Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 23, 2023

Having learned about the blessings that come when God's hand is upon a person for their good, we must also understand that God's hand can rest upon someone with the opposite outcome. Yes, God is king and loving, however, He is also the Righteous Judge. Many don't realize that God can be angry but this aspect of God is described in Psalm 18:7-9 . His anger can cause the entire earth to tremble and the foundations of the mountains to shake. "Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it" (Psalm 18:8). He is not one to be trifled with under any circumstances and when that happens, His hand will rest upon an individual or a group, but not for their good.

We are told in Hebrews 10:31 tells us that "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." In such a situation, the hand of God is against the person. A prime example of this can be found in the experience of Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus where they were spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, a sorcerer named Elymas did not like what they were doing and wanted to prevent a specific person from learning the good news. Paul's words to the sorcerer are contained in Acts 13:11 - Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” His evil aspirations failed and God's plan came to pass because others came to believe in Jesus and the Lord. Elymas illustrates that those who stand against the purpose of God will experience His mighty hand working against them.

The people of Ashdod equally experienced the hand of God against them. They failed to respect God and His presence, putting Him on the same level as their false god and felt the heavy hand of God against them. They were enemies of the Israelites who served false gods. At one point they captured the Ark of God in battle. Feeling triumphant, they brought the presence of God into their land and set it down in the place where they kept the idol of their god Dagon. The next morning, Dagon's idol was on the floor before the Ark of the Lord. The day after, the idol was again on the ground and this time, parts of it were crushed. God's hand didn't stop destroying them, however.

After plaguing them with rats (which bring disease), we are told in 1 Samuel 5:6 - The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. Even though the leaders of Ashdod removed the Ark from Dagon's altar, we are told God continued to punish them in 1 Samuel 5:9 - But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. Realizing they had no other defense against the hand of God, the people of Ashdod sent the Ark back to the people of Israel.

The hand of God can rest on a person or group for their good or their folly. In the event that the latter is the case, keep in mind that there is a good reason. For God is The Upright One. He doesn't hand out punishment unless it is very well deserved. This is why the angels proclaimed about Him in Revelation 19:2 that "His judgments are true and just."

May the hand of the Lord be upon us for His good and to His glory. May we enjoy the blessings and not the curses that come from God's justified wrath IJMN, Amen.