Purpose in Judgment A (Listen or Read)
Examples of Purpose-Driven Judgment
Scripture makes it clear that God exhibits no variation or shadow of turning. He does not change (Ja. 1:17; Mal. 3:6). If God’s past and present judgments are just, righteous, and purposeful, we can rest assured they will continue to be so in the future. Let’s look at some passages that demonstrate His positive purposes in judgment.
¨ You refined us as silver…laid affliction on our backs.…We went through fire…But You brought us out to rich fulfillment (Ps. 66:10-12).
¨ When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Is. 26:9).
¨ You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction (Hab. 1:12).
¨ Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole (Job 5:17-18). Happy! Does the thought that God’s judgments might have a wholesome purpose make you happy?
¨ In trouble they visited You, they poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them (Is. 26:16). Is not “prayer” purposeful?
¨ And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins (Le. 26:23-24). “These things” refer to a list of judgments starting in verse 14. God, as a loving Father, persists in discipline until He achieves His goals, whatever it takes.
¨ If they break My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My loving-kindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail (Ps. 89:31-33).
¨ Your judgments are right…in faithfulness You have afflicted me (Ps. 119:75). Even in the midst of His rod, stripes, and afflictions, His loving-kindness is present and His faithfulness does not fail. For it is in faithfulness He afflicts. We expect “loving-kindness and faithfulness” from good parents in their disciplines, do we not? Do not these terms reveal the Father heart of God is His loving discipline of His children?
¨ Because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor.…Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses (Ps. 107:11-13). “They cried to the Lord.” They recognized their need of God and sincerely sought Him. What could be more purposeful with those who have despised God counsel?
¨ It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes (Ps. 119:71). God afflicts to teach. This is good!
¨ Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word (Ps. 119:67). God’s afflictions clearly correct us.
¨ When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning…” (Is. 4:4). He washes away filth by the spirit of judgment and burning.
¨ The Lord will scatter you…you will serve gods, work of men’s hands…But from there you will seek the Lord. (De.4:27-29)
¨ When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you…you will return to the Lord…and listen to His voice. For the Lord…is a compassionate God. (De. 4:30-31 NAS)
¨ You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction….They are foolish; for they do not know…the judgment of their God (Jer. 5:3, 4). They were stricken so they would repent and consumed to receive correction. But they were foolish and did not understand His judgments. Do we?
¨ Through deceit they refuse to know Me….therefore…I will refine them and try them (Jer. 9:6-7). Those who refuse to know Him will go through a process of refining and testing. Is purpose not evident in the word refine?
¨ The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart. In days to come you will understand this (Jer. 30:24 NIV). God’s judgment is proven to be measured and purposeful by the simple phrase, “until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart.” Can it be clearer? Are we now in those “days”?
¨ I have driven them in My anger;…I will bring them back….for the good of them (Jer. 32:37-39). He drove them away, which ultimately was for their good. Was this not purpose “driven” judgment?
¨ All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord (Zep. 3:8-9). When His judgments have achieved their purpose, the people will be united. They will then call on God and serve Him!
¨ Who can endure the day of His coming…stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap…He will purify… and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness (Mal. 3:2-3). His judgments are a refiner’s fire, purging their impurities that they may offer an offering in righteousness.
¨ Judgment to the nations….till He put forth judgment to victory, in his name shall nations hope (Mt. 12:18-21 YLT). “Judgment to victory” with nations hoping in His name speaks of great purpose!
¨ Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw [drag] all peoples to Myself (Jn. 12:31-32). When judgment comes, the enemy is cast out, and all peoples are dragged to Christ. Is this not judgment with a grand and glorious purpose?
¨ Concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme (1Ti. 1:19b-20).
¨ Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1Co. 5:4-5). Here are two examples of judgment with purpose: learning not to blaspheme and saving the spirit. Even Satan is used of God. God is always in control.
¨ Wrath has come upon them [Israel] to the uttermost (1Th. 2:16). “And so all Israel will be saved.…He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob…” (Ro. 11:26). Wrath to the uttermost, yet salvation with ungodliness turned away. The purpose of this judgment is Israel’s salvation in its appointed time.
¨ We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written…“every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall [‘give praise’—NAS] to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God (Ro. 14:10-12). (See also Ph. 2:9-11; Is. 45:22-25). Note that “for” and “so then” link judgment (both before and after) with worship. Is this not evidence there is a glorious purpose in judgment?
References: See Bibliography page.
