This week, I had the opportunity to fill in for Mrs. Benton’s class with the youngest children. In her absence, we reviewed the first and second chapters of Micah. Our discussion was about God being angry at the people and telling them that he was going to punish them because they didn’t listen to his commandments.
To help bring the point home, I asked the children to compare it to when they do something against what their mom or dad tells them–for example– “don’t hit your sister.” If they hit their sister, their parents will punish them, even though their parents really don’t want to punish them. Your parents don’t enjoy making you sad, I explained, but because you chose not to listen to them, you will have to face the consequences.
There are consequences for our actions and that’s how we learn to behave correctly. God didn’t want to punish his children, but sometimes that’s the only way to help someone understand. Adults need to hear this as much as children, which is why the Bible’s constant reminders are so painful. Painful, but necessary.