The Severity of God

While preaching through Genesis, I came upon a scene in chapter thirty-eight which reminded me of what I understand to be the severity of God. This is a side of God many know nothing about, and only a few preachers will preach about.

Er and Onan, sons of Judah, grandsons of Jacob, were slain by the Lord. We are not told much about their wickedness, but both did evil in God's sight and He killed them (Genesis 38:6-10). What a shock it must have been to Tamar, Er's wife, and the rest of their family and friends. Here today⎯gone today. No doubt, these survivors wondered who would be next.

I do not think the deaths of Er and Onan were so-called mercy killings. Nor, do I believe God unjustly took their lives. I believe it was life's payday for them. They simply collected their wages for living a sinful life (Romans 6:23a).

I base this opinion on the sovereignty of God and the testimony of Scripture. The Bible speaks of a way that seems right to man, but its end is death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). It also speaks of those who are often reproved or admonished but stubbornly refuse to repent and are suddenly destroyed ". . . and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1).

Some would say, "But we live in the day of grace!" implying that the severity of God would never be exercised against anyone in this day. But, I would answer, God does not change (Malachi 3:6). And, we also have an incident recorded for us in the New Testament--a scene which I believe can only be an act of divine judgment--in which the severity of God falls upon a man and his wife and they pay for their deceit with their lives (Acts 5:1-11).

My father, Joseph Elza ("Elzie") Yandell, told of an incident that seemed to be a modern-day illustration of the severity of God. Papa had been preaching nightly beneath a brush arbor in eastern Oklahoma. A brush arbor was a crude temporary meeting place that consisted of little more than an awning of wood, tree limbs, and brush. It had no exterior walls, but it did offer a little shelter beneath which were fashioned some crude wooden benches on which the congregation sat.

Each service was preceded by a grove prayer meeting in which the Christian men and women of that community were praying for those who were unsaved. Attendance at the "revival" was growing nightly. Many were receiving Christ as Savior.

On a Thursday night, a family that was not known for attending church came in a wagon pulled by a team of mules. The woman and her children made their way under the arbor to look for a seat. Seats were scarce, so some men stood and offered them a place to sit.

The woman was so caught up in the service that she appeared as though she was in a trance. She sat with rapt attention, seemingly hungry for the words that were being spoken. The family returned the next night, and the next. On the third night of their attendance (Saturday) the woman went forward to the altar to repent of her sins and receive Jesus Christ as her Savior. Her husband had not, on any night, come under the arbor, but witnesses said he had come close enough to see his wife go to the altar.

On Sunday night the family returned again for the fourth time. As always, Papa preached with much fervor. When the invitation was given, the woman again came to the altar. This time she was praying for her husband. He had not received her conversion very well. So she asked Papa and all the Christians there to pray for her husband. They did.

Papa stood to continue to invitation. Sensing the leadership of the Holy Spirit, he went to the woman's husband to give him a personal invitation to come and receive Christ as Savior. Witnesses reported the man was less than kind in his response to Papa's entreaty.

"Preacher, you got my woman up there and made a fool out of her and you are not going to make a fool out of me!"

"My dear sir," Papa replied, "I will be praying for you." Then he returned to the altar to pray for the man.

Soon Papa's prayer was interrupted by a man tapping him on the shoulder. "Brother Yandell," he said, "the man you was talking with has fallen to the ground⎯slain in the spirit!"

Papa rushed to the man. He was dead.

Some said he died of a heart attack. Others said his death was caused by some kind of a chemical upset in his body. Papa believed it was divine judgment⎯the severity of God had fallen upon him (Romans 11:22).

No one knows for sure what happened. But they knew one thing⎯he died without a Savior.

Father, Your power is both a comfort and a terror to us, for our lives⎯both here and in eternity⎯are in Your hands. Give us mercy, Lord, not justice. For we deserve Your wrath, but we rejoice in Your grace, proud to be a fool for you.