Over the last several weeks, my church has been going through the book of Revelations. (Nice light subject matter, right? :-P) A couple weeks ago, we were studying Revelations 16, where angels are pouring out “the bowls of God’s wrath” upon mankind. Now, we don’t necessarily like to think of God’s judgement, or the suffering of the people it is poured out upon. But here’s what struck me.

God’s pouring out all these curses, right? Seven of them, to be exact. And the response of the cursed is always the same:

Revelation 16: 8,9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him.

Again, in verses 10 and 11:

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

And down in verse 21:

From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

I couldn’t help but think of Job, of how his wife urged him to curse God and die. But even in his suffering, in his pain and confusion, Job refused to curse God.

Job 19 records one of the most honest, crushing looks at human suffering recorded in the Bible, as Job recounts the miseries that have been so mercilessly piled on him, by the hand of God, it would seem. But look at how it ends:

Job 19:25-27 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God. I myself will see Him–I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

How many of us curse God for our troubles, for the pain that we see in this world, instead of waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for our salvation, yearning for the one who will, in the end, make it all right?

The cursed curse God, refuse to repent, to turn toward him. The redeemed cry out to God for salvation, and look forward to their deliverance.

In the end, both get what they want.

Which do you want?