164. Vengeance and Mercy
Deuteronomy 32:43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
This is part of the Song of Moses, as kind of the last words of Moses to God’s people. The promises here are twofold: Vengeance and Mercy, vengeance on God’s enemies, and mercy on God’s people. This is a summary of God’s dealings with the world of people. Earth people are either with God or against Him. There is no neutrality in regard to our relationship with the Lord. If one is an enemy of the Lord God will show vengeance and judgment. If one is in God’s Kingdom and one of God’s faithful people God will be merciful.
Vengeance is all up to God alone, never up to us flesh and blood people. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” Judgment is all up to God alone, never to human beings, except for proper governmental jurisdictions. “Judge not, and you will not be judged.” We do not take vengeance and we do not judge. We believe the promise that God does this work. There is a Day of Reckoning, a Day of Vengeance, a Day of Judgment coming at the End of earth’s history. It is sure and certain, and it will be just and final. We may ask, “How long?” but we know God’s timing is perfect. This promise of God keeps us from judging and getting even.
The Lord’s vengeance is upon His adversaries, Sin, Death and the Devil. Our warfare is against our spiritual enemies; it is not against flesh and blood human beings. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” We are called to love our enemies, meaning the people who may be used by our spiritual enemies. Forgiveness and Apology is more powerful than vengeance and judging. We pray for those who “despitefully use us.” Our goal is to turn enemies into friends by conversion to Christ. This is what God does to flesh and blood. But what He does to spiritual adversaries is terrible vengeance and violent judgment. The most violent overthrow in history is the bodily resurrection of Christ.
Being merciful is God’s overriding nature. This is the characteristic of God that is to be reflected by us who have received this promise. We do not take vengeance, but we do show mercy. Forgiveness and mercy is the permeating way of life for Christians, because the children of the kingdom have received mercy and rejoice in it all the time. We have received the promise and we freely give it.
The Lord knows every heart, whether it is a friend or an enemy. We do not know, so we treat every person as a member or a potential member of the kingdom of God. God knows how to show judgment and mercy: vengeance on Sin and mercy for People.