Why So Much Judgment?
Why is there so much judgment in the Bible? Judgment is all over the place! The first book of the Bible no sooner opens, then there is the judgment of God on the human race, which is still in effect (Gen. 3). Several chapters later, God judges the whole world (Gen. 6-9). In fact, the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, is filled with pronouncements of judgments and curses for disobedience.
The next section of the Scripture, the historical books, is the history of judgment! Joshua is filled with the judgment of God on the inhabitants of Canaan and the book after that, Judges, records God’s judgment on His children in Canaan. That is followed by the story of God’s judgment on the Northern Kingdom, and, then, on the Southern Kingdom.
The poetical books are not exactly judgment free. Read Proverbs.
The number one subject of the prophets is judgment. The subject, or a major subject, of virtually all the prophetical books is the judgment of God. The subject of the book of Jeremiah is the judgment of God and Lamentations is a lament over the judgment of God. Daniel is about the judgment of God on the Gentiles. The subject of both Joel and Zephaniah is the Day of the Lord. Amos, Micah, and Malachi pertain to judgment on Israel and the subject of four of the other Minor Prophets is judgment on other nations, Obadiah on Edom, Jonah and Nahum on Nineveh, and Habakkuk on the Chaldeans.
Granted, grace came through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17), but if you think the New Testament is without judgment, remember such passages as Matthew 23, Acts 5, and Romans 1, not to mention the repeated references to chastening of believers in this life and the Judgment Seat of Christ in the next life. The subject of the book of Revelation is Jesus Christ as Judge. He judges the Churches (Rev. 2-3), the world (Rev. 4-18), and unbelieving humanity at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
Why so much about judgment? Judgment assumes accountability and responsibility. Granted, we are influenced by our biological predisposition (Gen. 25:23-27), childhood experience (Prov. 22:6), and environment (Rom 12:2), but ultimately, we are personally responsible and accountable for our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. No doubt, there are over factors, like God is just (1 Jn. 1:9) and He wants to give us time to repent (2 Pet 3:9; Rev. 2:21), but a major reason God says so much about judgment in the Bible is to constantly remind us of our responsibility as well as our accountability.
Human nature is bent toward not facing responsibility, denying guilt, and blaming others (Gen. 3:12-13). God wants us to face our responsibility. As Scott Peck says in The Road Less Traveled, we either accept too much responsibility or not enough. God desires that we look realistically at ourselves and face squarely our responsibility. Being aware that we will be judged helps us do that. So, God constantly reminds us of judgment.
When I taught at Dallas Seminary, an older, wiser professor said to me, “Student do not do what is expected, they do what is inspected.”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 8/13/2000
The next section of the Scripture, the historical books, is the history of judgment! Joshua is filled with the judgment of God on the inhabitants of Canaan and the book after that, Judges, records God’s judgment on His children in Canaan. That is followed by the story of God’s judgment on the Northern Kingdom, and, then, on the Southern Kingdom.
The poetical books are not exactly judgment free. Read Proverbs.
The number one subject of the prophets is judgment. The subject, or a major subject, of virtually all the prophetical books is the judgment of God. The subject of the book of Jeremiah is the judgment of God and Lamentations is a lament over the judgment of God. Daniel is about the judgment of God on the Gentiles. The subject of both Joel and Zephaniah is the Day of the Lord. Amos, Micah, and Malachi pertain to judgment on Israel and the subject of four of the other Minor Prophets is judgment on other nations, Obadiah on Edom, Jonah and Nahum on Nineveh, and Habakkuk on the Chaldeans.
Granted, grace came through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17), but if you think the New Testament is without judgment, remember such passages as Matthew 23, Acts 5, and Romans 1, not to mention the repeated references to chastening of believers in this life and the Judgment Seat of Christ in the next life. The subject of the book of Revelation is Jesus Christ as Judge. He judges the Churches (Rev. 2-3), the world (Rev. 4-18), and unbelieving humanity at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
Why so much about judgment? Judgment assumes accountability and responsibility. Granted, we are influenced by our biological predisposition (Gen. 25:23-27), childhood experience (Prov. 22:6), and environment (Rom 12:2), but ultimately, we are personally responsible and accountable for our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. No doubt, there are over factors, like God is just (1 Jn. 1:9) and He wants to give us time to repent (2 Pet 3:9; Rev. 2:21), but a major reason God says so much about judgment in the Bible is to constantly remind us of our responsibility as well as our accountability.
Human nature is bent toward not facing responsibility, denying guilt, and blaming others (Gen. 3:12-13). God wants us to face our responsibility. As Scott Peck says in The Road Less Traveled, we either accept too much responsibility or not enough. God desires that we look realistically at ourselves and face squarely our responsibility. Being aware that we will be judged helps us do that. So, God constantly reminds us of judgment.
When I taught at Dallas Seminary, an older, wiser professor said to me, “Student do not do what is expected, they do what is inspected.”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 8/13/2000