The destroying angel

No Partiality in Punishment Too

Even in Israel with David as its king, God has punished severely:

“So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell.

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces.

David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.” (1 Chronicles 21:14 – 17)

“The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.” (1 Chronicle 21:27)

Note this (don’t be too confident in ‘your relationship’ with God):

“But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 21:30)

It must have been ‘really terrifying’ to ‘scare’ king David the ‘slayer of tens of thousands’, (king David is ‘not’ new to death and slaying); remember this?

“As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7)

David was a man ‘after God’s heart’ (not your average sinner) but yet he ‘fears God’ because he knows His Power:

“After removing Saul, He made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My own heart; who will do all my will.” (Acts 13:22)

P/S:

Even in Judgment, God has “no” partiality toward those who ‘disobey Him’.

No wonder even the “demons” (the most evil of creatures) “TREMBLE” at Him:

“You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble (with fear).” (James 2:19)

Reminds me of:

“Lo, I — I have prepared an artisan, Blowing on a fire of coals, And bringing out an instrument for his work, And I have prepared a destroyer to destroy.” – God in (Isaiah 54:16)

Only God decides who to punish (or destroy) and who to save on account of His Mercy as it is written:

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12)

“For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)

Moral of the Story: Be careful of doing ‘evil’ & ‘judging’ others. Repent.