Category: God’s Love

Seven Bowls

Never get between a mama bear and her cubs. This is true with both literal bears and human mothers. The wrath of my inner “mama bear” has only been aroused a few times, but when it has, my instinct to protect and defend my boys has reared up in ways that have surprised even me. Recognizing this innate characteristic in all moms may help us to understand how Jen Wilkin explains God’s wrath: “[It] is not the opposite of His love. Rather, it is an expression of His love. Because He deeply loves the saints, any harm done to them necessarily stirs His wrath. No love, no wrath.” (101)

So far in Revelation we’ve read about seven letters written to seven churches, seven seals opened by the Lamb, seven trumpets heralding God’s judgement, and seven histories giving us a window into realities from the past, present, and future. Now, we turn to another set of seven: “In the judgement of the seven bowls, all who have not called on the name of Christ are given the cup of God’s wrath, whose contents they themselves have produced.” (p. 101) Pastor Matt Chandler contends the parallel descriptions in the seals, trumpets, and bowls represent three views of the same events from different perspectives: we see the seal judgement from the perspective of the suffering saints, the trumpets from the perspective of the unrepentant earth dwellers, and the bowls from the perspective of Jesus in the throne room.

Revelation 15 circles back to the throne room of heaven in preparation for the bowl judgements. (Verses 1-4 were covered in my previous post, “Seven Histories.”) Now, John describes seven angels coming out of the temple with seven golden bowls containing God’s wrath. “Then the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.” (15:8) In His mercy, God has given numerous opportunities for the hard-hearted to repent with partial judgements. Now, His wrath will be poured out in full measure. Jen Wilkin contends that no one can enter the temple because the time for the priests’ prayers of intercession for the people has come to a close.

While the notion of God’s final judgement makes us squirm with discomfort, we can’t take this out of context. Why is it so easy for us to feel critical of God’s wrath but so hard to tell others about Him? Keep in mind, the day of God’s wrath has not yet arrived; there is still time for us to pray for the lost and unrepentant. New Testament texts refer to all believers as priests (see 1 Peter 2:9), so interceding for others in prayer is meant to be a regular practice for us.  In his second epistle, Peter says, “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, CSB)  Jen Wilkin asks, “For whom are you praying regularly and fervently to know the Lord and to walk according to His statutes?” (105)

Revelation 16 moves into the vision of the bowls of wrath being poured onto the earth. As with other portions of Revelation, we see a recapitulation of some of the Egyptian plagues from Exodus that affect different domains of the earth: sky, land, and water.

The First Bowl: God’s wrath pours out on earth dwellers as “painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.”(16:2) The mark of the beast that previously enabled people to buy and sell now brings intense physical pain, much like the sixth plague in Exodus 9:8-12.

The Second and Third Bowls: Seas, rivers, and springs turn to blood. God brings justice for the martyred saints to the earth dwellers: “Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, you have given them blood to drink; they deserve it!” (16:6)

The Fourth Bowl: Affecting the heavens, this bowl allows people to be scorched with fire from intense heat of the sun. “So they blasphemed the name of God, who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.” (16:9b) Instead of recognizing God’s power and their need for Him, earth dwellers remain stubborn and hard-hearted, profaning His name.

The Fifth Bowl: An angel pours out his bowl and the world is plunged into darkness, just like the ninth plague in Exodus 10:21-21. “People gnawed their tongues because of their pain and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they did not repent of their works.” (16:1b-11) How often do we blame God for pain and refuse to acknowledge how sin in played a role in causing it? Being indignant with the Lord because we live in a fallen world shows a lack of understanding about the measures He has taken to redeem us:  “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17, CSB)

The Sixth Bowl: With the sixth bowl, the Euphrates River dries up “to prepare the way for the kings of the east.” Three unclean spirits that look like frogs emerge from the mouths of the dragon and the two beasts. “For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God the Almighty.” (16:14) John follows this vision with a warning from Jesus, “Look, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is alert and remains clothed so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame.” (16:15) Several parables and teachings of Jesus convey the importance of being prepared and alert for Jesus’ return including Matthew 22, 24 & 25. As believers, we demonstrate our readiness by walking in a manner worthy of our calling, as Paul describes, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV)

The Seventh Bowl: As an angel pours out the seventh bowl into the air, “a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying, ‘it is done!’” (16:17b) Following the voice, lightning, thunder, an earthquake, and hundred-pound hailstones pummel the earth. The city splits in three parts, Babylon falls as God gives “her the cup filled with the wine of his fierce anger.” (16:19) Still, people “blasphemed God for the plague of hail.” (16:21b) Pastor Matt Chandler explains, “God’s wrath is pure and sinless. His holiness incinerates anything that hasn’t been covered by the blood of Jesus. His holiness decimates unrighteousness.” Once God’s wrath ends, those delivered from it by Christ will live eternally lavished by God’s love.

Many of us are uncomfortable with the concept of a holy God exacting justice. But people choose God’s wrath by rejecting Him, despite the way He lovingly reaches out to humankind in every generation: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20, NIV)

Pastor Matt Chandler contends that God’s wrath poured out into the air is targeted at the enemy. Those who reject Christ are condemned alongside Him. For believers, it’s a different story: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:1-5, NIV). God makes His grace available, but those who choose to be disobedient and suppress the truth receive His wrath alongside the enemy of our souls.

Jesus says it this way: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:18-21, NIV)

Let’s continue to walk worthy of our calling in Christ and to respond with humble repentance when the Spirit convicts us of sin so we can live the life of flourishing God intended for us from the beginning.

Jen Wilkin, Revelation: Eternal King, Everlasting Kingdom, Lifeway Press, 2024.

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Matt Chandler, “Revelation: Seven Bowls- Week 9” sermon, The Village Church, April 12, 2021. Available on YouTube by clicking here.

Life in the Kingdom

If you’ve ever watched a show and taken a break between seasons, you know the value of the recap after the opening credits that says, “Previously on…”

Since we’ve had some time off, let’s do a quick review of where we left off in From Beginning to Forever by Elizabeth Woodson. Here are the highlights of Session 4 “A Divided Kingdom”: Joshua leads the Israelites into the promised land; judges rule over Israel until the people demand a king. Saul becomes the first king but loses God’s favor when he disobeys Him. David becomes the next king and, although he commits some major sins, he shows repentance and seeks God’s heart. Solomon succeeds David as king and is wise and wealthy, but unfaithful to the Lord by marrying Gentile women and worshipping their false gods. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, becomes king and the kingdom splits in two—Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Disobedience to God causes both nations to be taken captive and exiled at different times—the northern kingdom of Israel in Assyria and the southern kingdom of Judah in Babylon. After exile, those from the southern kingdom return and rebuild the temple and walls of Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Jewish people continue to struggle with disobedience and worship false gods in the years that follow. (Phew–we just covered a lot of ground!)

This week, we circle back to the same time period to examine the wisdom literature of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and all of the major and minor prophets in the Old Testament. These twenty-two books teach us what it means to live as people of God “during the in-between moments of joy, sorrow, anger, and celebration.” (Woodson, 98) With so much rich content in Elizabeth Woodson’s book, let’s pull out some key points that prompt personal reflection, soul searching, and prayer.

Job: Living in obedience to God doesn’t mean we avoid pain and suffering. The wisdom offered in the book of Job focuses on how we respond to hardship.  “Job’s story taught Israel, and also teaches us, that righteousness and suffering are not contradictory but two sides of the same coin.” (Woodson, 100) Often in our culture today, we see pain, hardships, challenges, and trials as “bad” because we’ve been taught to prize comfort and ease. But through Job and others in Scripture, we see pain and hardship are tools God uses for ultimate good.

Our reflex is to avoid pain or to numb ourselves in the midst of it. But, what if, instead of turning away, we leaned into it? What if we asked God what He wanted us to learn from it or how He wanted to reveal Himself through it? What if, instead of being angry or offended when we go through trials, we counted them as joy, just as James encourages us to do: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

Psalms: The 150 songs written by a variety of authors including David and Moses “don’t rush past emotion but give space for our gamut of emotions to be felt and expressed before the Lord…Whether the psalmist was expressing bitter sorrow or exuberant joy, he was ultimately leading the reader to worship the Lord. The life of flourishing is one fully engaged in the worship of God, even during the hardest seasons.” (Woodson, 101)

Is worshiping God the first response you have in difficult times of life? Do you believe true flourishing comes from obeying the Lord? If so, how has your life shown this to be true?

Proverbs: The thirty-one chapters of Proverbs show us “how to live God’s way in God’s world…[but they are] principles, not promises.” (Woodson, 103) Proverbs sets up contrasting ways to live—the way of wisdom or the way of folly. It shows that “Only by following Him can we be formed into the kind of people who experience true flourishing in His kingdom.” (Woodson, 104) If we want the blessing and benefit of living within God’s kingdom, our focus needs to be on aligning with His will, not expecting Him to do things our way.

What practices have you incorporated into your daily rhythms that keep you walking the path of wisdom and aligning with God’s will? When you veer into folly, what safeguards do you have in place to bring you back into the way of wisdom?

Ecclesiastes: This book’s author, Solomon, had all that life could give any one person—wealth, power, relationships, and wisdom. Yet, he “realized that ultimate meaning was not found in possessions, intellect, or experiences but in God.” (Woodson, 105)

Where are you prone to seek ultimate meaning in life other than God? What distracts you most from spiritual pursuits? How might the frustration, disappointment, resentment, fear, or hurt that you experience be an indicator that you’re seeking fulfillment in something other than the Lord?

Song of Songs: This series of love poems reveals a flourishing, vibrant relationship between a husband and wife. Elsewhere in Scripture we see that marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church. Intimacy, mutual submission, and willingness to serve one another reveal love on many levels.

How has our culture cheapened the sacredness of marriage and sexual flourishing? How are you tempted to buy into the “low view” of marriage as a legal contract instead of a holy covenant?

The Prophets: The seventeen books of prophecy that make up the last chunk of the Old Testament were written by “covenant enforcers” to urge the Israelites to “obey the covenant, reminding them of the blessings that would come from obedience and the curses from disobedience…They spoke of consequences but also gave Israel encouragement, reminding the people of the hope of their promised King.” (Woodson, 107) Prophets warned the people to return to God when they strayed before they were exiled, encouraged them to trust God and not lose hope during exile, and urged them to stay on track once they returned to Judah. In every season of Israel’s history, the prophets admonished the people not to engage in social injustice or idol worship. “God showed His patience through the message of the prophets, giving the Israelites a long time to repent and return to living as His people in obedience to the covenant. But He was also faithful, upholding the promises of judgement He made to Israel, even as far back as Moses.” (Woodson, 110)

In our culture, we are often quick to reject words of conviction or correction and react to the concept of God’s judgement by feeling offended (It’s not that different from the Israelites’ reaction to the prophets). We live in a period when truth is relative and based solely on feelings and opinions. But our choices to ignore God’s Word impact us and others. As my pastor likes to say, “sin splashes.” If we’re following Jesus, we need to be open and responsive to conviction. Rather than hiding our sin or making excuses, we need to follow the example of David and see confession and repentance as an opportunity to restore a right relationship with the Lord: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV) We need the wisdom and discernment to stand firm in a culture that tells us right and wrong are based on personal preference.

Do you float with the current of popular culture without considering where it differs from God’s ways? Do you know where you’re vulnerable to sin? Are you open to conviction and willing to be held accountable?

With so many questions in this post, one or two might have poked at you and made you uncomfortable. Consider stopping to pray and admit your feelings of conviction to God. Invite Him to speak to you and ask for His help to obey Him where you’ve veered off course. His mercies are new every morning and He’s always ready to hear your heart and help you realign with His.

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Elizabeth Woodson, From Beginning to Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of Scripture, Lifeway Press, 2022.

Rooted and Established

At the tender age of six, I was starting first grade at a new school. My family was in the process of moving to a town an hour away, but our new home wasn’t ready yet. So, my four older siblings and I spent the first six weeks of the school year commuting with our dad to our new schools. Every morning I woke up in the dark feeling utter dread. A lump would form in my throat and I’d fight back tears when my mom kissed me goodbye. As our station wagon rumbled down the freeway, the anxious butterflies in my stomach intensified with every mile. I dreaded being away from the comfort and security of my mom’s presence and felt untethered and cast adrift in a sea of unfamiliar faces at my new school.

My tearful departures didn’t let up until one day when my mom leaned down to hug me and said, “Even though I can’t be there with you, Jesus can. Just remember that He’s there holding your hand, no matter what.” Her words were such a comfort to me that my tears began to ebb. Every day after that I’d plead, “Tell me again, mom. Tell me about Jesus holding my hand.” Armed with that reassuring knowledge, the angst I’d felt soon faded. 

I’m grateful my mom used that emotional season to point me to Jesus, knowing His presence would comfort me when hers couldn’t. In the midst of my struggles, she taught me to change my perspective so that I could grow stronger and learn to trust Jesus for myself. Like a tree held firmly by deep roots, I learned that attaching myself to Him kept me secure, no matter what challenges I encountered. (See Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8 for other examples of this tree metaphor in Scripture.)

That story came to mind as I read Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3: “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV)

Here, Paul wraps up three chapters explaining our new identity as children of God and inclusion as fellow citizens with His chosen people. Now he prays we will grasp the magnitude of our new status and live like we believe it’s true. Being rooted and established in love means knowing who we are because we know WHOSE we are—beloved children of the King of Kings. Through the sacrifice of Christ, God did everything necessary to root us in Him; Paul prays that we would grasp this incredible truth with every fiber of our being.

The word “power” used in this translation is the Greek word “katalambano” which means: to take eagerly, seize, possess, apprehend, attain, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive.1 It “implies more than a mental understanding. It literally means ‘to take hold of something and make it one’s own.’ In order for the Ephesian Christians to truly understand the ‘love that surpasses knowledge,’ they needed to go beyond hearsay. This kind of comprehension is experiential. It requires us to take hold of a truth and define ourselves by it. Paul was encouraging them—and all saints everywhere—to meditate on what it means to be fully loved by God for the sake of Christ. He wanted them to grasp God’s love in all its fullness; to know … God’s love is all-encompassing, far exceeding our ability to comprehend. Its breadth and length and height and depth are staggering. It requires meditation, soul-searching, and honesty in order to draw near enough to God to comprehend His nature (James 4:8).”2

My “experiential knowledge” of God’s love began in first grade. The reassurance that Jesus was holding my hand gave me the comfort and security I longed to have. I’ve continued to build on my knowledge and experience since then– growing deeper roots in God’s love through prayer, studying Scripture, and practicing the way of Jesus.

How often do you marvel at the fullness of God’s love for you? How does knowing that He loves you beyond comprehension affect the way you view yourself and interact with others? Regardless of your answers, there’s always an opportunity to deepen your understanding and experience the Lord more fully. Consider spending time in prayer this week inviting God to expand your capacity to experience His love and to let it change your perspective.

Was this forwarded to you? You can receive new posts automatically in your inbox by going to www.marybethmccullum.com, entering your e-mail address and clicking “subscribe.”

Inspired by Ephesians: A Study of Faith and Practice by Jackie Hill Perry, Jasmine Holmes and Melissa Kruger, Lifeway Press, 2024.

1. Strong’s Concordance 2638 

2. Got Questions, “What Does It Mean to Comprehend the ‘Breadth, Length, Height, Depth’ in Ephesians 3:18?”