Vengeance is mine, and recompense,
for the time when their foot shall slip;
for the day of their calamity is at hand,
and their doom comes swiftly.’
How do we read this?
Paul knew this (Rom 12:19), we know this, Johnathan Edwards knew this. What should we think of it? I think it might give a tremendous amount of different thoughts, emotions. Most of which would be misrepresented of what the text says (I know I have been there). At first I think, YES then as the Holy Spirit works in that hardened heart of mine I say NO. I mean think of what Paul wrote just a few sentences before in Romans 12. “Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, faithful in prayer.”1 What did Edwards say? “The reason they have not fallen already is that Gods appointed time has not come.” Oh Christian how do we not keep that in the front of our mind as we walk knowing we can make ourselves slip and fall without any help. How easily our thoughts travel to carnal things, to things that make us want to watch the demise of the enemies of ourselves and of God. Look no further than self and hate your own sin more than you hate the sin of another.
Perseverance of the Saints, finishing the race, wrestling with your own sin, obedience without the thought of reward in this world. Sounds like a lot of work? Well Faithfulness may not be measured by speed but by endurance. If anyone has run a 5K or more and doesn’t love running by the 3rd minute you know the reward is not quick, it is far off, it is delayed. SO IS OUR REWARD for persevering, but more than that the same hand that will give us the crown of righteousness, could have let us fall, but held us up. Our hands have no strength to deliver out of the hand of God. Praise be that our God has the longsuffering to deal with us. Shouldn’t we give that same longsuffering to those we wish vengeance upon? Hard for me as I always wanted my 100 denarii and would plan ways to get it. Sometimes I did get it, but at what cost? First was my witness of how good my God is. Now they do not know that goodness but see a bitter, vengeful, person. Much like what I thought I saw in them. It was the mirror that I was looking into, not the other person.
Now I see that Mercy received MUST become mercy given. Not a morbid fixation on wrath. As Peter questioned Christ about John’s end our Savior said “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”2 Well what is it to me if they do not get vengeance in this life? I was told to follow Christ and obey His commandments. “Bless those who persecute you: Bless and do not curse them”.3 Paul knew a thing or 2 about Vengeance. He dished it out probably better to more believers of “The Way” than anyone in the NT. That whole chapter (section) of Romans is a shock to the system. It is a reminder of our sin, of God’s Holiness, of the worlds trouble, and how quick it can all end. Edwards says “we find easy to tread upon and crush a worm” How easy and quickly the end could come if God loses patience with us.
We should not have a morbid fixation on wrath. We should have a fixation on grace and mercy. What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and to Enjoy Him forever. WSC Q1. We have no idea how God’s perfect plan ends. We have a clue in that it is for His good pleasure. If we have read Job we know that in the end after all that, Job was called patient or steadfast.4 This means we should be patient with wanting to dish out our Vengeance, our wrath (or in the UK wr-awth I suppose, they also have a funny way of saying Isaiah too). Jobs silence “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”5 This wasn’t a stoic thing, it was faith under a divine mystery. Some may prosper more than you while mocking you, manipulating you, cheating you. Yet it still doesn’t say dish out your wrath upon them. My younger self couldn’t understand that. I was not glorifying God, I was glorifying self. I made myself a god. How often do we do that?
What do we reflect on to read this? Well in a sermon Edwards tells those listening to reflect on this. “How many will remember this sermon in hell and how many will be there in a short time” (paraphrasing). How life is short in the thoughts in the light of eternity. How we are but a breathe. How Solomon so wonderfully put. VANITY. How much vanity we have when we think ourselves more worthy to judge. James even says we have become “judges with evil thoughts”.6 Evil thoughts!
So we must remember the grace received. We must remember that the Helper is here with us. We must use every means of grace to wrestle against the flesh, to kill sin, or it will be killing us. We cannot forsake the preaching and teaching of the Word; we must not forsake talking (praying) to our Father in Heaven, singing spiritual songs and psalms, and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. As one Pastor said, “you can’t have fellowship without food,” so partake in the Lord’s Supper in a worthy, humble manner and come to the Lord’s table, studying the Word of God outside of Sunday worship and, of course, we must be baptized, having the sign of the seal.
In the end we have much to rejoice over in this text. As the same hand who holds us up and doesn’t let us slip has not let us slip. The same sovereign God that dishes out the vengeance we want to dish out. Ultimately the God who one day with repay is the same God who has patiently held us up, has given us mercy. I see no room to gloat, to have bitterness with ourselves and or others. I only see kindness, compassion, mercy, longsuffering with me, with us. If we are held by grace alone then mercy, patience, gentleness and kindness are inevitable. To leave vengeance with God is to deny our own justice with the only one who can deal perfect justice, it also means we ourselves confess that we only are here because justice was delayed and mercy was received, hence it MUST be given.
Which is why the gospel matters. The mercy matters. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” What a mercy that is and the previous verse states we are ambassadors for Christ. How do we show that? By showing mercy. In James 1:27 we have a great verse that sets an example “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” How can we show this highlighted section best? One Pastor that I have sat under said by having the heart of the Father. How much mercy has he shown you? How much compassion, and how has He held you in His hand from slipping when you ran to the black ice on purpose? Vengeance is His and His alone. Let us show mercy that others may show mercy and by doing this, we help advance the Kingdom by doing the work that the Father and the Son have commanded of us. Have Mercy, withhold your vengeance and bring more adopted brothers and sisters into Christ by the good works we are to show to an ever hostile and seeking vengeance world.
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