Thursday, July 29, 2010

God's payback promises - "Vengeance is mine" and "the hairs on your head are all numbered"

What things do the following verses have in common?
Matt 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Heb 10:30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." ..
If you noticed they were both declarations or strong promises, you are correct; and you may have noticed these both have a chapter and verse reference of 10:30 which virtually everyone dismisses as inconsequential, but the Bible's fifteen 10:30 verses have a story to say if you know what to look for.

On my website and this blog I give example after example of how the Bible's numbering demonstrates itself to be not only inspired, but also help us to interpret scripture. As I get older and hopefully a bit wiser, I spend less time trying to convince people of the miracle of the Bible's numbers and more time simply showing them - so this post provides an example of God's pattern in scripture and lets you ponder the evidence for yourself

THE EXAMPLE: Like reference Bible verses have a theme running through them that helps in their interpretation and the message in this set has literally changed the way I see life. Praise Jesus!

How can that be? How can the Bible change one so suddenly? It happens when you know the Bible to be the exact word of God and then discover new truths in the text. The experience created in you due to the new truth is as compelling as touching a hot stove and concluding it burns! - the experience of truth changes us.

My experience came when I one day realized how the theme in these verses tells us of the completeness of God's vengeance, That day I let go of a huge part of my need to get back at others for their wrongs. You have to ponder the Bible's 10:30 verses to really take this in, but if you take the time you will find that one after another this set of verses tell how God's payback is not a general payback at all - God says he counts everything down to the hairs on our head. Nothing is missed. Related to the same set of verses, God demands,"Vengeance is mine!" - to me, this is an extreme command, not simply a suggestion. He means it! God, both pays back evil for evil and good for good. - precisely. When I comprehended this, I concluded that if God really does keep track of everything, I'm not trusting God if I hold grudges or try and make people pay for their mistakes in any way. It's as if God is recording every little event in his computer and tallying them up until debts become due on the last day.

There are just fifteen 10:30 verses in the Bible and I've included the most compelling 6 of them here. You can see how each of them tell of God's preciseness in his promises and statements. You will find that every 10:30 verse contains precise and unmistakable statements and I believe this was done intentionally so we would take in the point - God counts everything. The other nine examples not shown here show the same pattern (except for one I can't yet figure out). Like everything we study in the Bible, only God knows how it all fits together - we will never interpret it exactly, but we can see and interpret patterns. Even if you don't see God's counting in each of these examples, let the examples you do see help you conclude for yourself. That is, don't throw the concept out because you can't line up every example...we virtually never completely understand God's word and God's numbering is no different.

The Bible's 10:30 Vengeance and payback verses...
Matt 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (don't fear, not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from God..)



Act 10:30 ..."Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house..on the 9th hour, (PRECISELY: 4 days, 9th hour)


Mrk 10:30 ...he will receive a hundred times as much (PAYBACK—100 times as much)


Josh 10:30 The LORD...struck..every person..with the edge of the sword... he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho. (PAYBACK—equal for equal)


2Kin 10:30 The LORD said..."Because you have done well in executing what is right...your sons...shall sit on the throne of Israel." (PAYBACK—Because you did this, I will ….)


Heb 10:30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." .. (God is counting)

You will find the 9 other examples in these books: Genesis, Numbers, Ezra, Nehemiah, Proverbs, Isaiah, Luke, John, 1Corinthians and Hebrews. The Bible's 10:30 verses have an amazing message and are also one of the best examples I've seen to show the pattern across like referenced verses. Want another compelling example; see the Bible's 3:16 verses and notice the amazing theme running through them...for God so loved the world...

In those times when you are puzzled about the meaning of a verse of scripture, it's worth looking at other like referenced verses to get ideas about what it may mean.

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