The Old Testament is considered a much more “harsh” book, by Christians and non-Christians alike.
Wars, deaths, punishments, smiting… the Tanakh has it all! But there is also contained one of my most favourite passages in the entire Bible, which showcases one of the greatest acts and expressions of God’s love and mercy in all of scripture.
The passage I refer to is from the book of Judges:
- “In his anger against Israel YHWH gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist…. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of YHWH was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. Then the YHWH raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to YHWH’s commands. Whenever YHWH raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for YHWH was moved to pity because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them“. – Judges 2:14-18
At first glance, some might be curious on why this passage is so beloved by me. Isn’t God just punishing people here? Well, yes, he is… but that is not the focus here.
Why I love this passage so much, is that it shows God felt concern, pain, sympathy, for those who were afflicted, even though they were sinners.
If we pay attention, God, whilst punishing Israel, also rescues them from their afflictions. Continually he would punish them for their sins, but then rescue them when they cried out. What is of special note here, is that God was rescuing them, not because they repented or changed their ways, but rather, merely because they were crying out.
Note the wording here:
- “Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them.… Whenever YHWH raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for YHWH was moved to pity because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them“.
We’re not told that there was any change of their ways at all, but God recognised their pain, and that alone moved him to put a halt to their punishments. This is an extreme act of mercy, in that God is ceasing his judgement upon the unworthy, the unrepentant! This is an act truly consistent with the description of God in the New Testament, familiar to Christians.
It is of no surprise, with this in view, that the scriptures continually praise God for his mercy and love, upon both the righteous and the unrighteous.
- “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. – Matthew 5:44-45
- “Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion. For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men“. – Lamentations 3:32-33
This passage in Judges may be a simple one, but I find it one of the most incredibly moving and important scriptures in the Bible, for it shows God’s “humanity”, or should I say “divinity”, for “to forgive is divine”, or so the saying goes.
We see that God truly wishes no person to suffer, even the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23), and only acts against evil as a necessity, and shows he is willing to put a stop to the infliction of pain, even against the ungrateful and evil.
Proselyte of Yah 