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Your Question:
Is this a punishment from God?
Answer:
As a pastor, I've often grappled with the concept of God's punishment. According to Scripture, God's punishment is not a positive act, but rather a permissive one. He permits the sinner to go their own way, leading to their merited doom. This is evident in passages such as Hosea 4:17 and 11:8, where God allows Israel to suffer the consequences of their sins. However, the question remains: is this punishment a direct result of God's action, or is it a natural consequence of the sinful act itself? The Bible teaches that God often works indirectly through established laws, but also directly intervenes in certain cases. In these instances, God makes a definite decision and metes out punishment. This is seen in cases where God visits the consequences of sin upon the children, not only for their own sin but also to show the father the consequences of their actions. In my understanding, God's punishment is not about causing unnecessary suffering, but rather about upholding justice and righteousness. As the Bible says, "He will by no means clear the guilty" (Exod. 34:7). This means that the penalty for sin must be inflicted, either personally or vicariously, upon the transgressor or their substitute. In the case of Christ, he bore God's penalty upon sin, demonstrating God's deep intimacy with humanity and his commitment to justice.
Sources:
christian theology
millard erickson
elemental theology
emery bancroft
systematic theology
wayne grudem
psalms
tremper longman
old testament theology
waltke
dogmatic theology
shedd
concise history christian thought
tony lane
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