TITLES OF GOD: JEHOVAH-MAKKEH, THE LORD WHO SMITES
DR. JIM DIXON
EZEKIEL 7:9
DECEMBER 10, 1989
Almost two months ago, an earthquake struck the city of San Francisco, this earthquake by some accounts measured 7.1 on the Richter. Dozens of lives were lost. Property damage totaled hundreds of millions of dollars, all over this nation it was called a disaster. We use the word disaster in a variety of ways. We give it great flexibility, a wide range of application. We use the word disaster to describe a big, excuse me, a bad earthquake. We use it to describe a bad meal. The word disaster comes from the Latin word “astrum” or “aster”, which means “star” because you see, a long time ago, people really believed that the stars caused disaster. They believed that the stars so influenced the world and the events of this world as to bring calamity. And they believed that the stars caused all types of calamity. When someone was physically ill and they had a fever and aches and chills, they called it influenza because they believed the stars were influencing the physical body. When somebody was mentally ill, they said that person was a lunatic because they believed that person’s mind was being influenced in a negative way by the moon smitten, smitten by the moon, lunar influenced.
Because of these things, they began to divide the heavens and survey the stars then began to chart horoscopes and people began to try to live their lives in accordance with what they believed were the influence of the stars in order that they might not be smitten. Incredibly, today, in the latter portion of the 20th century, millions of people in this nation and hundreds of millions around the world still read their horoscopes, hoping that the stars will not smite them. Of course, today scientists understand that earthquakes are really caused by shifting of continental plates along fault or rupture lines. The flu is really caused by viral infection and mental illness has nothing to do with the moon or lunar influences.
As Christians living in the latter portion of the 20th century, hopefully we understand the stars do not smite, but what about God? What about God? Does God smite, does God bring disaster? Does he ever cause calamity?
The Bible’s answer is clear. The Bible’s answer is yes. God is Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smites. And God wants us to understand that normally disaster is not caused by him. Disaster may be caused, I would say is normally caused, by simply the reality that we live in a fallen world. Sometimes disasters caused by our own stupidity, the things we do. Other times disaster is caused by Satan and by his affliction. But sometimes, the Bible wants us to understand, God wants us to understand sometimes God does smite.
I have two teachings this morning with respect to this difficult subject, and the first is this, God smites the unbelieving. See, even a brief glimpse of scripture reveals the truth. God smites the unbelieving. God did not forbear forever the iniquity of the world in the days of Noah, but he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. God did not forbear forever the depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah, but he reduced those cities to ashes and to this day, they are buried beneath the Dead Sea. God did not forbear forever the rebellion of Korah and his 250 followers, but God opened up the earth and they were swallowed. They died in the belly of the earth and the 10,000 people who heard them and heeded them were smitten of God by plague. God did not forbear forever the treachery of Jezebel, but in fulfillment of prophetic utterance, the flesh of her body was literally ripped from the bone by a pack of wild dogs.
And perhaps you say these are Old Testament references to the wrath of God, but we see a different God in the New Testament. God wants you to understand that the God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. There’s not a schizophrenic God in the Bible. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that it was our Lord Jesus Christ himself who pronounced judgment on the city of Capernaum and judgment on the city of Chorazin and judgment on the city of Bethsaida. And all three of those cities were destroyed. And archeologists tell us that they remain in ruin to this day.
It was our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who pronounced judgment upon the city of Jerusalem for its unbelief. And he said that the city would be destroyed. Not one stone of the temple would be left upon another. And that generation did not pass away before the Roman legions of Titus swept over the city, destroyed it, and not one stone of the temple was left upon another.
It was God who struck down Ananias and Sapphira as recorded in the book of Acts in the New Testament. And it is God. It is God whose wrath will be poured out upon the nations in the final time of tribulation at the consummation of this age. As recorded in the book of Revelation at the close of the New Testament, the Bible says, “Behold, he’s coming with the clouds. Every eye shall see him. Everyone who pierced him, and all the nations shall cry out on account of him.” The Bible says, “He shall smite the earth with a rod of his mouth and with a breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked.” Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smites.
Whatever happened to “God is love”? The Bible does say, “God is love.” God does love every person in this world because God loves, he forbears. He forbears sin, he forbears iniquity, not willing or wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. He forbears sin, he forbears iniquity because he loves. But you see the Bible also says, “God is just.” God is just, and because he’s just, he cannot forbear sin. He cannot forbear iniquity forever. Ultimately there must be moral accountability if there is justice in this universe.
Jehovah-Makkeh, and one day God will judge the nations. One day God will judge this nation. One day God will judge America. And I don’t know how you feel about that, but I’m worried because you see this nation is morally eroding. Pornography is a multimillion-dollar business in the United States today. Illegal drug trafficking a multimillion-dollar business in America. More than a million marriages end in divorce every year in this nation. And it’s been that way for 15 years in a row. More than a million babies are aborted in the United States every year. I hope you understand, 98% of these abortions have nothing to do with danger to the life of the mother. 98% of these abortions have nothing to do with rape or incest. The overwhelming majority of these abortions are belated efforts of birth control. 80% of these abortions involve single women. And I got to tell you, I have to tell you, God grieves, I don’t want to lay a guilt trip on you. Whatever you’ve done, God loves you, but God grieves.
Homosexuality is not only legal in America, but it is condoned, and it is increasingly approved of. It’s reaching the point in this country where if you speak against the practice of homosexual behavior, you’re considered a prejudiced bigot. God loves everybody. He loves gay people and he loves straight people, but he warns us. Do not take what I’ve called wrong and call it right. We must always be faithful to call sin, sin.
Sexual fidelity in America has been replaced with what is called safe sex. I think we’ve reached the point in this country where most people are motivated by materialism and hedonism, the pride of life. Not so much by love of God or compassion for men and women.
Billy Graham says if God doesn’t smite America soon, he’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. I don’t know how you feel, but I love this country. There’s still a lot of good in America. I love the freedoms upon which this nation was founded. But you see, we have perverted freedom to license. Grace to licentiousness, and we need to get down on our knees and pray for revival in our land that God might heal this nation.
God wants us to understand that he will not only judge nations, he will judge individuals because he is Jehovah-Makkeh. And perhaps this is what’s really most important to you. God judges individuals, he’s going to judge you. He’s going to judge me.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Uzziah. Uzziah was king of Judah in the eighth century before Christ. He’s a great king. He built Judah agriculturally into a great nation. He built Judah militarily. The armies of Judah reached their greatest strength during the reign of Uzziah. He rebuilt the walls of the holy city of Jerusalem and he made the holy city great once again. And he conquered nations, he conquered the Philistines, and he conquered the Arabians and he expanded the boundaries of the empire and nations of the earth feared him so much so that they paid him and hoped that he might leave them alone. And the people shouted, “Great Uzziah, king of Judah!”
The problem was Uzziah began to believe this about himself. He began to believe he really was great. In the beginning, he viewed all blessing as from God’s hand. But as time passed, he began to believe he was blessed by his own hand and he began to think of himself as truly great. And he began to be swollen with conceit. And the prophets of Judah warned him to repent and he would not heed, he would not repent. And the years went by. And finally, in his arrogance, he decided to enter the temple in Jerusalem and desecrate it, usurping the priestly function. And Azariah and 80 priests came to him and warned him he would be smitten of God and he refused to heed. And he was appalled at their arrogance that they would even question his authority, the greatest authority on the earth. And he went into the temple and he desecrated it and the judgment of God fell up upon him and spots begin to form on his forehead. And he was smitten with leprosy. And the remainder of his life was tragic as he was banished from the fellowship of men and women lived in isolation and his body rotted until it was placed in the earth. In the Bible, in II Corinthians 26:20, it summarizes the life of Isaiah with five words. “The Lord had smitten him.” The Lord had smitten him. Jehovah-Makkeh.
And why did God smite him? Biblically, the answer is clear. You see, Uzziah wouldn’t accept the reign of God. He wanted to reign over his own heart over his own life. He wanted to sit on his own throne. He was king of Judah. He wanted to be king of kings. He would not embrace the reign of God. The Bible says there’s really only two types of people in the world, those who accept the reign of God and those who reject the reign of God. Those who accept the reign of God and those who want to reign over their own heart over their own life. There are only two types of people in this sanctuary this morning. Those of you who embrace the reign of God and those of you who want to reign over your own heart and your own life.
You see the gospel is an invitation, an invitation to receive the reign of God through his Son Jesus Christ, who is King of Kings. God wants you to understand heaven is not a democracy. It’s a kingdom. If you want to reign over your own heart, if you want to reign over your own life, God will give you that eternal opportunity but that condition, the Bible calls hell. Jehovah-Makkeh.
God loves you. If you’re a believer this morning, God still loves you. He loves you in the midst of your unbelief. Perhaps in this life he will not smite you. And even if he does smite you, in all likelihood, it’s because he wants to warn you, to draw you to himself that you would not perish, but that you had reached repentance. But he warns us, he will not forbear forever our unbelief, he is Jehovah-Makkeh.
Secondly and finally, another teaching which is briefer, but perhaps more difficult. God smites the believing. He not only smites the unbelieving, he smites the believing. When he revealed this title, Jehovah-Makkeh, he didn’t reveal it to the nations. He didn’t reveal it to the unbelieving, he revealed it to Israel. He revealed it to his own people. He revealed it to the people of the covenant. “I am Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smiteth thee.”
It is safe to say the people of Israel love the titles of God. They love to call him Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord our provider. They love to call him Jehovah-Rohi, the Lord our shepherd. They love to call him Jehovah-Rophi, the Lord our healer, our physician. Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our victory. I think it’s safe to say they didn’t like this title. Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smites.
You see, God reveals this title in Ezekiel seven, and then in Ezekiel nine, God says that judgment must begin in the sanctuary. “I am Jehovah-Makkeh and judgment begins in the sanctuary.” It reminds us of what God has said in the New Testament when he says judgment begins in the house of God. God is concerned with the morality of the world, but he’s far more concerned with the morality of his people. He’s far more concerned with the sanctuary, with the house of God. He’s more concerned with the Church of Christ. He calls us to obedience, and he takes it seriously.
There’s a lot of immorality in the world. Take the Denver Broncos for instance. Much has been said regarding the behavior of some of the Broncos, a minority. DUIs, solicitation, assault. Articles have been written in the local media and around the nation calling the Broncos to clean up their act. Some people who write these articles, you can tell really believe they’re serving God. I have to smile just a little. I mean it would be nice if the Broncos cleaned up their act. But reality is God is far more concerned with the morality of his church. Far more concerned with your morality, with my morality, the morality of those who are called by his name. The morality of Christians.
Sometimes people ask me, sometimes I get letters asking, how come so many people at CHCC, how come so many people at Cherry Hills Community Church don’t take Jesus Christ seriously? How come? How come so many people at this church do not obey the word? Cheat in business? Open the gift of sex before marriage and outside of marriage. How come so many drink too much and swear too much? I get letters that actually ask that. Always wonder how can they stereotype a whole congregation? I always wonder, how do they know so much about the behavior of so many? But I must confess to you, I don’t know. I don’t know how serious you are about Jesus Christ. I can tell you this. You’re welcome here, whoever you are, you’re welcome here. If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, if you don’t believe in Him as Lord and Savior, quite frankly, we’re not as much concerned with your morality as we are with your salvation. We long to see you reach the point where you’ll embrace Christ as Lord and Savior and you’ll give your life to him and invite him to come and sit on the throne of your life. But until you’ve received him as Lord, we don’t expect you to obey his commands. But you see, if you’re a Christian, if you really believe in Christ as Lord and Savior and you call yourself by his name, Christian, we warn you. He’s Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smites, he takes sin seriously, holiness seriously. And if there’s sin in your life, some continuing known sin, and you call Christ Lord, he wants you to repent today. Today he wants you to repent.
There are all kinds of sin, all kinds of sin. There are sins of commission when we do things God has told us not to do. And there are sins of omission when we don’t do the things God has told us to do. And God loves us as Christians. He warns us. He will discipline us when we go astray. He will not forbear forever our iniquity. You know, you look in the Bible, you see all kinds of glimpses of the fact that God does smite the believing. He says to us, honor your mother and father. That commandment is not simply given to children, but to people of all ages. Honor your mother and father, whoever you are, you should honor your mother and father. Even if they’ve passed away, you should honor their memory and you should honor them before others. He says, “Honor your mother and father that it may go well with you. You may live long on the earth.” The implication is if you don’t honor your mom and dad, might be a little smiting there, might not go so well for you, might not live so long on the earth.
He says, husbands honor your wives. He says, “Husbands live considerately with your wives, bestowing honor upon the woman as joint heirs of the grace of life.” He says, in order that your prayers may not be hindered, and the implication is if you do not honor your wife as a husband, there might be some smiting there. He tells us to tithe and he warns us if we’re not faithful. “Will men rob God?” he says, but you say, “How are we robbing you? In your tithes and in your offerings? You are robbing me. You are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me.” Put me to the test, says the Lord God., “See if I will not open up the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”
Now you see, God wants us to be motivated by love above all else. He doesn’t want us to be motivated by fear. He wants us as Christians to be motivated by love. And he loves us, loves us so much. He died for us. And this is love. Not that we loved him, but that he loved us and gave his life for us. And he says, if you love me, Jesus Christ says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” He wants us to be motivated by love. And if that’s not enough, he promises blessing for our obedience. “I’ll open up the windows of heaven for you, pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” But, you see, if love isn’t enough and if blessing isn’t enough, he warns us. I am Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smites and his smiting of believers is different than his smiting of unbelievers. He does not seek justice in the life of a believer. Christ was smitten for us on Calvary’s cross, justice has already been satisfied. God’s not trying to get even with you if you’re a Christian, not trying make you pay. When he smites, it’s always loving discipline. But he might correct the errs of your way and bring you back into a pathway of blessing. He wants to mold you and shape you not get even with you. And if you believe this, you’ll praise God that he is Jehovah-Makkeh.
You know my favorite, one of my favorite passages and with this we will close, Hebrews Chapter 12:1-11. “Since therefore, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us set aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated to the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself that you may not grow weary or fainthearted for in your struggle against sin, you’ve not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses us sons saying, my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor lose courage when you are chastised by him, for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and he chastises every son that he receives. It’s for discipline that you must endure. God is treating you like sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you’re left without discipline in which all have participated then you are illegitimate children and not sons. And besides this, we have had earthly parents to discipline us and we respected them. Should we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live. Our earthly parents disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, he disciplines us for our good that we might share his holiness. For the moment, for the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” I’m Jehovah-Makkeh, the Lord who smites. Let’s close with the word of prayer.