Demonstrating God's Character in Conflict and Disagreement
God's character is revealed in various ways during times of conflict and disagreement, often demonstrating both his justice and his mercy. The Bible presents God as a judge who resolves disputes and makes known his laws [1]. This judicial role is evident when God brings judgments upon nations and individuals, which are understood to originate from him [2]. These judgments can manifest in different forms, such as pestilence, famine, or the sword [2].
However, God's involvement in conflict is not solely punitive. He is also depicted as a divine warrior who intervenes on behalf of his people [3]. In this capacity, he can use elements like pestilence and plague as "soldiers in God’s army" to fulfill his purposes [3]. The prophet Habakkuk, for instance, personifies these as agents of God's will [3]. Even when God appears to fight against his people, as seen in Lamentations, where "he has become their enemy, and fights against them," this is often understood as a form of chastisement rather than pure destruction [6]. Matthew Henry notes that the emphasis in such passages is on God's hand in the calamities, indicating his active involvement in their suffering [6].
God's character also includes a willingness to engage in "controversy" or a "cause at issue" with humanity, inviting people to "produce your cause" and "bring forth your strong reasons" [4, 8]. This suggests a God who is open to dialogue and justification of his actions, as seen in his reasoning with Cain to prevent further sin [7].
Furthermore, conflict can serve as a means of purification and testing for the righteous. God is described as a "divine metallurgist, using fire to burn the dross out of metal," refining his people like gold [9]. This process restores the broken covenant relationship between God and Israel [9]. While Jesus' ministry demands a decision that can divide even families, indicating a form of conflict arising from commitment to God, God is ultimately presented as the "God of peace" who desires to establish peace among his people [5, 10].
Sources
- Exodus “Exodus 18:16 (BSB) — “Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.””
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Judgments — Are from God -- De 32:39; Job 12:23; Am 3:6; Mic 6:9. Different kinds of Blotting out the name. -- De 29:20. Abandonment by God. -- Ho 4:17. Cursing men's blessings. -- Mal 2:2. Pestilence. -- De 28:21,22; Am 4:10. Enemies. -- 2Sa 24:13. Famine. -- De 28:38-40; Am 4:7-9. Famine of hearing the word. -- Am 8:11. The sword. -- Ex 22:24; Jer 19:7. Captivity. -- De 28:41; Eze 39:23. Continued sorrows. -- Ps 32:10; 78:32,33; Eze 24:23. Desolation. -- Eze 33:29; Joe 3:19. Destruction. -- Job 31:3; Ps 34:16; Pr 2:22; Isa 11:4. Inflicted upon Nations. -- Ge 15:14;”
- Habakkuk (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Habakkuk 3:5: 3:5-6 God is the divine warrior who intervenes on behalf of his own (see 3:8-15; see also Isa 63:1-6). 3:5 Habakkuk personifies pestilence (see Deut 32:24) and plague (see Exod 7–12; Amos 4:10) as soldiers in God’s army, fulfilling his purposes.”
- Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 25:31: controversy--cause at issue (Mic 6:2). plead with all flesh-- (Isa 66:16). God shows the whole world that He does what is altogether just in punishing.”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 12:51: 12:51-53 I have come to divide people: Jesus’ ministry demands a decision for or against God that divides even family members.”
- Lamentations (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Lamentations 2:1: It is a very sad representation which is here made of the state of God's church, of Jacob and Israel, of Zion and Jerusalem; but the emphasis in these verses seems to be laid all along upon the hand of God in the calamities which they were groaning under. The grief is not so much that such and such things are done as that God has done them, that he appears angry with them; it is he that chastens them, and chastens them in wrath and in his hot displeasure; he has become their enemy, and fights against them; and this, this is the wormwood and the gall in the af”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 4:6: God is here reasoning with Cain, to convince him of the sin and folly of his anger and discontent, and to bring him into a good temper again, that further mischief might be prevented. It is an instance of God's patience and condescending goodness that he would deal thus tenderly with so bad a man, in so bad an affair. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Thus the father of the prodigal argued the case with the elder son (Luk 15:28, etc.), and God with those Israelites who said, The way of the Lord is not equal, Eze 18:2”
- Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 41:21: Produce your cause, saith the Lord,.... The Lord having comforted his people under their afflictions and persecutions from their enemies in the first times of Christianity, returns to the controversy between him and the idolatrous Heathens, and challenges them to bring their cause into open court, and let it be publicly tried, that it may be seen on what side truth lies: bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob; or King of saints, the true Israel of God, who acknowledge the Lord as their King and their God, and whom he rules over, protects and defen”
- Zechariah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zechariah 13:9: 13:9 Fire is a metaphor for God’s judgment (see Isa 66:15; Jer 4:4; Ezek 36:5; Amos 5:6). God’s fire may either destroy the wicked or, as here, test and purify the righteous. • refine them . . . like gold: God is the divine metallurgist, using fire to burn the dross out of metal (Isa 1:25; Mal 3:2-3). • These are my people . . . The Lord is our God: The declarations of loyalty by God and Israel restore their broken covenant relationship (Zech 11:10, 14; see Exod 19:5; Jer 30:22; 31:33; Hos 2:23).”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 15:33: The God of peace be with you - The whole object of the epistle is to establish peace between the believing Jews and Gentiles, and to show them their mutual obligations, and the infinite mercy of God to both; and now he concludes with praying that the God of peace - he from whom it comes, and by whom it is preserved - may be for ever with them. The word Amen, at the end, does not appear to have been written by the apostle: it is wanting in some of the most ancient MSS. 1. In the preceding chapters the apostle enjoins a very hard, but a very important and necessary, ”