What is Judgment?

Welcome to this new episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, where Dr. Andrew Farley delves into the profound concept of God's judgment, shedding light on its purpose and significance in the grand narrative of redemption. Drawing inspiration from biblical stories, such as the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Dr. Farley invites listeners to explore the deeper layers of these narratives, revealing moments of divine mercy within seemingly severe judgments. Through the lens of God's promise of redemption, these acts of judgment take on a more compelling and purposeful meaning, providing a fresh perspective on how God's judgment aligns with His ultimate plan.

Sign up for free devotionals on each episode at https://www.HeartbeatOfFaith.com 

We delve into other biblical episodes, such as the judgment against the city of Jericho, where God's judgment serves as a path to the promised land. These stories, while unsettling when viewed in isolation, take on new meaning when seen through the lens of God's promise to redeem the world through a Messiah. God's judgment, in this context, becomes a protective measure to preserve His chosen people and ultimately pave the way for redemption. This episode encourages us to contemplate God's judgment with a deeper understanding, recognizing the mercy within His acts and the role they play in His redemptive plan.

Download the Pray.com app today to experience the vivid revelation of God's divine presence through cinematic storytelling, guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit.

For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, for we must all be revealed before
the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
the things in the body according to what he has done,
whether good or bad. Second Corinthians, Chapter five, Verse ten.
Dear Lord, to day, I am mindful that nothing in

(00:20):
heaven or on earth goes unseen by you. You are
all knowing, and your judgment is final. I want to
thank you for your mercy and forgiveness that you have
taken away my sins forever and keep no record of
my wrongs. You have removed my sins as far as
the east is from the west, and you remember them

(00:41):
no more. In the times that I fear your judgment,
remind me there is now no condemnation for me. Thank
you that I can have confidence in the day of judgment,
because your perfect love casts away all my fear. In
Jesus name, Amen, thank you for praying with me to day.

(01:05):
Now discover the profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot
COM's podcast The Heartbeat of Faith with Doctor Andrew Farley.
Stay tuned after this quick word from our sponsors. Does
your money stretch as far as it used to? Most
likely know? Here's why it took two hundred years for
the US to print its first five trillion dollars. To day,

(01:28):
Washington has done that in just three years. The problem
every new dollar makes each of your dollars worth less.
Our sponsor, Birch Gold Group, has helped tens of thousands
of Americans protect their iras or four O one k's
from the dollar's loss in value with physical gold and silver.
Now you can too, get a free info kit on

(01:49):
gold right now by texting the word heartbeat to nine
eight nine eight nine eight with an A plus rating
with the B B B. You're in good hands with
Birch Go, so get your no cost, no obligation infoKit
now by texting heartbeat to the number nine eight nine
eight ninety eight.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
God's wrath is not arbitrary, nor is he harsh in
his judgment. He alone is perfectly, wholly, merciful and just,
which makes him the only one who can define good
and evil perfectly.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
When Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen, and the
Lord caused fire, ash and sofa to fall on Sodom
and Gomorrah. In the distance, Lot and his family could
hear the cries of those in the city. The city
of Sodom, a nest of rape, murder, and wickedness, fell

(02:55):
under the fist of the Almighty.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Judgment is God's to deal out as he pleases, and
it's sometimes a wonder he didn't just wipe everything away
after the fall. But he didn't because as just as
God is, he's also patient, loving and kind. Hello, I'm
doctor Andrew Farley with today's episode of the Heartbeat of

(03:22):
Faith podcast. Our purpose is to mine the depths of
God's story to discover his love and purpose for our lives.
The deeper we go, the louder his heartbeat becomes. Today
we look at God's judgment. Pop culture and some religious

(03:42):
teachers often portray God's judgment as being arbitrary, unjust, or
even harsh, but the Bible paints a different picture. God's
judgment displays his goodness and reveals his ultimate plan to
restore humanity. Looking at some old Testament stories, it can

(04:05):
be hard to understand how a good God could carry
out these acts, but if you look at them through
the greater lens of scripture, God's divine redemption is seen.
Even some of the more gruesome stories in the Bible
have whispers of mercy within them. One of the more

(04:27):
well known stories of judgment is about Sodom and Gomorrah.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
Morning came and the angels came again to Lot, yelling,
take your wife and your daughters and flee the city.
You will be destroyed if you linger any longer. But
Lot did linger, indecisive and afraid, and was unable to
help himself or his family. He was cowardly daughter of
his daughters, and now he stood equally a coward for

(04:57):
not saving them. Yet God God was still merciful to
them and promised he would not destroy the city unless
all the righteous were gone. So the angels seized him
and his wife and his two daughters by the hand,
and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
They commanded again, escape for your life. Do not look

(05:19):
back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the
hills lest you be destroyed with the city. Lot responded
to them and said, please do me another great kindness.
Spare the neighboring town, Zoar, so we can settle there.
The angel said to him again, I will do as
you ask. Now flee.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Judgment is coming.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
When Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen and the
Lord caused fire, ash and sulfur to fall on Sodom
and Gomorah. In the distance, Lot and his family could
hear the cries of those in the city. The city
of Sodom, of rape, murder, and wickedness, fell under the

(06:03):
fist of the Almighty.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
In Sodom and Gomorrah, the fire came from above, But
in the case of Cora, God brought fiery judgment from below,
swallowing up him and his followers. When they defied Mos.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
Moses raised his voice for Alta, hear, depart from these
men immediately, lest you be swept away. Stay back. So
the crowds stepped back from Cora, Dathan and Abiram and
their families. The three men stood by, watching Moses, with
their offerings in front of them. Moses rose his staff

(06:46):
to Corah. Moses, once slow to speak and stuttering, spoke
clearly and powerfully. His voice boomed, and the people trembled.
This day you shall know it is the Lord who
has sent me. Nothing I have done has been from
my own power. Moses pointed to the men and shouted,

(07:07):
If these men die a natural death, then I am
made a liar, and God has not sent me. But
if the Lord comes now and swallows them up into
the fiery shadows of Shol. Then you shall know whom
God has chosen. In an instant, as Moses spoke, the
land trembled and shook. A roar could be heard from

(07:29):
the mountains, and the ground began to split. The earth
opened up before Corah and his men like the mouth
of a beast, and they were swallowed up into the
jaws of Shiol. The screams of the three men stabbed
the ears of all who were present, and fire ascended
from the depths and consumed all two hundred and fifty men.

(07:50):
The congregation fled, fearing they would also be consumed by
the earth.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Looking at these stories individually can leave you with a
pit in your stomach. However, if you look at them
through the lens of God's promise to redeem the world,
these acts of judgment seem less arbitrary and more purposeful. Take,
for example, the judgment against the city of Jericho. God's

(08:19):
judgment over the city provided a path to the promised
land for his people.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
As the men finished marching across the city a seventh time,
Joshua stopped and the army stopped with him remaining silent,
he turned to his troops with a passionate voice. Joshua
cried out, shout, shout, for the Lord has given you
this city. Today, the city of Jericho will fall as
an offering to God. Shout, so the people shouted. The

(08:53):
thunderous roar boomed from the army of Israel. Cries of
war and trumpets echoed and shook the earth. One by one,
the stones of the wall began to shift in their place,
the walls of Jericho began to split. Cracks and clanging
pierced the ears of everyone in the city. As the
walls began to crumble, the battle cries of Israel continued

(09:17):
like the roar of a lion. The great walls of
Jericho bowed before the might of God. The earth trembled
as the wall fell to the ground. Screams of terror
could be heard from the city. The broken walls stood
before them, and Joshua, standing on one of the large stones,
shouted to his men, with sword raised high, take this city. Yet, Rahab,

(09:43):
the prostitute, shall live and do nothing that will make
your heart stumble.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
God promised to redeem the world through a messiah. This
messiah needed to be born from a nation that endured
the highs and lows of Navigat, aiding the ancient world,
a world in which warlords, pestilence, corruption, and famines abounded.
God intended to preserve his people by any means necessary,

(10:14):
so that ultimate redemption could come through his only begotten son.
His judgment on other nations or rebellious factions of Israel
was to protect the people long enough for Messiah to come.
God always judges with ultimate redemption in mind. God's wrath

(10:37):
is not arbitrary, nor is he harsh in his judgment.
He alone is perfectly holy, merciful, and just, which makes
him the only one who can define good and evil perfectly.
Judgment is his to deal out as he pleases, and
it's sometimes a wonder. He didn't want I wipe everything

(11:00):
away after the fall. He didn't because as just as
God is, he's also patient, loving, and kind. Humanity, although
deserving of God's judgment, has been shown mercy. Let's look
at an image of God's mercy in a well known
story from the Bible.

Speaker 3 (11:25):
When Noah's family and all the animals were secured in
the ark, God shut the door. Seven days later, the
rain began to fall, and the cleansing power of God opened.
Water fell from the skies, and the springs of the
earth burst open violently. The water rose, covering the mountains

(11:47):
and washing away all the corrupt and evil kingdoms built
by the wickedness of mankind. God once breathed life into mankind,
and now he.

Speaker 1 (11:59):
Took have breath away.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
All was destroyed, all but those on the ark.

Speaker 2 (12:08):
God judged humanity and brought punishment upon them. But Noah
and his family were preserved in a wooden vessel. Noah's
wooden arc is a picture of the Cross, the vehicle
by which God has protected us forever from judgment and punishment.
In the profound tapestry of God's love, the cross stands

(12:33):
as a testament to the believer's unassailable protection from judgment
and punishment. As Romans eight one tells us, there's now
no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.
This divine acquittal means there's no ledger of wrongs, no

(12:53):
tallly of transgressions. Our sins are not only forgiven, but forgotten,
a freedom that underscores our release from the demands and
judgments of the law. Echoing this sentiment, Jesus himself declared
in John three eighteen that he who believes in him

(13:15):
is not judged. This reassurance affirms our confidence as we
anticipate the day of judgment, for in God's eyes, we're
viewed as if we've never sinned a day in our lives. Remember,
the wages of sin was death, Yet Jesus died and

(13:35):
paid those wages in full. Consequently, for those who believe,
there are no more wages left to pay. Through Jesus,
we have obtained mercy, and we'll explore what mercy means
in our next episode. Thank you for listening to today's

(13:56):
Heartbeat of Faith podcast. If you enjoyed today's path or
learn something new about the Bible, share it with a
friend or family member, download thepray dot com app, and
for more encouragement in God's grace, visit Andrewfarley dot org.
That's Andrewfarley dot org.