Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

I need to run. Just called to lunch. We did make it into Molalla for most of the parade. Good time.

Blessings on the rest of your day. Time to go feed our faces…and watch the trout feed.

Love, Dad/Ray.

We are wise to not only “love the LORD” and “hate evil,” but also to hate the option of not loving the Lord. It becomes the main missing ingredient for getting life right—bar none. The passion-commanded option to “love the LORD” is not optional. But we are also wise to be careful with how we manage our hatred of evil—and not allow it to spill over into a hatred of people who are prisoners of evil—people whom God loves.

The author of Psalm 94 begins with what I suspicion is some mismanagement of his hatred of evil. “O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant?” (94:1-3). It’s like he’s saying, “Get those rats, Lord! Make ‘em suffer! Make ‘em pay! Take ‘em out!” Once again, my overview of Biblical revelation does not allow me to climb onto that same bandwagon of campaigning against evil. I have a hard time saying “Amen” to the loud theology that views God as loving vengeance against the wicked—that He affirms and blesses those who hate sinners. We’re all familiar with John 3:16 where Jesus declares that “God so loved the world”—and, to be sure, the “world” is made up of wicked sinners. To emphasize this point, let me try paraphrasing Romans 5:8—“Right there in the middle of our bondage to being dirty rotten wicked sinners, our God launches a drastic plan driven by His amazing grace and compassion to offer us rescue—the substitutionary death of His Son.” If that defines the heart of God Who “is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), it should define ours as well.

Before we yield to the popular temptation to get all lathered up over all the wicked bad sinful stuff going on in the world around us, let’s be reasonable and stabilized by this question: WHAT IN THIS FALLEN WORLD DO YOU EXPECT? It is a natural God-ordained law that chickens (like those right outside my window at present) are programmed to act like chickens, dogs (like the one sleeping on his bed beside me) are programmed to act like dogs, cats act like cats, fish like fish, birds like birds, etc.—and sinners are programmed by their NATURAL SIN NATURE to do sin. Duh! Get used to it! Don’t be so reactionary to all the sin out there—that’s what sinners are supposed to do!

Let’s be careful about praying, “Pay back to the proud what they deserve” (94:2). What if we always got what we deserved? Be careful of the pride of righteousness—proud of our humility. Pride is dangerous, no matter how you slice it. And be careful how you answer the psalmist’s question put to God, “How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant? (94:3). I think the best Bible answer should be given in two parts:

1. In general, “NOT LONG!” (2 Peter 3).
2. In particular, “That’s really none of your business—it’s His” (John 21:22; Matthew 25:13) But consider one more important question: Using your best Bible knowledge, what are you supposed to be doing until time’s up?