Discipline vs. Wrath

Recently, I've been reading through the book of Ezekiel.  As a prophet who lived during the exile of Judah and the destruction of Israel, Ezekiel saw a lot of tragedy and death.  Most of us would have broken down and quit if we had witnessed the sorts of things this man of God went through daily.  But even with the difficult, and sometimes laughable things he was called to do, Ezekiel remained faithful. 

His message was simple: the nation of Israel had sold herself out to the surrounding nations for protection, rather than trusting in her God.  She began to live like them, fight like them, and even worship their gods, all in the name of safety.  In response to this, God was going to allow the great nation of Babylon (present day Iraq) to destroy and enslave her.  The other surrounding nations would have a part in this punishment as well. 

About three-quarters of the way through this book, Ezekiel's message from the Lord shifts.  It goes from being about the wrath and punishment of God to his grace and desire for his people to repent and receive life again.  In Ez. 37, we find the breathtaking image of the army of dead bones being raised to life.  But for the neighboring nations, the future is not so bright.  Tyre, Sidon and even Egypt will all be destroyed by the wrath of God. So what's the difference? Why restoration for Israel, but destruction for the others?

Hebrews 12: 4-7 tells us that suffering and trial serve as discipline for those who the Lord loves and has called. Israel had to suffer and be deported if they were ever going to see what they had been missing and how drastic their sin was.  It was God's way of refining and disciplining his people.  In the end, if they called out to him in repentence, the end result was going to be restoration and healing.  But for the surrounding nations who never would worship the only true King of the universe, their suffering was judgment and wrath for their wickedness.  God calls both sides wicked at times.  The difference is that one of them was going to receive a heart of flesh and a new spirit, while the others would stay calloused and evil in their ways. Discipline vs. Wrath.

Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do bad things happen at all?  How could a loving God allow such events and situations to happen when people apparently don't deserve it? This has become clear to me... The question isn't whether or not you and I will suffer, or even why we will suffer the ways we do.  The question, rather, is what side will we be on when we do?  If wrath, then the punishment is truly our fault in the first place. But God is still loving, because he wouldn't punish if he didn't care. If discipline, then God is clearly loving because he is using the suffering to change us and mold us into the men and women he's called us to be.  The final question: will we love him through the trials or blame him and turn away?  In the end, that is up to us.