Divine Revenge & Pay Back
23 Your leaders are rebels,
the companions of thieves.
All of them love bribes
and demand payoffs,
but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans
or fight for the rights of widows.24 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
Isaiah 1:23-24
the Mighty One of Israel, says,
“I will take revenge on my enemies
and pay back my foes!
What makes God angry in this passage? With what action does God threaten the perpetrators? Rabbi Abraham Heschel in his book, Prophets, writes, “This is one of the meanings of the anger of God: the end of indifference.” Does this concept change your understanding of divine vengeance? If so how? How is God’s anger related to justice? Love? Liberation?
Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Please post your thoughts and comments.
Tongue on Fire 