What does it mean to fall into the hands of the Living God?

Scripture Passage that caught my attention today: Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Observation: Yes and No. Yes, as the resident Almighty, God can do whatever God wants. But this God also has a merciful streak, and so perhaps it is not such a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. I am reminded of a little story in 2 Samuel 24:10-14. King David has upset God and God speaks through a prophet to give David a choice of three punishments: three years of famine in the land, three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of pestilence. David said, “I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into human hands.”

Application: I personally have no doubt that God could (and sometimes I wish God would) annihilate every form of unrighteousness in this world. But there are a couple of things that give me great pause when I consider such things.

First, as a pastor with quite a few years of experience observing all kinds of people, I’m keenly aware that there is unrighteousness in virtually everyone. Sure, some “seem” less unrighteous than others. But from the ‘sweetest’ grandma to the most ‘innocent’ looking child to the most ‘dedicated’ pastor, I’m telling you, EVERYONE has a self-centered or otherwise unbecoming streak in them somewhere. It’s our human condition. We are ALL sinners!

Second, I’m one of those sinners! So if I really wanted God to annihilate every form of unrighteousness in the world, I’d have to ask God to get rid of me too. As our kids like to say when one of their siblings (or parents!) gets caught in his or her own trap, “BURN!”

God could do that. God, even by human reasoning, would have every right to do that. But I don’t think God will do that. What would be the point? Should God banish all whom God created in God’s very image? If we believe that Jesus is the Savior, should we not somehow trust that he actually lives up to his title and ‘saves?’ Doesn’t one of the most famous Scripture verses of all time proclaim “God so loved the world?”

I’ll readily admit that I might be on shaky ground to utter such things. But it’s not without Scriptural precedence. Both Abraham and Moses challenged the Lord’s proposed actions on occasion, arguing that such actions could leave a bad impression and go against the very principles the Lord was said to have held dear. And elsewhere in Scripture we are encouraged to “approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

For whatever it’s worth, here’s what I’m thinking. I’m thinking God will annihilate every form of unrighteousness in this world. But I think God will do so in surgical fashion rather than burning up the whole ball of wax. In other words, I think God will annihilate the unrighteous part(s) of each of us so that whatever purity remains might be clearly seen and enjoyed. I agree with Martin Luther who argued, based on the Scriptures and plain reason, that we are simultaneously saint and sinner.

Based on that understanding, how will God, as the Scriptures proclaim, separate the weeds from the wheat and the sheep from the goats?

I’m increasingly inclined to believe that a lot of this separating (but perhaps not all) might be done within each of us rather than between each of us. Jesus, in John’s gospel, speaks in terms of pruning. Perhaps the saving work has already been done and it is just the pruning that remains.

Prayer: Lord, you are indeed the Almighty and we, as Abraham said of himself long ago, are but dust and ashes. Nevertheless, you are not only the source of the mercy we seek, you are the mercy we seek. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Isaiah 15-18 and Hebrews 10)