Covenant Children

[♦[♦[ Part of the series on How Child Protective Services opposes the Teachings of Christ ]♦]♦]

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.
Mark 9:42

Commentator John Gill took a slightly different perspective on the “little ones” this verse:
“Christ is not speaking of little children in age, who are neither capable of believing in Christ, nor are they ready to take offence; but of such as belong to him; his disciples and followers.”

If he is right and age restriction is removed from this verse, if “little ones who believe” refers to little in might and power rather than little in age, then CPS is in huge trouble. This interpretation also helps to explain why the thrice-repeated refrain from Isa. 66:24 about being thrown into the unquenchable fire of hell where their worm does not die is used at the end of the paragraph.

If the little ones who believe are the minority of parents who are raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, (cf. Ephesians 6:4,) then CPS is messing in a covenant relationship. Of course God is going to take that seriously! When CPS breaks up a covenant relationship that is not already broken, they should expect the wrath of God to fall on their day of judgment.

Gill, John. “Commentary on Mark 9:42”. “The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible”. . 1999.

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New Testament teaching on Hard Hearts

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. … Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God … While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews 3:8-10, 12, 15

Last week’s blogs dealt mainly with Old Testament scripture about hard hearts. Several examples were given of God’s use of hard hearts to bring knowledge to the people, honor to Himself, and to eventually remove the wicked. The examples also pointed out a fourth item associated with hard hearts: signs and wonders. Signs and wonders are miraculous, but they are not necessarily good or desirable miracles, such as the ten plagues sent against Egypt.

This week’s blogs look at the New Testament teaching on hard hearts, beginning with the verses from Hebrews that refer to an Old Testament incident. The third chapter of Hebrews is reminding the letter reader of the waters of Meribah. There, under the state of hard hearts, God performed a sin and wonder to prove Himself worthy of honor. But by this time, He had expected the people to have enough knowledge to trust Him.

During the exodus from Egypt, the congregation had journeyed in stages through the wilderness. When they camped at Rephidim, there was no water for the people to drink. Quarrels ensued. The NSV tells the story this way:

²The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?’ ³But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ ⁴So Moses cried out to the LORD, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ ⁵The LORD said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Exodus 17:2-6

Moses renamed the place Meribah, meaning “quarrelling.”

Paul presents that example to the Hebrews of his day because people are stubborn and unwilling to trust God. They do not depend on Him to work things out, but take it upon themselves to “help things along” with lies and intentional withholding of exculpatory information. Their hard hearts are perverting justice and in the end, they will succeed in bringing the wrath of God upon themselves.

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Prelude to Destruction

But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today,
Deuteronomy 2:30

For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them…
Joshua 11:20

That when the wicked sprouted up like grass
And all who did iniquity flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.
Psalm 92:7

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Hardening of the Heart Leads to Removal.

It often seems to take a while, but ultimately, it shall be that God shall destroy them for ever.

It is okay to triumph in the foresight that the wicked liars will be destroyed.

Too often the misguided religious crew will try to make you feel horribly guilty about this. Even the few that will admit that the destruction is proper seem to have an overwhelming compulsion to warn you that “It is God’s job, YOU should not be seeking their destruction; YOU are not allowed to be happy about it.” To which I say, Pffft!

Really, if the judgment of sin cannot be a cause for rejoicing, they have missed one of the central points and main purposes for the Word of God to be given to mankind!

It is okay to yearn to see God in His Sovereignty rule over the wicked.
It is okay to want to see God keep His promises and judge the wicked.
It is okay to pray like David prayed in Psalm 58.
It is okay to want Jesus to tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
It is okay to sing because the evildoers will be forever destroyed. Revelation 19 speaks of the roar of the multitude singing Hallelujah—repeatedly.

Hardheartedness will—eventually—result in removal by God.

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A Measure of Sin

They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved;
with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins.
But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
I Thessalonians 2:15b, 16

The idea of a measure of sin does not get taught very often in Sunday school. Consequently there are a lot of people wandering around wondering why bad people seem to get away with so much for so long. A great deal of the explanation has to do with a ‘measure’ of sin.

Quite a few places in the Bible mention this concept.

• the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete Genesis 15:16

• When the transgressors have run their course Daniel 8:23

• And fill up the measure of the guilt of your fathers Matthew 23:32

The Amplified version expands on this last one: Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins to the brim [so that nothing may be wanting to a full measure].

Just as there are different ways to measure and quantify physical mass, (length, area, volume, etc.) there are also different ways to measure sin:
◦ Allocation of sin
◦ Dimension of sin
◦ Extent of sin
◦ Magnitude of sin
◦ Allotment of sin

There are thresholds of sin which, when crossed, fix the outcome. There is no going back once hearts have fully hardened. When the measure of sin reaches a certain level, it brings God’s wrath without remedy.

clipart credit

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The Talking Altar

And I heard the altar saying, Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.
Revelation 16:7

A “speaking altar” is not as great a mystery as it might first seem. Consider that ten chapters earlier, John reported: I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; ¹⁰ and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Revelation 6:9, 10   At that point they were told they should rest for a little while longer because there were a few more martyrs yet to die.

But by chapter 16 the ‘little while’ is up. They had been praying for God to carry out his judgment on the wicked, and God was. The Judgments that are falling are so severe that both an angel and these martyrs from the altar remind John that the judgments are true and righteous. The calamities are not capricious actions of a cranky spiteful God. This show of wrath is the execution of justice by a long-suffering God who gave them time to repent.

You may debate how the altar was personified, whether the martyrs spoke with one voice or if they had a spokesangel say it in their behalf; either way the judgments are true and righteous.

The judgment is spot on and upright because the wicked brought God’s retribution upon themselves. Among the judgments that are happening in this chapter is yet another example of our so-called “Christian Karma,” or more accurately, retribution in kind. In context, the entire passage from Revelation 16 is:

⁴ Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. ⁵ And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; ⁶ for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” ⁷ And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”

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Romans 2:4, 5

⁴ Or do you and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:4, 5

… presuming on the riches of his kindness and forbearance

What was being presumed? God had been patient and kind, so they presumed—wrongly—that this meant God wasn’t really angry, that they hadn’t been such awful people after all.

But verse 5 makes it crystal clear: They are not getting off easy because they “weren’t so bad.” They are storing up wrath.

The King James Bible uses a word that is more intense than the idea of storing up wrath. It uses the words, “treasurest up unto thyself wrath.” They are hoarding it like treasure!

This is what failure to show remorse will do. It will store up he wrath of God.

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Profligacy

But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth.
Romans 1:18

If you are used to hearing the King James Bible, then the Message version above will sound a little weird.

Here is a more literal translation:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all viciousness and profligacy of conduct who through maliciousness hinder the truth.

Of course, you need to know what profligacy means if that is going to make any sense. A profligate is a person who spends recklessly, seeking indulgent pleasure. In this context, it implies that people are wasting the treasures of God on whatever feels good.

Truth is a treasure of God. Lying wastes it. When the lies grow extensive enough, the wrath of God will be revealed.

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