“Behold the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intentions of his mind. In the latter days you will understand this.” (Jeremiah 30:23–24, ESV)
As we look at the world and see the things going on, we often see great injustices. Why would nations that are just trying to live peacefully with their neighbors be viciously attacked by them? Why would the attackers prosper? Is there no justice?
We understand that there is evil in the world, but we do not see what seems to be fair and equitable justice in the world. Well, the same world system that is corrupted by evil and produces unwarranted aggression against the innocent also produces a system of injustice. Thus, the wicked do seem to prosper while the righteous often suffer.
Now, all this concern about why injustices prevail today is only valid if we look at the short-term view. For there is a day coming, a day of God’s wrath. It is a day of the Lord’s vengeance. It is a day when the enemies of God’s people will experience the hand of God’s true justice. This is the message that God is giving to the nation of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah.
Israel was decimated by her enemies. In 722 BC the northern kingdom, Israel, was conquered by the Assyrians. In Jeremiah’s day Babylon conquered the southern kingdom, Judah. The devastation of the nation was terrible. Assyria lost its national sovereignty. In Jeremiah’s day, Babylon destroyed the city of Jerusalem and deported a small remnant of the population that remained. Later the Persians conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. Yet they still remained under the dominance of foreign nations. At the time of Jesus Rome controlled the land the Jews occupied and later in AD 70, the Romans sacked Jerusalem and the Temple. In 1948 Israel as we know it was reestablished, and yet they have been under constant threat and attack by the countries that bordered them.
Here, the Lord promised Israel a future, the tribes of Israel would be regathered and all the enemies of Israel would experience the wrath of the Lord as He stated, “I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you” (Jeremiah 30:11, ESV).
Here is the point. The Lord watches over His people and this includes us who have believed in Jesus for eternal life. Often His people are mistreated. Today it might be persecution, theft, or abuse by a variety of other means. We need to remember that the Lord sees everything and there is a day coming when those who have abused the people of God will pay the price. It is for this reason that the Lord gave us these words.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19–20, ESV)
So, when you are mistreated, do not take vengeance into your own hands. Yes, seek the justice system to handle the problem for God established human governments for this purpose. However, if the authorities and the system fail, do not retain bitterness in your heart. Leave it to the Lord our God. He will deal with those in due time, either here or at the final judgment.
Renewing the Heart 