"The Earth Was Filled With Violence"

Today's world is pervaded by violence.

So were the first 2,000 years of human history, as summarized in Gen. 4 to 6. Early in that period Cain became the world's first murderer, soon to be followed by Lamech who boasted of his even greater violence. Towards the end of the second millennium God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them" (6:13). About 1,000 years later, David wrote in Psalm 11:

"The LORD, His throne is in heaven;

His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.

The LORD trieth the righteous:

But the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth".

To Cain God said, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground". At one phase of Israel's history their land was said to be polluted with blood" (Psa. 106:38). As God views present-day conditions in His world, how grieved He must be to see many areas similarly defiled with bloodshed!

This feature seems to have developed worldwide, regardless of cultural or political distinctions. At grass-roots level is the increased violence among young offenders, often associated with gang warfare, muggings, break-ins and the like. In Western society, where youngsters are often exposed to television programmes featuring violence for entertainment, there is little wonder that similar behavioural patterns emerge in real life. Against a quite different cultural background, however, there is complaint of similar decadence. China has long cultivated for itself the image of a peace-loving society which had successfully eradicated much of the violent crime so typical of the capitalist West. Now reports confirm a nation-wide crime wave, including serious criminal activities among young people.

From a scriptural viewpoint it is evident that refusal to have God in their knowledge leaves many to their own reprobate mind, "being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity" (Rom. 1:29). Where the fear of God no longer obtains, there is no sense of ultimate accountability; hearts harden to fulfil every vile deed, and so often "their feet are swift to shed blood" (Rom. 3:15).

The dramatic growth of terrorist techniques over recent decades has given a sensational new dimension to exercises in violence - hi-jacking of planes or trains, hostage taking, kidnapping, embassy seizures. Sometimes the motive has been simply to extract financial gain. More often it has been for the promotion of some political cause. Turin is one city which has been greatly affected; it has been described as "Italy's capital of terror". A recent report states: "Within the past two years terrorists have killed four policemen, two prison guards, two Fiat executives, two students, a judge, a journalist and a bartender. Scores of other victims have been knee-capped. The hits come in broad daylight for maximum psychological impact". A similar pattern of terrorism has been applied in parts of West Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Turkey, as well as in certain countries of Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

It was the Lord Jesus who predicted that "as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matt. 24:37). So we may expect the characteristics of society before the Flood to be repeated at the time of the end, that final phase of human history before the Lord Jesus comes as Son of Man to take His power and reign. Once again violence will fill the earth. Already in these last days of the age of grace we are witnessing a phenomenal growth of violence throughout the world. We await the return of the Lord to the air for His Church. When this has taken place, removing the influence of so many believers, the condition of society will still further deteriorate.

In today's society we may often be sickened by the readiness with which man sheds the blood of his fellow-men. Nevertheless we look forward with joyful hope to that coming era of Messiah's rule, when the blood of even the poor and needy will be valued by Him:

"He shall have pity on the poor and needy,

And the souls of the needy He shall save.

He shall redeem their soul from oppression and violence;

And precious shall their blood be in His sight" (Psa. 72:13,14).

Meantime we are left in no doubt as to what our attitude as believers should be in this trouble-torn world. For our Master was Himself the victim of injustice and violence: "By oppression and judgement He was taken away... and they made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth" (Isa. 53:8,9). Moreover, "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps... who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (1 Pet. 2:21-23). Christian example in the spirit of the Master will have far-reaching influence, as will the intercession of believers before God on behalf of many affected so grievously by modern outbursts of violence.

unknown | Sept 1980
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