Katrina? Tsunami? God's Judgment on Sin?

There is a discussion going on at the TM forum about the OT God. As should be expected, there are two main schools of thought...

Those who want to hang onto every word of the OT no matter what....and those who are willing to at least explore that everything in the OT does not represent the true God we see in Jesus. Following is a post I made there this morning prompted by the following remark:

The weekend of Katrina the mayor, city council, and police had approved an event called "Southern Decadence." They expected to make many millions of dollars from 100's of thousands of attendees (sorry I forgot the exact #'s.) The organizers had already done as they promised when demonstrating in Washington, D.C., perform gay sex-acts everywhere in public as much as possible. This they were promising for New Orleans.
In Thailand the Tsunami struck where there had grown up a local "thrill kill" culture. People were casually shot for sport. This I learned from someone who lives in that area.
Judgment?

In case there is any confusion...he is one who insists on hanging onto every act in the OT no matter how heinous...and actually seems to be bringing the OT into the times in which we live with his talk of judgment in New Orleans and Thailand. (Doesn't he know God "got saved" somewhere between Malachi and Matthew...totally repented of his wicked ways...or so it seems since he appears to be a completely different God) Anyone who has read anything on this blog probably knows I very much disagree with this guy and so following is my reply:

You forgot the bridge collapse this summer...remember....the bridge on Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Surely that was God's wrath displayed against all those who cross the bridge perhaps listening to their "satanic" death metal hard rock music....or to Howard Stern (is he still on the radio?) or on those who worked on the bridge with God knows what evil habits or perversions....perhaps lusting at some woman passing by in a car.....or worse...

Perhaps Minneapolis is a particularly evil city...with those homosexuals...and people with guns shooting each other for sport (like they do in gang violence all over the nation including the small town where I live in Central Pennsylvania). That makes as much sense. Did not God chastise one of Job's miserable comforters for suggesting that Job brought his calamities on himself by wickedness?

This discussion has centered mainly on the OT...but perhaps we should move into the NT and see God, in the person of Jesus, interacting with sinners.

How about the woman caught in adultery? You know, the one to whom Jesus said in John 8:
"Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"
She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
(and to my way of thinking, the whole experience and the words of Jesus EMPOWERED her to repent and change her ways. We have no way of knowing if that is what occurred but we do know he did not condemn her)

How about the woman at the well in John 4? What an unlikely missionary she was....what with that life style of hers...... ....but that is what she became when her encounter with Jesus so changed her that she hurried back to become a "missionary" to her own people. And let's acknowledge that she is no goody two shoes....which Jesus clearly illustrates when he says:
"You have well said, "I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."

This is the part where he condemns her, right? Lambastes her for having had FIVE husbands (talk about making poor choices ) and tells of the judgment to come if she does not change her ways. How could she even rectify her situation when she has committed adultery five times? So does he withdraw his offer of living water? Does he condemn her?

No.

It should be also pointed out that his disciples are dumbfounded that he is even talking to her.....a woman...a Samaritan....and to their way of thinking so damaged by her lifestyle as to not be worthy of his time which goes to show that the disciples did not get it either. They did not understand the character and nature of God that Jesus was trying to show them. Actually the followers of Jesus were so steeped in OT judgment they could not see what was as plain as the nose on their face which was clearly illustrated in the following exchange in in Luke 13....

1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

I think (and so do quite a few Bible commentaries) that Jesus is calling them to take a long hard look in the mirror and see the dirt on their own faces. Sort of like the lesson we are to take from the Pharisee in Luke 18 who "stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican."

And what about clueless James and John....when they came to the Samaritan village....the village that wanted no part of Jesus because he had "set his face toward Jerusalem" and would not even show him the hospitality of one night's stay....and the disciples (still influenced by the judgment they perceived in the OT) said..... Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"

And Jesus turned to them and said...."Absolutely...they are worthy of judgment....burn everything that has breath and take their gold for me"?????????????

NO......

"He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

And so I cannot help but wonder if those who are intent on bringing an OT mind set into this day and age...and see judgment everywhere....in earthquakes and natural disasters really know what spirit they are of. I mean no disrespect to anyone who believes this way, but I think to take it upon oneself to lay blame and assign the wrath and judgment of God to modern day catastrophes is wrong. Perhaps those who are steeped in the judgments of the OT need to look squarely in the face of the expressed image of the invisible God we see in Jesus and get to know HIM...because he shows us he is not about judgment or wrath. In him we clearly see that it is the kindness of God that leads men to repentance. The Amplified renders Romans 2:4 this way:

Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent ( to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)?