Stacking Bodies

Aug. 16

Read: Judges 8

Stacking Bodies

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Rom. 12:19

There is no room for vengeful thinking in the life of God’s people. To be driven by revenge is the antithesis of what God is calling us to. It is not that wrongs will go unpunished… quite the opposite actually. God is a God who will avenge. He does so on our behalf so that we can live lives free of vengeful thoughts and actions. We see this in the way that Jesus treated his enemies after his resurrection. We see this in the way that Jesus brought together people who were traditionally enemies and called them to follow him. (Think of tax collectors and blue collar fishermen, or Israelites and Samaritans.) It is explicitly stated in Ephesians: “For (Jesus) himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…” (Eph 2:14)

When we seek revenge, it runs counter to our true self in Christ. When we seek revenge, it corrupts our true identity… detracts from our mission… sidetracks us from the legitimate work God calls us to. In short, it is destructive to ourselves and others when we are driven by revenge. When we are devoted to making sure people “get what is coming to them”, our lives will be drained of God-centered purpose and we will never fulfill the work that the Lord has for us. We see this here in Gideon.

Gideon began his journey distraught over the people and their need to be rescued from oppression. (cf. Judges 6:13-15) Gideon’s heart was once to “save Israel”. God raises him up for this very mission! His true identity in the Lord is that he is a “mighty man of valor” who has been empowered and chosen by God to RESCUE the people of Israel. What do we see here in chapter 8? The one who was sent to rescue is now the oppressor… the tormentor… the KILLER. For the people of Succoth and Penuel ,they simply traded one tyrant for another! Gideon was supposed to be rescuing his fellow Israelites and now he is torturing them and killing them while destroying their cities! (v.16) It says that he “killed the men of the city” in Penuel. Do you see how his vengeful heart escalates in such a short time. His initial threat was that he would “tear down the tower”, and what he ends up doing is not only tearing the tower down but also “killing the men of the city”. Imagine the fatherless little boys and girls now. Imagine the vulnerable women of the city. Crops left in the fields… businesses abandoned… destruction. This is all the total OPPOSITE of what God called Gideon to do. His arrogance and vengeful heart have corrupted him.

You will never be whole… be who God has called you to be… nor carry out the mission that the Lord has for you as long as you are driven by themes of revenge and vindication. Christ is our vindicator. God fights for us. Vengeance is the Lord’s. We kill ourselves on the inside and are robbed of our true meaning and purpose when we become consumed like Gideon. We must become comfortable with the fact that God is our vindicator. God is the one who will someday set all things right… balance the scales… seek “revenge”. Ask the Lord today to reveal to you if you are carrying any baggage… a grudge against someone else. Ask the Spirit within you to open your eyes to any vengeful thinking you may still carry deep within you. The Lord is willing to take those things from you… hand them to him. The Lord declares, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay”. You will never carry out the true mission of the Lord until you release these things. You cannot be the person God has called you to be when you are seekers to be the one who takes their revenge. You will find newness of life and purpose once you let these things go. I Love you guys. - JDP