Retribution Theology

god delivered the children of Israel out of the Egyptians abusive hands and gave them the Ten Commandments. These rules were given to live by and form an ever tolerateing family with their theology. But, if they failed to keep their end of the bargain, immortal would leave to punish them. Retribution theology is the belief that those who are obedient to perfection are called righteous and testament be blessed, while those that are robustious are wicked and will be cursed (Tullock 2006). From the beginning of hejira and beyond the Babylonian Exile, retribution theology was prevalent in the lives of Israel.The senior Testament writings reiterate immortals faithfulness towards Israel. The oldish Testament indicates that Gods rectitude was specially revealed to Israel in the scene of His redeeming and delivering His people from bondage, (Bahnsen 1980). But before Moses, God established an categorical covenant with Abram when he practiseed Him. God changed Abrams name to Ab raham and told him that his descendants would stimulate the land of Canaan forever. I will define of you a smashing nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 122, NRSV).These descendants became known as Israel and aft(prenominal) 500 years of being Gods chosen people, they became the slaves of the Egyptians. Since God is faithful and Israel was His people, He had to remove them from the oppression of Pharaoh. In a theophany, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and commissioned him to deliver the children of Israel. in one case God freed them and provided them an escape route, under the leadership of Moses, He endowed them with the law and His blessings. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured will power out of all the peoples. (Exodus 195, NRSV). After freeing them, God provided them with the center for remaining freed and receiving His provisions. In spite of their delivera nce, the Israelites problems did non end with their exodus from Egypt. They suffered many trials and tribulations, but from the hand of the God who had promised to bless them (Deffinbaugh 1976). Because of their murmuring, complaining, and unbelief, God allowed Israel to walk rough in the wilderness for forty years. This was literally only a terce day journey.In addition, God never intended for Israel to have to foment their way into the Promised Land He wanted them to have faith and obey Him. Again, because of their disobedience, God allowed them to suffer the consequences of sin. God called Israel to be righteous before Him. duty was what the people were to be and to do because of God. It meant to be in the right relationship with God, and to act accordingly in the world based on that deterrent example relationship. He blessed Israel out of His love and cursed out of His accountability or holiness (Deffinbaugh 1976).To be righteous was to have the teaching of God in ones hea rt, to know and to understand the occasions of God. While the edge could be used to describe ethical actions in the world, the primary focalise of righteousness was toward God, what the people were in relation to God. Righteousness was the peoples relationship to God based on the fact, that I am your God. Therefore, God felt that He had every right to curse them when they were disobedient to His covenant. The freshman commandment God gave Israel was to have no other(a) gods before Him because He was the one true God.Clearly, God knew and acknowledged that there were other gods or objects the people in that time worshipped. But He had proven to the Hebrew people that He was their deliverer, provider, and their God. The second commandment said not to make for themselves any type of idol, that God was jealous, and that He showed mercy to those that loved Him and unploughed His commandments. Now, He revealed His nature and how He was to be honored. It was only right, vertical a nd healthy that they worshipped and obeyed Him. There did not seem to be any secrets or mysteries on what God expected from Israel.But, Israel just could not stop worshipping idols. They continue to worship Baal, the god of sun, rain, thunder, fertility, and agriculture despite the prophets warnings. Many prophets such as Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, and Micah warned Israel of their wickedness and the consequences. When Israel became a nation, Gods law of righteousness did not change. He still expected them to obey His word. Gods subject field blessings and cursings were conditional as well. If a nation repented of its sin and turned to God, its peril judgment could be prevented.If a nation turned from God, its promised blessings would be interpreted away. Many forms of divine retribution can fall on a human life which is worse than immediate wipeout. In fact, Jeremiah made just such a complaint about the punishment inflicted on capital of Israel (Lam. 46, 9). One might think also of King Saul, whose last days were burdened with such mental and emotional turmoil that death itself was a kind of release. 1030-31. No one should regard such a warning as an idle threat. God Himself has claimed the right to pay off vengeance and to judge His people.In saying this, the author quoted twice from Deuteronomy (3235-36), a chapter which most vividly evokes the picture of Gods people injury His retributive judgments (cf. esp. Deut. 3219-27). Those familiar with this text, as well as other descriptions of Gods wrath against His people, agree it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Not only did God shape in that manner of retribution theology, but Israel believed that if you obeyed the law, you would prosper. If you didnt obey the law, you would suffer.