RETRIBUTION - SECOND PART
We have just seen how the Lord had appointed and used His servant, Nebuchadnezzar to judge the nation of Judah with terrible destruction. The nation suffered death, terror, famine, captivity and even cannibalism because of the Babylonian actions.
However, as we know, no one can lift a finger against God’s own heritage and not himself suffer the retributive consequences of those actions. Babylon must be rewarded for the evil done to the Jews. The certainty of recompense to Babylon is unquestioned and is contained within the promised cursing about which God spoke to Abram, “and the one who curses you, I will curse.” Here are some of the verses which clearly outline the fact of the recompense which is God’s retribution to Babylon. ALL ARE FROM THE PROPHET JEREMIAH.
[1] Jeremiah 50:15 speaks of the vengeance of the Lord. As Babylon has inflicted hurt on others, so it will be done to her.
[2] 50:17-18 informs the reader that Nebuchadnezzar has broken Israel’s bones, but God will punish Babylon just as He did to Assyria which destroyed sinful Israel.
[3] 50:25 tells that God’s action against the Chaldeans will be with weapons of indignation.
[4] 50:27 declares that the day of Babylon’s punishment has come and there will be slaughter.
[5] 50:28 states that refugees will carry the news of God’s vengeance.
[6] 50:29 promises she will be repaid according to what she has done to others.
[7] Jeremiah 51:6 asserts that the Lord’s vengeance has come and He will recompense her.
[8] 51:56 confirms that the Lord is a God of recompense who will fully repay.
The multiplicity of verses from these two chapters of Jeremiah (50 and 51) indicate God’s certainty in the matter. God only needs to speak once but this is strong reinforcement. But why, one might ask perplexed, does Babylon receive this treatment, this retribution from God, when He calls Nebuchadnezzar His servant? Surely Babylon is simply the instrument of punishment in Jehovah’s hand? Well there is truth in that but Babylon will be called to account not only for the actions it has wilfully undertaken through its own proud ambition to conquer the earth, but also for the cruel means she employed to achieve that ambition. This will be the matter considered in the next section.
(C) BABYLON - THE REASONS FOR RECOMPENSE – THIRD PART
God’s retribution falls squarely upon the ones who raise their hands against those who are called by God’s name, sinful though they may be, as indeed was the Judean nation at that time; and despite the fact that those ones may have even been the vehicle God used to punish the erring, Judean nation. They will answer for whatever they have done to God’s elect. Jeremiah sets forth the following reasons and these had no alternative but to merit God’s retribution upon Babylon.
[1] Jeremiah 50:11. Babylon pillaged the Lord’s heritage.
[2] 50:14. Babylon has sinned against the Lord. When one who belongs to God has been offended, then God has been offended.
[3] 50:24. Babylon engaged in conflict with the Lord.
[4] 50:28; 51:11. There will be vengeance for His temple. God’s glory had departed from the temple but it still was His temple, and it had suffered pillaging and ruin under Babylon. In effect, Babylon was despising the God of Israel by the way it treated His temple.
[5] 50:29. Babylon had become arrogant against the Lord. The Lord has no regard for arrogance and pride, no matter where it is found.
[6] 51:24. The Lord is to repay them for all the evil done in Zion. Lamentations 5 verses 11 and 12 mention the raping of the women and the hanging of the princes. The chapter describes other offences also.
[7] 51:49. They will be recompensed for the slain of Israel. There was considerable loss of life among the Jews. These slain, God had not forgotten.
Even Though Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon were instruments God used to punish and expel His own people, they in turn came under the mighty hand of God when His retribution fell upon them for their crimes against Abraham’s descendants. Even so for us it is the same. We Christians are Abraham’s seed by faith as typified by the stars of the heavens. There are times when God may use or allow instruments of chastisement when His people need it, but those instruments can not escape God’s retribution when the alarm on heaven’s clock has signalled that their time has arrived. Anyone who lifts up the hand against God’s own, even if they those ones are in sin, will be recompensed for their evil.
The psalm of Asaph, number 79, concerns itself with points just looked at in the section on Babylon. The psalm begins with the crimes applicable to Babylon and a number are elaborated. Asaph lists primarily the invasion of God’s inheritance and the defiling of the temple and it would be assumed that these were major causes of grief to the godly of the former nation and the exiles who could reflect on the matters which had transpired months or years previously under the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Following those opening statements he also advances these crimes: Jerusalem was left in ruins; the dead were left for the scavenging birds; the godly dead were devoured by the wild animals; blood was shed all around Jerusalem; and the Jews were left unburied.
The psalmist acknowledges the Lord’s hand in the expelling judgment as the cause of these terrible conditions. Then he prays for the retribution of God in verses Psalm 79:6-7 and in Psalm 79:10-12 {{“Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, and upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste His habitation. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, VENGEANCE FOR THE BLOOD OF YOUR SERVANTS, WHICH HAS BEEN SHED. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die. AND RETURN TO OUR NEIGHBOURS SEVENFOLD INTO THEIR BOSOM the reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.”}}
Asaph does not pray only for God’s vengeance upon the destroying nations (Babylon in particular, though unmentioned), but that the nations may recognise God’s retribution in the return of that judgment upon them for the grief of Judah. This is fully in line with the conditions of blessing and cursing which God promised to Abram. He prays accordingly and that was a correct prayer for those saints to pray as we have previously raised.
Very decisively, then, God is the avenger of His people, and the One with whom retribution is certain. This leaves the saint confident in the care of the Lord who knows all things. In His own time and in His own way, He will avenge the blood of His servants as Psalm 79:10 indicated above. “Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, vengeance for the blood of Your servants, which has been shed.” Even at the end of the Tribulation period, this same announcement for the same reason is made in {{Revelation 19:2 (- - - belong to our God) because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”}}
In the next Part of this big article on the Retribution of God we will look at the Christian’s position in the matter of vengeance and personal persecution.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
