His Versatile Right Hand

Your hand will find out all your enemies; 

your right hand will find out those who hate you. 

You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear.

  The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, 

and fire will consume them. 

Psalm 21:8-9b

How we like to talk about the God of love who holds us in His right hand!  But here is another side of our God--the God of wrath.  Many refuse to see this characteristic of God, claiming that He is merely a God of love and would do nothing to His creation that was not loving and kind.  And yet the Scripture abounds with instances of God's wrath on sinful mankind.  That same right hand that holds and protects His children takes vengeance against His enemies.

This only makes sense.  How can God love the ones who torture, oppress, and mock His own?  How can He refuse to avenge His enemies?  With His right hand He protects and shelters, and with His right hand He avenges--still a part of His Divine protection of His children and His Holy Name.

Joshua knew God's wrath as he and the  armies of Israel marched around Jericho 7 times, blew a trumpet, and saw the walls fall so that they could defeat God's enemies. (Joshua 6)

Gideon knew God's wrath when the pitiful army of 300 uncovered the trumpets covered with jars, blew them, and confused Midian so much that they slaughtered their own men. (Judges 7)

Israel knew God's wrath when they crossed the Red Sea on dry land, looked back, and saw the Egyptian army drowning before their eyes. (Exodus 14:23-28)

God used prostitutes and prophetesses and weak men and mighty men to serve His purpose against His enemies.  And He has not changed, nor will He ever.  If we think that we are all alone in this old world, fighting against sin and the enemy without a warrior on our side, we must remember that the same God who holds us protectively in His right hand is the One who will avenge the enemy.  The battle is the Lord's!

Have a blessed Sunday,

Gloria