“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His foes and vents His wrath against his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” Nahum 1:2-3
Verses such as the ones mentioned above can be frightening. They can also be very comforting. If we experience the salvation that is freely available to all in Jesus Christ, then we can have the security and confidence that we are free from all condemnation. Yet, God continues to be a God of justice, both in eternal matters and in day-to-day operations. This is comforting in the sense that God will ensure that evil is dealt with.
When I was a teenager, someone did something that was wrong that did not sit well with me at all. It hurt me to the point of me wanting to take vengeance. I wanted this person to hurt like I did. I remember talking to my dad about it and he told me, “Vengeance belongs to God. Leave it in His hands.” This was hard for me to accept at the time, but I did. Looking back, I am really glad that I did. I could have made a whole lot more trouble for myself and done harm to another.
Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
God sees all and knows all. He is a God of grace and also a God of justice.
The Apostle Paul lived with this truth in mind. In 2 Timothy 4:14, Paul writes to his mentee, Timothy, and tells him, “Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.” Paul did not take the matter into his own hands and seek to inflict harm on Alexander in the way that Alexander had harmed Paul. He left the matter in God’s hands, the best hands for the matter to be in.
If someone has harmed you, pray for them. The Bible teaches to bless those who persecute you. Trust that God has seen what happened and will deal with it as He sees fit. He is more than capable and has told us that He will execute justice. Let this truth give you peace and empower you to keep on doing good and not take vengeance into your own hands.