So the soldiers turned over both the captives and the plunder to the leaders and the people. Personally designated men gathered the captives together, dressed the ones who were naked using clothing from the stores of plunder, put shoes on their feet, gave them all a square meal, provided first aid to the injured, put the weak ones on donkeys, and then escorted them to Jericho, the City of Palms, restoring them to their families. — 2 Chronicles 28:14-15 The Message
On more than one occasion in the Bible, the conquering army was told to go easy on the captives. This is one of them. The defeated nation was being punished for the sins of the king and of the people. But the conquering nation went too far. A prophet met the victors and said, in essence, "God gave you the victory. But, if you rub it in, you’re next in line for trouble."
The attacks of September 11, 2001 were terrible tragedies. But they could have been much, much worse. In New York, those two towers are normally occupied by about 50,000 people, and depending on how the towers fell, the death toll could have been close to 100,000. Each one of the 2,752 people who perished is of incalculable value. But it was the hand of God that kept the number as small as it was.
It is God Himself who puts boundaries on judgments and disasters. This is important. God has not ceased to be in control, just because things go terribly wrong. In wrath, God does remember mercy. And in a fallen world, God does put up barriers to halt a mudslide of evil.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
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