Volume 38 Number 2 October 1995
A quick look at our society and homes today indicate that violence is on the rise. "Man's inhumanity to man" is nothing new, but it is becoming more commonplace. History teaches us that the further men drift away from God, the more violent they become.
In the beginning, righteous Abel was murdered by his brother, Cain, who would not repent when his worship was rejected by God. Later on in the book of Genesis we are told that the "earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:13) in the days of Noah, which caused our Creator much grief and regret that He had made man on the earth. Other places in the Scriptures record various acts of violence so awful that they are usually skipped over when children are being taught the Bible. Even the "man after God's own heart" partook of violence during his life, and as a result, the Lord told King David through Nathan the prophet that "the sword shall never depart from thy house; because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife" (2 Samuel 12:10). How tragic to see the prophecy fulfilled as four of David's sons died in the years that followed his great sin.
But the ironic thing about violence, something so shocking and disturbing to our senses at first, is how we can become desensitized and accustomed to it, and actually desire more! Like a spiritual form of nicotine or alcohol, the senses crave more and more - and still won't be satisfied. The constant pursuit for a "bigger fix" is a sure sign of spiritual poverty.
The mighty Roman Empire was certainly in decline and destined for a fall when violence became a favorite pastime. The Colosseum at Rome was the site for much bloodshed and revelry in its time, with many brethren in Christ slaughtered in the name of entertainment by Roman gladiators. Could history repeat itself in our time?
Today we have violence constantly promoted by the mass media and its a very lucrative business. Certain kinds of books, magazines, television shows, and computer games enable a person to explore this subject in their minds without actually "hurting" anyone, or so they think. Through their graphic portrayals of violence, Hollywood movies are one of the popular ways men can satisfy their morbid desires. Film companies justify the carnage and the mayhem by saying they are just portraying what happens in real life. But just because certain things happen in real life, does that mean we can recreate them anyway we want to for our own pleasure? If it would be wrong for me to do violence to a man (Luke 3:14), why would it be acceptable to God to play it out in my mind or enjoy watching someone else do it? The Bible condemns the ones who not only commit acts worthy of death but "have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:32)
Some men have even gone so far as to criticize the Bible as a book "filled with violence", as if this justifies violence in the media as an approved form of recreation. The Bible does record acts of violence, to be sure, and we have already cited some examples of the same. However, these were not recorded for our entertainment or merely to satisfy a morbid curiosity, but rather, for our edification. The scriptures record the violent death of Jesus, for example, but do we read about his crucifixion to take pleasure in his sufferings? Of course not. Christ is "evidently set forth" before our eyes as "crucified" so that we may understand the price of our redemption and turn away from sin (Galatians 3:1). Jesus was treated violently because our sins are violence to God and to each other; His wounds give us life: "by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24b).
"For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith the he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of Hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously." (Malachi 2:16). There is a less obvious (but just as awful) form of violence that has become more common in society and in the church over the last thirty years. It is divorce. Though there may be an innocent party in the divorce, even an infidel can see the damage done to the home: bruised children, calloused and bitter ex's, not to mention the battered grandparents and other family members who did not want it to happen. No wonder it is called violence by the prophet, when it is the tearing asunder of that which God joined together. Whether it is like a slow tear over a period of years caused by a lack of love, meekness, and forgiveness, or a relatively sudden ripping, the Lord sees it as a treacherous form of violence. Though we cover it with a garment of euphemisms to soften its effects, and in spite of denials of wrongdoing on the part of the perpetrator (Proverbs 30:20), it is still no way to treat "the wife [or husband] of your youth."
Has living in a violent society affected us? Constant exposure to violence will sear the conscience and deaden our feelings of mercy and compassion. Let us all recognize these symptoms when we see them and make sure we do not become accustomed to violence. For if we do not care about harming a fellow human being created in the image of God, it is certain that we no longer care about their soul.