A Game With No Winners

We were discussing things (and people) that exasperate us during our ladies' Bible study yesterday morning. We are right in the middle of the Old Testament book of Malachi, and the Jewish people of Malachi's day were exasperating God with their constant complaints and accusations against God. (Malachi 2:17-3:5)

Our very insightful Bible study author, one Miss Lisa Harper, was asking us to dredge around in the muck of our own (you-know-what) lists, and think about how long it takes us to "get hot with people who've wronged you but won't admit it".

Answers varied as volunteers shared their responses (we do not force our lovely ladies to answer such revealing questions!). But, for the most part, the answers hovered around the "ASAP" area. It doesn't take long to feel the blood rise in your neck, your muscles tense, your "fight" responses kick in, when someone is just plain wrong!

Then, another corner of the room was heard from. It was Della Southall, breathing life and wisdom into the situation:

"Once I was very angry about a situation," Della shared, "but the Lord showed me that, 'Vengeance is a game that has no winners! With love and forgiveness, there are no losers!'"

And that is exactly what God did with those complaining people in Malachi's day! They were busy cheating and deceiving. But, when someone cheated or deceived them, they cried "foul" and asked "where is the God of justice?" (Malachi 2:17)

God let them know that he was going to send the Messiah.

"(God) explains that instead of the justice (the people) are demanding--which would mean them getting zapped right alongside the (evildoers) they'd jabbed their fingers at--He was going to refine them.

"God explains that His refining process is restorative, that divine discipline will purify their lives and make them more beautiful, but that it was going to sting. A lot. Because a refiner's fire has to be hot enough to separate the dross from molten metal--gold melts at approximately 1,337 degrees Fahrenheit. Because in Old Testament times a fuller used strong lye soap to separate stubborn dirt and grease from clothes, then laid the laundry on a rock, beat it with a stick and scrubbed it with a stiff brush until it was clean again.

"The bottom line is that true repentance never comes cheaply, but the intimacy it affords us with our Redeemer is invaluable." (Malachi: A Love That Never Lets Go by Lisa Harper, Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN, copyright 2012, p. 122)

God did not play the vengeance game with his people--where there were no winners, only dead bodies of the guilty awaiting burial. No, God played a game that has no losers--he sent Jesus to model and teach about love and forgiveness, to refine his people, to lead them to repentance of their sins, not to destruction because of their sins.

Thanks for the great reminder, Della!

--Posted by Mama O.