Doom comes swiftly

“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.'” ^ESV Deuteronomy 32:35

“'Boom,' it busted off and I saw him clawing for the edge with a startled look on his face, and then he disappeared.” That’s how a fellow climber described the sudden accident that took the life of his climbing partner, Joe Bohling, to KGW news of Portland.

A group had climbed to the top of Mt. St. Helens and paused for a picturesque photo at the rim. Unbeknownst to them their friend was perched on a precarious snow cornice that would give way suddenly and take his life in an instant. A navy helicopter would recover his body the next day. In an instant triumph turned to tragedy; “doom comes swiftly.”

Jonathan Edwards, an 18^th century preacher considered by many to be the greatest theologian the United States has ever produced, is perhaps best known by his harshest sermon; “Sinners in the Hands of an angry God.” Speaking of sinful men, Edwards used the text above in the sermon to point out that there will come a time, often suddenly and without warning, “when their foot shall slip” and they will meet their doom and the wrath of an angry God.

Now, I realize that the notion of hell is not one that will endear me to our modern culture. But the bible seems to me to be quite clear on the matter. Hell is much more than some theoretical place where souls simply cease to exist. Hell is a place of never ending torment and yet we carry on in our daily lives as if hell did not exist at all. We carry on as if we should have all the time in the world to be reconciled to God; tomorrow perhaps. Yet each day we stand on a slippery slope. Each day we are perched on a precarious snow cornice that may give way, much to our surprise, at any moment.

Edwards also points out, oddly enough, that it is the very hand of God that sustains us each and every day. It is the very hand of God that keeps our feet from slipping immediately—today. It is the very hand of God that grants us another day in which to seek reconciliation with him through Christ, his son. If not for the great mercies, patience and love of God, we would never have an opportunity to repent and believe the good news of Christ! Yet Christians and sinners alike live as though there will always be a tomorrow.

A day will come when your foot will slip and death will overtake you. Will you slip into the wrath of God or be welcomed home?