God Has Always Wanted to Live With Us

GOD WILL DESTROY EVIL

Genesis 6:5-7 – Just before the Flood at the time of Noah: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great throughout the Earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was very sorry that He had made mankind on the Earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” [Continue in Chapters 6-7-8-9]

Genesis 38 relates the story of Judah and Tamar and contains two rare instances of God’s quick judgment against individuals, the first being elder brother Er in 38:7 (“the Lord killed him”) and the second being the second son Onan in 38:9-10 (“He killed him also.”). Curiously, we are not told the specific sin for which God killed Er, but the sin of Onan is named in his honor: Onanism.

Exodus 12:29-30 – “And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.”

Exodus Chapter 14 relates the Story of the Red Sea Crossing when all the Israelites pass safely between the towering waters, while Pharaoh’s hosts are drowned as the waters crash down.

Ezekiel Chapter 9 tells us that “The Wicked Are Slain” in a second and quite unusual Passover, one I’ve never heard mentioned in 82 years of Sunday School, Church, Seminary, and Bible Studies. Suddenly, six men appear carrying battle axes. “One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side.” God instructs this man to travel through all of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all those who lament “the abominations that are done within it. To the others He said, ‘Go after him through the city and kill. Do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark.’” [Ezekiel relates the destruction of many sinful nations. See especially Chapters 38 & 39.]

2 Kings 17:5-23 tells that the Northern Kingdom of Israel is destroyed by Sennacherib of Assyria after centuries of idolatry, disobedience, injustice, and child sacrifice without one righteous, godly king (except for Jehu). “Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.” (2 Kings 17:18)

2 Kings Chapter 23:1-25 relates that “Josiah Restores True Worship” – “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor after him did any arise like him.” But after Josiah is killed in battle, Chapters 23-24-25 tell of the rapid decline of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its sack and destruction by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Revelation 20 tells of “The Great White Throne Judgment” in which the Devil and the Demons, the Beast and the False Prophet, Death and Hades, and all whose names are not written in “the Book of Life” are cast into the Lake of Fire, which “is the second death.”