This morning my family and I visited Delta Fellowship Church instead of attending the church where we’re members. No particular reason, just felt like it. And, as one can imagine, the recent events in New Orleans came up during the preaching at church this morning.
The preacher, Pastor Treat, mentioned that several had compared the disaster in New Orleans to Sodom and Gomorrah. Pastor Treat went on to say that when people are making these comparisons they mention all the sin that went on in New Orleans. Pastor Treat said it reminded him of the story of Job. Out of nowhere all sorts of afflictions landed on Job and then his ‘friends’ came to him and started telling him that it all happened because of some sin in his life.
This got me to thinking about it, and Pastor Treat is right. If you read the end of the book of Job, God says in 38:2 “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” and in 42:7 “…the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.”
Then to add to it, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed during the old covenant. During that time period there was no requirement for God to be merciful or gracious. But once Jesus came, died, and rose again a new covenant was formed. For God to destroy a city because of sin, it seems to me that He’d have to destroy all cities in which sin exists… thus all cities that exist. Since that didn’t happen, and we know God to be a good God (otherwise, why would he bring us out of the old covenant and into the new one in the first place) why don’t we take a step back and look at this…
The cities around the coast were pretty much destroyed. Hmm… now who’s job is it to destroy things? Well, if you don’t know that answer to that, go read John 10:10.
