An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Friday, January 17, 2025

A Coin of Two Sides

Psalm 99:8 (KJV) Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

(Proverbs 17 also read)

How do these two concepts go together?  On the one side, we have forgiveness.  Flip the coin and you have vengeance.  Both of these come from the same God.  Both of them seem to be directed toward the same people.  I’m trying to put them together in my head.

If god forgives, what is there to avenge?  Is there a difference between forgiveness and atonement?  Which takes precedence?  Is there a way to avoid the vengeance and still be forgiven?

I think this is where Jesus comes in.  One of the points that William Lane Craig makes about the difference between Yahweh and Allah is that our God requires justice in the working of the law.  Yahweh cannot administer forgiveness and mercy and let the sin go unpunished.  Here’s where the gestalt comes in.  This is where you must take into consideration the entire scripture.  Jesus became sin on our behalf.  Jesus took the curse.  Jesus is the one who paid the price of the vengeance of God again sin.

So?  Jesus paid the price.  We get the forgiveness.  It requires that we trust him and believe that His blood was enough of an atonement to pay for our sins.  It’s not enough that He died for the sins of the world.  The world is incapable of believing. You, however, can believe and trust.  Rejoice.

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