For the past month, I’ve been studying the life of King David. While David may be famously known for slaying the giant Goliath or committing adultery with Bathsheba and trying to cover it up, his words in 2 Samuel 24 stuck with me. After David disobeyed God by numbering the people (2 Samuel 24:1-9), Gad, a prophet of the Lord and David’s seer, came to the king with a message from God, giving him three options of punishment (2 Samuel 24:11-13). David answered Gad and said, “Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14). Matthew 10:28 immediately came to mind. God gives righteous judgment to all. Any punishment we receive is rightly given. God’s punishment is still far more merciful than what man can do to us. David, I believe, understood the unconditional love and mercy God has for us, which is why God’s just punishment is far better than anything man could ever do to us (Psalm 145:8-9). Judgment is no stranger to our culture today. Sometimes we give it, and other times, we receive it. Most times, we don’t have all the facts needed to make the right judgment call, but God does. He has all the facts, and when the time comes, He will make the right judgment call for each individual (Romans 2:2).

Revelation is a book people often avoid because of its apocalyptic language and imagery. However, John’s language and the revelation given to him by God (Revelation 1:1-2) make this book one the Christian should be eager to read. Here are a few things I learned while studying this beautiful volume. One, worship is important. In Chapter 4, John gave a beautiful image of God’s throne, surrounded by majestic creatures who worship God day and night (Revelation 4:8-11). Immediately, John was in the spirit (Revelation 4:2). What a beautiful image for the Christian who desires to worship God for all eternity (Psalm 86:12). Two, God wins. Suffering and hardship are inevitable, but for the Christian, these are not forever. Being washed in the blood of the Lamb assures the obedient that God will have the final say for their good. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice (John 10:11, 15), and He will make sure His sheep do not suffer forever (Revelation 22:3-5). Revelation is not the easiest book to understand, but it cannot be ignored. It should be valued (Proverbs 30:5). It guarantees a happy ending for those who believe in Jesus and obey His will (Revelation 2:10).

In Exodus 7-12, we read about the plagues that God sent throughout all of Egypt because of the stubbornness of Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Many skeptics might read about this account and wonder, “How could a loving God destroy His own creation (Colossians 1:16)?“ More often than not, God is misunderstood as the God Who wants to condemn people as soon as they mess up. However, in Exodus 34, we get an accurate image of Who God is. He is a compassionate and gracious God Who is slow to anger and abounds in faithful love and truth, willing to forgive every one of his or her iniquities, but He will not let the guilty go unpunished (Exodus 34:6-7). Just like any good father would, God rebukes those whom He loves when they do wrong (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6). He is not a God Who wants to condemn everyone to Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather He is our holy and righteous Father Who is ready to forgive, to show constant mercy and to bestow unconditional love (Psalm 145:8-9).