CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

[Alex2165]

Jeremiah 48.10
10.”Cursed be the one who does the Lord's work negligently, and curse be the one who restrains his sword from blood.”


1. The first portion of this verse said: "Curse be the one who does the Lord's work negligently." So, then it comes to do the work of GOD whatever it may be; to help, to heal, to punish, or to destroy, a person who has responsibility to do such work should do it as GOD intend it to do, without any hesitation or second thought.

No one appreciate those who slack, careless, and negligent in their work and duties, and so is the Lord our GOD does not like such people who do His work with slack and negligence. Many claimed doing good work for GOD, but only few actually succeeded.

And if people rebuke such persons who do their work negligently, carelessly, and slacking, and punish them for their negligence and the lack of efficiency, and so the Lord GOD does the same to those who do His work inadequately and poorly. GOD punish such people by a curse, and such people will suffer from their own negligence and laziness.

Above all, it is possibly to hide slack and negligence in work from the people, and present many reasons for job poorly done, and blame someone else for it, but such tactic will be completely useless against GOD, and the punishment and the curse of GOD will surely fall on such person.

2. The second part of this verse present another curse, for those who restrain his sword from the bloodshed. In different Bibles, this part translated a little bit differently, but the major meaning of it remains the same and unchanged. It means what whoever restrained himself from conducting justice of GOD, or preventing the Lord's desire for justice and punishment, those are cursed by GOD, and whatever intended for one who must be punish will fall on one who prevented it from happening.

If someone obligated to fight the enemy, or execute a guilty person for crime he or she committed to perform GOD’S justice, and a person does not do it for whatever reason, he or she withhold the Commandment of the Lord, and can be considered as one who disobeyed and rebel against GOD. Certainly such person will be cursed as the Lord GOD declared in this verse.

I understand that not everyone can kill and shed blood, and even hit a person, but what will be the consequences if GOD ordered and a person refuse to do it? (1Kings 20.35).

 

[Deacon]

The NT carries a similar the message In James chapter 4

So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
​

But imagine using a similar argument with Psalm 137;

Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children
Against the rock. (NAS 2020)​

Passages such as these can reinforce a New Testament verses Old Testament perspective that in the OT God was of wrath and in the NT, God was of love.

Your argument stands but the delivery of the message is best understood in its historical setting; in the context of the destruction and the despair of the people of Israel during the exile.

Rob

 

[Cathode]

When God placed a certain people under the Ban, nothing of them was to survive.
Certain people’s were so evil and depraved, that they had to be completely removed from existence. It was for Love of humanity that these inhuman people had to be destroyed.

Moloch worship with infant sacrifice invited a particular wrath from God, He really doesn’t like it.

Infants were placed alive in the hands of the bronze statue that had been heated by fire, and the infant burned to death.
It was a people dedicated to pure satanism.

Nothing spawned of that people was to survive and infect other generations.

South America had human sacrifice when it was discovered and it’s culture was handed over to destruction as a result.

 

[Alex2165]

The NT carries a similar the message In James chapter 4

So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
​

But imagine using a similar argument with Psalm 137;

Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children
Against the rock. (NAS 2020)​

Passages such as these can reinforce a New Testament verses Old Testament perspective that in the OT God was of wrath and in the NT, God was of love.

Your argument stands but the delivery of the message is best understood in its historical setting; in the context of the destruction and the despair of the people of Israel during the exile.

Rob

Yes, Psalm 137.8 and Jeremiah 48.10 have a similar theme and meaning.

Both verses relate to Babylon. Jeremiah 48.10 relates to Babylon as executioner of the nations that GOD gave to Nebuchadnezzar to execute, and so similar thing will happen and to Babylon in Psalm 137.8, by the hand of other nations, most likely by Persians and Elam, and Babylon will be punish in the same way as it punish other nations.

And in the same way as Babylon dashed children of Judah and other nations, so the same thing will be done and to Babylon as indicated in Psalm 137.8.

So in both instances GOD chose executioners to fulfill His will and warned in Jeremiah 48.10, not to do His work negligently and restrain from the bloodshed.

The point is that no matter to whom GOD gives the right to kill and execute, shall not faulted or refuse to shed blood, means disobey GOD'S Command.

Executioners in that matter could be anyone, any individual, any group of people, or any nation.

I attaching Jeremiah 48.10 to the rest of the GOD'S Commandments and giving it much broader perspective in terms of obedience to GOD, and no matter how may His Command looks and sounds to us, it must be done as the Lord GOD intended and wish to be done.

You wrote:
"Passages such as these can reinforce a New Testament verses Old Testament perspective that in the OT God was of wrath and in the NT, God was of love. "

I completely disagree with you concerning this statement. I heard this before from some people that GOD of O.T. is cruel but GOD of N.T. is love. Such conclusion and thinking is completely false and has no basis in the Bible.

Actually about GOD'S Love in O.T. is written as much in N.T., and it will be foolish to assume that O.T. only full of GOD'S wrath and nothing else.

People who promote this false idea suggesting that we have here two different GODS, one is brutal and full of wrath, and the other one is loving GOD and forgives everyone, just like our democrats and liberals today relaxing the law and do not pay attention to crime problem in this country, and basically allow criminals do whatever they want.

Our GOD Jesus Christ is not liberal GOD, but GOD of Justice, and His Justice is righteous and perfect Justice in all its ways, and whoever disagree with this, should look to worship some other god, who does justice according to human desire.

The GOD of the O.T. and the GOD of N.T is the same GOD - Jesus Christ. As it written, the GOD created the worlds through His Son Jesus Christ to Whom He gave the power and authority, and if Jesus Christ created the worlds and have authority over all creations He had created, He is the One Who introduced to us in O.T. and N.T as One GOD.

And He Himself said that He and His Father are One, and it means that the Law came from One Unified GOD.

This was Jesus Christ Who gave the Law to Moses with all its death penalties that was required for those who deserve it. And so, whatever is written concerning bloodshed as punishment for individuals or for entire nation, all came from the same GOD - Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is Love and also Punishment and Wrath of Righteous Anger then it comes to do GOD'S Justice. So please, do not separate and divide GOD on love and wrath, this is very false and wicked thing to do.

I do agree with Cathode, humanity in general very evil, and extermination of evil is expression of GOD'S love for those whose GOD want to spare, keep alive, and save.