Before we answer this question, let’s get one thing straight: there is nothing good in the heart of man! I’ve just read a book[1] about an American Christian woman missionary to the central highlands of Papua - New Guinea who was incarcerated by the Japanese during World War 2. The atrocities she witnessed and experienced were inhuman and even amongst her fellow captives there was selfishness beyond belief.
Indeed, the first mention of violence in the Bible was, “Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11). God didn’t make the violence – mankind started it all. God dealt swiftly with the wickedness and flooded the entire earth[2].
Despite wiping out the evil, man’s hearts still retained the seeds for sin and wickedness and evil started mounting up again. God told Abraham that He would wait for him to have 4 generations of descendants before He would judge the wicked people of Canaan through His people of Israel. “After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” (Gen. 15:16).
What we are learning is that God is abundantly fair to the people of this earth. He waits for them to repent and turn to Him but He won’t wait indefinitely. The warning is there - God will destroy violent people: the people who reject Him.
Today God is noting all the wickedness, bloodshed and violence in this world and He is waiting. We know from His past judgments that God will judge this world, but this final judgment will be once and for all.
Are you in right relationship with your God? Are you ready for that final judgment on this world? Will you be saved from the destruction to come?
Repent and make Jesus your Lord and shelter under the shadow of His wings in that day of calamity.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. (Psa. 57:1)
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*All quotes from NLT.
[1] Rose, D.D. (2020). Evidence Not Seen. Harper-Collins, UK. [2] It was a worldwide flood. My first degree included the study of genetic geomorphology and the analysis of tidal palaeomorphs in every continent of the world. The worldwide flood receded forming these readily identifiable tidal patterns (See Gen.8:3 where the Hebrew words indicate the ebb and flow of tides as the floodwaters abated).