God Is Just [Genesis 38]

6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

 7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.

 8Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

 9Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother.

 10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.


 

My flesh likes to see God as compassionate, understanding and patient with people and there is ample evidence in the Word that God is those things. However, when I read this passage this morning, something in me wanted to gloss over the fact that Genesis 38 clearly states that God judged Judah's first two children as evil and took their lives. I see a blatant lack of compassion, understanding and patience with these two sons.


The problem here is not with God, but with me. God is the Sovereign Judge and He can and does do whatever He wants. Again, my flesh wants a tame God who is Sovereign only when it fits with my thinking and not this scary God who can kill people because they displease Him. God is God and He is both compassionate and He is the just Judge. He can give life and take it away. And this is true whether I want to accept it or not. In fact, the only way I can accept the totality of His character is by His grace. My small mind cannot accept apart from grace that the Sovereign Judge and the compassionate understanding One are one and the same.


We praise You God that You are the Sovereign Judge and the compassionate, understanding and patient Father because this is what Your Word teaches. Cause us to embrace the truth of Your nature so that we can worship the true God and not a figment of our imagination by your grace.

Beth Warlick, 1/23/2010