Nevermore put to shame?

[Momo-P]

Today I was reading from the book of Joel (Joel 2:26-27 is the specific spot), and one of the sentences got to me. Several times in the Bible, God tells Israel He won't put them to shame again or something along those lines.

Since God doesn't lie, can someone explain this to me? After all, it just doesn't make any sense. Since I can't recall every occurence of these events, some of them I wonder about (cuz aren't there ones where God clearly places an exception in there? Like "as long as you follow Me I will not put you to shame"), but in this one for example...

I also can't remember the exact book, maybe it was Jeremiah? But I'm pretty sure there's even an account where Israel themselves ignores the prophets warnings because "God said He wouldn't punish us again" and they take that to heart. Maybe it doesn't play exactly out like that, but I'm sure somebody knows what I'm talking about.

So can anyone explain? I suppose some of them might also be refering to the end of the world as a whole rather than Israel at that time and place, but it's so unclear sometimes.

[GhostontheNet]

Today I was reading from the book of Joel (Joel 2:26-27 is the specific spot), and one of the sentences got to me. Several times in the Bible, God tells Israel He won't put them to shame again or something along those lines.

Since God doesn't lie, can someone explain this to me? After all, it just doesn't make any sense. Since I can't recall every occurence of these events, some of them I wonder about (cuz aren't there ones where God clearly places an exception in there? Like "as long as you follow Me I will not put you to shame"), but in this one for example...

I also can't remember the exact book, maybe it was Jeremiah? But I'm pretty sure there's even an account where Israel themselves ignores the prophets warnings because "God said He wouldn't punish us again" and they take that to heart. Maybe it doesn't play exactly out like that, but I'm sure somebody knows what I'm talking about.

So can anyone explain? I suppose some of them might also be refering to the end of the world as a whole rather than Israel at that time and place, but it's so unclear sometimes.

In the Scriptures it is emphasized that most prophecy is conditional in nature, depending upon the character of the nation to which it is directed as to whether it is fulfilled or unfulfilled. As Jeremiah emphasizes:

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.

This theme comes to the forefront of the book of Jonah, in which God relents an oracle against Nineveh after the city repents. One of the perennial bad habits of the nation of Israel from that day to this is that it likes to grab onto the glorious promises of God while forgetting that they are conditional upon them being the kind of people that God intended them to be. To this end as they commit this particular folly in their history, they will prop up the symbols of the promises of God (like the Temple or prophecies of blessing) as idols in the place of God himself. This was certainly the way the prophets viewed the times they lived in.

[termyt]

Well said, Ghost.

Every one of God's promises is predicated by the need for some action. His promises of goodness and mercy are directed at those who love Him; His promises of punishment and damnation on those who refuse Him. While we live, we are afforded every opportunity to switch camps.

This is not just an Old Testament thing, either. To follow God requires action. Truly, it is by our faith in Jesus Christ through grace of God that we are saved, but faith with out action is worthless (James 2:14-26). We will not even be forgiven of our sins if we refuse to forgive others (Matt 6:9-15, AKA the Lord’s Prayer).

In the parable of the talents, what happened to the on who was given one talent and buried it?

Of course, we will all fail at some point or another. Perhaps we will even fail more often then succeeding. That’s where grace comes in – to cover our failures, not our inaction.