Vengeance belongs to God alone

V1. Oh Lord to whom vengeance belongs

Vengeance belongs to God alone

1. What is Vengeance?
   1. Punishment that is inflicted in return for a wrong; simply put it is revenge

i.      Retaliation – something done to get even with somebody else who has caused harm

This is not our place to do or to take upon ourselves to carry out. It belongs to God and to God alone.

Scripture reference:

Deuteronomy 32:35 To Me belongs vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste

First thing to look at:

1. The punishment and the  judgmentcarried out on someone belongs to God
   1. Punishment – a penalty that is imposed on somebody for wrongdoing
   2. Judgment – the decision reached by one or more judges

i.      In short; God gets to make the decision of judgment and God gets to carry out the punishment based upon His decision. Not us

Second thing to look at:

1. We don’t need to carry out a payback on someone who has done harm to us because in the natural order of God’s universe “your sin will find you out” Numbers 32:23. It actually reads “be sure”.
   1. Be sure that in due time the foot of the one who causes harm to any man, woman or child, weather Christian, Muslim, Jew or atheist will slide.

i.      There is not one of us who can disobey the natural law and order of God who will be able to escape His pending verdict.  Only by faith in Jesus Christ and His holy sacrifice on the cross will any and everyone be saved from the judgment that awaits all men and women.

1. The apostle Paul before his conversion was told by Jesus while on the road to Damascus “It is hard to kick against the pricks”
2. Ecclesiastes 11:1 tells us “Cast your bread upon the waters: for you shall find it after many days”
3. Galatians 6:7-8 reads “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life”

i.      So the one who causes harm to another will have not only a hard life but without repentance and acceptance of Jesus as Messiah, they will also have a hard even terrible Olam Ha-Ba or Afterlife; eternity.

Third thing to look at:

1. The day of their calamity is at hand
   1. What is calamity?

i.      One meaning puts it as a disastrous situation or event

ii.      Another meaning says it is misery or distress resulting from a disastrous event

1. I don’t want you, myself or anyone else for that matter to be on that side of the judgment when that final day comes.
2. John the Baptist said “repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand” Matthew 3:2

i.      What was his meaning “at hand”? A. Shortly thereafter, Jesus came to him to be baptized. John was telling everybody through prophecy that the coming Messiah and His kingdom is right now! So get ready, make a change in your life, we don’t have much time left, it’s right now! Repent! Fall before God and receive His grace and forgiveness.

 

The Forth and last thing to look at in Deuteronomy:

1. The things that shall come upon them make haste
   1. Shall – Core meaning: will happen in the future
   2. In rules and law it indicates that something must happen or somebody is obliged to do something because of a rule or law

i.      God is obligated by His own law that the calamity brought about to any of us because of our actions must happen.

1. What is haste?
   1. Great speed, especially in situations where time is limited

So, in essence the writer of Deuteronomy is telling us that God gets to make the decision of judgment and God gets to carry out the punishment based upon His decision. Not us. Be sure that in due time the foot of the one who causes harm to any man, woman or child, weather Christian, Muslim, Jew or atheist will slide or fall into God’s Judgment. So, the one who causes harm to another will have not only a hard life but without repentance and acceptance of Jesus as Messiah, they will also have a hard even terrible Olam Ha-Ba or Afterlife; eternity. Now is the time to make that change because what I’ve told you weather you believe me or not, it’s going to happen. Don’t lose yourself over foolish behavior.

 

Second half of V1 O God, to whom vengeance belongs, show yourself

1. Have you ever cried out and said to God? I have. Many other believers in the bible have also
   1. Elisha prayed for his servant when they were surrounded at the house of Elisha by the kings men so that his servant would be calm and see the army of the Lord that was prepared behind the kings army. II Kings 6:17
   2. David cried out “hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am troubled; incline your ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. Psalm 102:1-2

i.      David, King of Israel and a man after or who followed God sounds pretty desperate.

1. We all get desperate, we all get fearful, we all get nervous, we all have questions and we all fall short. That is what makes us alive!
   1. Elijah, you remember him right? The great dramatic prophet of the Northern Kingdom during the reign of Ahab. You remember him and his struggle to preserve Israel’s worship of God against corruption by Queen Jezebel and her Phoenician priest of Baal. Remember how he took on the false prophets, had a challenge of who can get the sacrifice first type of thing? After winning the contest he took all the false prophets of Baal down to the brook Kishon and killed each of them.
   2. He was just like us. “Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours” James 5:17

i.      After making a thunderous show of faith by believing God to do an extraordinary ac t through an ordinary guy, with faith mind you; Elijah receives word from Jezebel that she was going to kill him.

1. Now he just single handedly through God destroyed the whole belief system of Baal even killed all of his prophets. He should feel pretty confident at this time; but he wasn’t. One bad word from Jezebel sent this man of God running like the wind, cartoon style. 100 miles out!
2. II Kings 19:4 He hid under a tree and asked God to kill him.
   1. Just like us

Summary:

Vengeance belongs to God and not us. At times we my desire to carry out the judgment upon those who have caused pain, discomfort, agony and even despair; but the bottom line and the truth of the matter is that God gets to make the decision of judgment and God gets to carry out the punishment based upon His decision. Not us. Be sure that in due time the one who causes harm to any man, woman or child, weather Christian, Muslim, Jew or atheist fall into God’s Judgment.  The one who causes harm to another will have not only a hard life but without repentance and acceptance of Jesus as Messiah, they will also have a hard even terrible Olam Ha-Ba or Afterlife; eternity. Now is the time to make that change because what I’ve told you weather you believe me or not, it’s going to happen.

We all regardless of the size of our faith face situations that seem to be bigger then we can handle. We act upon the belief that “it is enough” just like Elijah did. There is a German proverb that says “fear makes the wolf bigger than he is” We are human and we are limited. We are not God but we have Him on our side. We can call upon Him in our time of weakness like King David did. We can run from what scares us and be encouraged to return to the battle like Elijah did. We can ask God to show Himself and have the confidence that He will just like Elijah did.

Romans 10:13 says “For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” Only Jesus can and will save those who call upon His name. Buddha can’t save you from the judgment to come, Allah can’t save you from the judgment to come, your beliefs in tradition cannot come close to saving you from the judgment to come. Zechariah 4:6 tells us “not by might, nor by power but by my spirit”

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