8 Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
the trumpet in Ramah;
raise the battle cry in Beth-aven:
Lead on, O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim will be laid waste
on the day of rebuke.
Among the tribes of Israel
I proclaim what is certain.
10 The princes of Judah
are like those who move boundary stones;
I will pour out My fury
upon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,
for he is determined to follow worthless idols.
12 So I am like a moth to Ephraim,
and like decay to the house of Judah.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria
and sent to the great king.
But he cannot cure you
or heal your wound.
14 For I am like a lion to Ephraim
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear them to pieces
and then go away.
I will carry them off
where no one can rescue them.
15 Then I will return to My place
until they admit their guilt and seek My face;
in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

As I read today’s passage, I found myself asking: Should I be scared of God?

The Christian answer, of course, is both yes and no. The Bible speaks not of being scared of God, but of fearing Him. We are called to “fear the Lord our God”—yet this is not a fear of dread or terror. Rather, it is a reverent awe and deep respect for who He is. Because in Christ, God is our Father!

But that truth is a privilege for those who are in Christ. Without Christ as our shelter, we face the full reality of God’s judgment. Today’s passage gives us a terrifying glimpse of that. God’s judgment is described as wrath poured out like floodwaters (v. 10), as one who tramples His enemies in judgment (v. 11), and as a lion who tears its prey to pieces (v. 14). The right response to this judgment is a holy terror that drives us—not to despair—but to repentance and faith, turning back to God.

I’m reminded of the famous American pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards. In one service, he preached his renowned sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” portraying God’s judgment so vividly that people wept under conviction. The judgment of God truly is terrifying.

And yet, wonderfully, the end of that sermon pointed people to Christ, as they cried out, “What must I do to be saved?”

May that be our experience too. As we reflect on the reality of God’s judgment, may it lead us not to fear apart from Christ, but to see the goodness and grace that are ours in Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.