Where Is G-D’s Judgement?

Nearly every morning, I read the news online. In order to get a somewhat balanced view of what is happening in the world, I read between five to ten different news sites from the USA and overseas. Because I am a rabbi, I tend to gravitate towards news articles that involve faith and religion which results in reading far too many stories about people of faith who seem to be failing to live according to their stated beliefs. The days are few and far between when there isn’t a new story about a member of the clergy in moral failure or a congregation’s leadership violating the trust of its membership through some kind of financial or leadership mismanagement.

When I read these articles, I often find myself wondering why the ground doesn’t open up and swallow those people to demonstrate G-D displeasure. But if G-D doesn’t want the earth to swallow them, why not send some fiery serpent or a nice shower of fire and brimstone to rid the world of them. Instead of seeing G-D’s instant judgement taking place like in the days of Noah, Lot, or Moses, many times we see the wicked seeming to prosper undeterred by instant judgement and not even stricken with tumors or hemorrhoids like the wicked Philistines. It can cause us to feel like the things that Asaph wrote about in the Psalms 73. Where he describes how he sees the intentional sin of the wicked without there being any repercussions of G-D’s judgement upon them. He asks the question in verse ​11, “So they say: “How does God know? And does Elyon have knowledge?” Or said another way “How can G-D know this is going on and He isn’t doing something about it?” 

How many of us have asked that question ourselves? As we read on in Psalms 73, we see these words by the Psalmist in verses 16-17: “But when I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling in my eyes— until I entered the Sanctuary of God, and perceived their end.” Notice that once the Psalmist got alone with G-D and prayed, he perceived their end. He came to himself and realized that while we may think the unjust and unrighteous are getting away with their sinful ways, the truth is that G-D does see their unrighteousness and if unrepentant, their end is destruction, ruin, and terror.

Once the Psalmist perceived their end, his heart immediately changed as we read in Psalms 73 verses 21-22: 21 When my heart was embittered and I was pierced in my heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You. Once the Psalmist came to understand that G-D truly did know what the wicked were doing and had done and he remembered the horrible end that is the future of the unrepentant wicked, his heart was embittered. Not towards them but towards himself. Once he refocused his thoughts off of the actions of the wicked, and focused his mind upon the righteousness of G-D, he realized that he too had become one of the wicked. First in his premature judgment of the wicked and second in his lack of faith in G-D’s absolute righteous judgement.

As we read the end of Psalm 73, we find these encouraging words in verse 27-28: “For behold, those far from You will perish. You put an end to all who like a harlot are unfaithful to You. But for me, it is good to be near God. I have made my Lord Adonai my refuge. So I will tell of all Your works.” In his conclusion, the Psalmist makes several important statements that are very relevant to us as we read about or see sinners within the camp of the righteous. The first statement is a clear reminder that the wicked and unfaithful will perish. The second statement is a reminder that it is good to be near G-D and that G-D is our refuge or safe place. The third statement, and this one may be the most important of the three, is for when we consider the question “Where is G-D’s Judgement?” After the Psalmist concluded that G-D saw and knew what the wicked were doing, while remembering that G-D was the only truly righteous judge, he repented for his wicked thoughts about the sinners and about G-D. The Psalmist ends by saying “So I will tell of all Your works.”

In other words, the Psalmist realized that his role in dealing with the wicked was not to be the judge of their end. Rather, it was to tell them of G-D’s good works so that they would come to repentance and find that G-D wants to be their refuge so that they can be forgiven and find the goodness of being near to G-D. Said another way, when we see people who claim to be righteous being unrighteous, our response should be twofold. Part one, we are to pray for them to repent and part two, we must tell them of all of G-D’s good works so they can once again draw near to G-D. 

Please don’t read the above and believe that I am saying we should simply ignore wickedness among believers. That isn’t what I mean at all. If someone commits a crime, please report them to the authorities. If ministry leadership or membership are violating trust, report them to your denomination or organization's leadership. Let those who are in charge of accountability hold them accountable. But once you have done so, pray for them to come to repentance and restoration with G-D. Tell of the good works of G-D and remember that one of the good works of G-D was that He forgave you of your sins and wickedness. Because, thankfully, sometimes G-D’s judgement comes in the form of forgiveness.