Divine retribution
Divine retribution is supernatural punishment of a person, a group of people, or all humanity by a deity in response to some human action.
Many cultures have a story about how a deity exacted punishment on previous inhabitants of their land, causing their doom.
An example of divine retribution is the story found in many cultures about a great flood destroying part or nearly all of humanity, as described in the Epic of Gilgamesh or Book of Genesis (6:9-8:22), leaving one principal 'chosen' survivor. In the former example it is Utnapishtim, and in the latter example Noah. References in the Qur'an to a man named Nuh who was commanded by God to build an ark also suggest that one man and his followers were saved in a great flood.
Other examples in Hebrew religious literature include the dispersion of the builders of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-21, 19:23-28), and the Ten Plagues visited upon the ancient Egyptians for persecuting the children of Israel (Exodus, Chapters 7-12).
In most cases, the Bible refers to be divine retribution as being delayed or "treasured up" to a future time.[1] Sight of God's supernatural works and retribution would mitigate against faith in God's Word.[2]
Divine retribution is aligned with divine vengeance.[3] Almighty God alone is a just judge.[4] Delayed judgment will eventually become eternally displayed.[5]
The wrath of God is aligned with God's nature where He loves righteousness and hates wickedness.[6] The wrath of God is closely associated with Divine administration of justice. The wrath of God is commonly contrasted with the love of God.
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[edit] "Wrath of God"
"The wrath of God", an anthropomorphic expression for the attitude of God towards sin,[7] is mentioned many times in the Christian Bible. Leaving aside the references to it in the Old Testament, where it is used of God not only when punishing the wicked but also when sending trials to the just, as in Job 14:13, it is mentioned in at least twenty verses of the New Testament. Examples are:
- John 3:36 - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
- Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
- Romans 5:9 - Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
- Romans 12:19 - 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."
- Ephesians 5:6 - Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
- Revelation 6:17 - For the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to withstand?
- Revelation 14:19 - So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
- Revelation 15:1 - Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God was finished.
- Revelation 19:15 - From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
The New Testament associates the wrath of God particularly with imagery of the Last Day, described allegorically in Romans 2:5 as the "day of wrath", and the Book of Revelation.
[edit] Divine Retribution in the Pentateuch
Divine retribution is easily seen in the Pentateuch or first five books of the Bible which set a hermeneutical foundation of the other Bible books. Major examples of divine retribution in the Pentateuch include:
| Biblical passages | incident | reason |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 3:14-24 | Curse upon Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden | disobedience and excuses including blaming God |
| Genesis 4:9-15 | Curse upon Cain after his slaying of his brother, Abel | deceit, murder, lies |
| Genesis 6-7 | The destruction of the Great Flood | rampant evil and Nephalim |
| Genesis 11:1-9 | The confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel | impiety on a massive scale |
| Genesis 19:23-29 | Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah | people of no redeeming value |
| Genesis 38:6-10 | Destruction of Er and Onan | wickedness in the Lord's sight |
| Exodus 7-14 | Plagues of Egypt | to establish his power over that of the gods of egypt |
| Exodus 19:10-25 | Divine threatenings at Mount Sinai | warn that the mountain is off limits and holy |
| Exodus 32 | Plagues at the incident of the golden calf | disowning the people for breaking his covenant with them |
| Leviticus 10:1-2 | Nadab and Abihu are burned | offering unauthorized fire in thier censers |
| Leviticus 26:14-39 | Curses upon the disobedient | divine warning |
| Numbers 11 | A plague accompanies the giving of quail meat in the wilderness | rejecting his gracious gift of heavenly food and failing his test of obedience |
| Numbers 16 | The rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram - Their supernatural deaths and the plague that followed | insolence and attempting self promotion to roles they where unworthy of holding |
| Numbers 20:9-13 | Reprimand of Moses at the water of Meribah | disobeying the Lord's instruction, showing distrust and indífference in God's presence |
| Numbers 21 | Murmuring of the people and the plague of fiery serpents | spurning God's grace |
| Numbers 25 | Whoredom with the Moabites and resulting plague | breaching God's covenant through sexual immorality and worshipping other gods |
| Deuteronomy 28 | Curses pronounced upon the disobedient | another divine warning |
[edit] other notable biblical retributions
The Bible being full of cases of divine retribution some instances are particularly notable for heralding in new eras,while others where meant to serve as abject lessons in dealing with god and keeping faithful to his commads and are thus long remembered.
| Biblical passages | incident | reason |
|---|---|---|
| (1 Samuel 6:19) | some/many men of Beth Shemesh killed | looking into the ark of the covenant thus displaying irreverent curiousity |
| (2 Samuel 6:1-7) | Uzzah struck dead after touching the Ark of the covenant | despite good intentions he was in clear violation of the instructions given on how to deal with the object |
| (1 Kings 11) | God promises to tear Solomon's kingdom from his son except for a single tribe. | Idolatry and unrepentance. |
| (Acts 5:1) | Ananias and his wife Sapphira struck dead | commited the first recorded sin of the new church by pretending to be generous and lying about an offering. |
[edit] Culture
Divine retribution is the driving force[citation needed] of Shakespeare's War of the Roses tetralogy, comprising the plays 1 Henry VI, 2 Henry VI, 3 Henry VI and Richard III, in which the House of York and Lancaster are made to atone for the sin of deposing Richard II.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Luke 3:7; Romans 2:5
- ^ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope...(Romans 8:24)
- ^ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
- ^ 2 Timothy 4:8
- ^ Revelation 14:11
- ^ Psalm 11:5
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3), article wrath of God, the
