Anyone who has ever been camping knows it usually rains. When I was a kid there were trips to Taylor Lake where it rained the whole time we were there. We went fishing in the rain, swimming in the rain, sat huddled around the fire and made s’mores in the rain, and otherwise had kind of a miserable time cooped up in our pop-up camper when the rain came harder.
Don’t get me started on mosquitoes. One of the last trips we had the pests were so bad we fought to have the seat where the campfire smoke blew. THAT should keep ‘em away. (It didn’t.)
On many of our camping trips we’d stay in the camper if it was raining. After all, it’ll blow over in a few minutes, or maybe an hour or two. Even if we have to wait until tomorrow to go out on the lake, that’s okay. We’ll stay dry today, go fishing or swimming tomorrow.
SIDEBAR: I’ve always wondered why we’d wait for a dry day to go swimming. We’re getting wet anyway, right? What difference does it make?
But when we’re in the camper, it’s still raining, right? We’re just inside the camper, out of the rain.
God’s wrath is like that - it still pours down on everyone outside of His camper.
Does He change His mind when he says, “I’m gonna smite you!” and the people pray for forgiveness? Nineveh prayed for forgiveness, after all. Jonah went to them and said, “In 40 days you’ll be TOAST!” So did God change His mind?
No. Wrath falls on everyone who is outside His camper - His will. When Nineveh climbed into the camper, they came in out of the rain. Wrath still came down on people who weren’t in His camper.
God told Israel, “Hey! Get back in the camper. It’s gonna get wet soon.” But they just got into the row boat and went fishing. They went to different campfires and made s’mores, cooked fish, and then it rained.
At first it was just a light rain, but the Hebrews didn’t like it. They came running back to God ‘cuz they were dry in His camper. When the rain stopped, what happened? The Hebrews went back outside the camper to go fishing with the others.
Time after time God sent His wrath. Time after time His people came running back. But every time they came back just a bit more slowly than the time before.
So who is the better people? The Kingdom of Israel? The Kingdom of Judah? Nineveh or Babylon? None of them, really. It’s just that God had picked Abraham and his descendants. He made a contract with them, which basically said, “If I don’t keep the terms and conditions I’ll get torn to pieces and killed. If YOU don’t keep the terms and conditions, I’ll still get torn to pieces and killed.”
There’s always a limit to what kind of comparisons will work when it comes to God. His camper to keep people out of the rain of wrath will hold everyone who wants to come in out of the rain.
As mentioned in previous messages, the victory is already won. The very term “gospel” tells us the war is over. Anyone who wants to be part of the winning team only needs to say, “Yo! I’ll hang out with you winners.”
We’re in the mop-up part of the war now. Folks are in the battlefield to loot the bodies, and Jesus is telling us, “I have everything you need over here in my camper.” But some folks insist on gathering the broken remains of an obsolete war.
There are enough people on that old battlefield squabbling over the remains that it looks attractive. You can fight and struggle over the silver coins, the torn cloaks, and a packet of military rations. God has a banquet table set up out of the rain of His wrath.
Come in out of the rain. There’s enough for everyone, and He cares.
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