Has God Mellowed?

When we read the Old Testament, I wonder what categories of thought we use to process the historical information contained therein.

For example, I have been making my way slowly through the book of Joshua (except, admittedly, in the sections where the inheritance of the land was divided). Right in the opening chapters of the book, we are confronted with the sin of Achan (Joshua 7). What categories of thinking do you apply to the text when you see that the anger of the unchanging Lord of all “burned against the children of Israel”? Why did the Lord’s anger burn against the whole nation? Surely that is unfair? The vast majority of the people never even knew what Achan did! What was the result of God’s incinerating anger? Thirty-six men were “struck down” (probably dead)! One man sinned, 36 men died, and an entire nation was placed in jeopardy amid an already edgy enemy!

How will you process this information? Some reject outright the God revealed in the pages of the Bible because of accounts like this.

Unfortunately, even some Christians, who have a sentimental view of God, try to explain this away. They have the mistaken notion that since Jesus came, God has changed. It seems that, in their thinking, God was different back then. This is, I believe, one of the shortcomings of the dispensational view of history. They think that God’s holy expectations have changed. They think, as Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it, “God, in Christ, has purchased for us a lowered market!” The sum of this kind of thinking concludes that the Ancient of Days has mellowed in His later years!

If that is the way you perceive God, then you may very well be worshipping a God of your own creation.

You see, God’s anger still burns against our sin. Because of our misconception (idolatrous thoughts?) of Yahweh, we quickly minimise our sin, shame and folly. We think that it is unwholesome and unhealthy to reflect on how depraved we are.

I can already hear the gospel toddy being shaken. “You are focusing too much on sin! Quick! Catch! Take two gospel spoons and it’ll all be better in the morning!” But wait! Put the bottle down; you will soon see a river of pleasure in which you may swim, drink and enjoy!

Let’s consider the fact that even the New Testament refers to our God as a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29; compare with Joshua 7:1). This reference to the incinerator-God has much bearing on Achan—and on you and me.

The context of Hebrews 12 is the Christian church receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Achan was very literally in the process of receiving a “kingdom” too. Unfortunately for Achan, though, he was still enamoured with the cursed kingdom and the things of that kingdom. God was not about to tolerate such an insult!

Imagine: Here was God giving such an awesome gift to His people with some simple instructions to totally destroy all that misrepresented Him. Achan knew better. He liked the glowing garments, the shining silver and the gleaming gold more than the blazing glory of God. And so, for a piece of cloth and some shiny trinkets, he brought about the extreme response of judgement to his whole family. From manger to manse, Achan’s household was stoned and burned and buried. Oh how the whole nation’s heart must have broken—to execute such extreme judgement on a man and his children!

Doesn’t your heart break?

Consider also God’s response after the violent end to Achan’s household. “So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger.”

Some would argue that Israel’s response was an overreaction. If that was so, God’s anger would not have been turned away but rather redirected.

Now then, how shall we respond to such a revelation of God? Is this the God that you and I must worship? Yes! We cannot explain this away! Our God is a consuming fire!

But surely we should be asking: “I am all too familiar with Achan’s actions not only in all of society but in my own household and, alas, in my own heart! Why then am I not stoned and buried and burnt?”

The fact is that God has not mellowed. Rather, He has mastered the best search-and-rescue mission ever. You see, Achan’s sin was found out by a careful and thorough search and retrieval of the accursed thing by Joshua. The ultimate Joshua (Joshua means “Jehovah saves,” and is simply the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek name Jesus) also conducted (and is still busy conducting) the greatest search-and-retrieval mission. He is actively searching out sinners, bringing them before the congregation and then taking their Babylonish garments for Himself and taking their precious trinkets of sin to Himself. He is taking all of their accursed things and putting it in his “tent.” He is taking the place of Achan.

God’s anger still burns against sin, and the fierceness of His wrath must still be turned. This is the heart and soul of why I love the Lord Joshua Christ. He, who never had an inkling of a covetous thought or deed, who had eternally experienced the favour of the Ancient of Days, took on the limitation of days and times and years and came to seek and save the accursed of God!

The beauty of this redemption in and through Jesus is that the same God, who is angry with us, is also for us, pities us and has sovereignly selected and called us to his provision of refuge—the shelter of His Son!

He was crushed for our transgressions! He was buried for our sin. He experienced the consuming fire of the wrath of God for us. But it was not possible for the perfect Son of God to stay crushed and buried and burnt. He rose victoriously, satisfying the fierce wrath of God, vindicating His perfect holiness and lavishing His persistent love to those who love His substitutionary gift.

No, the Ancient of Days has not mellowed. He has magnified His love toward us in that while we were still accursed, Christ died for us!