“God is kind
To the ungrateful
And the selfish.”
ὅτι αὐτὸς χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀχαρίστους καὶ πονηρούς.
Luke uniquely indicated that Jesus said that the Most-High God is kind (ὅτι αὐτὸς χρηστός ἐστιν), even to the ungrateful (ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀχαρίστους) and the selfish evil ones (καὶ πονηρούς). The goodness of God extends even to the wicked. Does that surprise you?
“These evil ones
Will go away
Into eternal punishment.
But the righteous
Will go
Into eternal life.”
καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
This last judgment section is unique to Matthew. Jesus said that these left side goat unrighteous people would go into a long eternal torment or punishment (καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον), while the righteous would go into a long eternal life existence (οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον). The reward or punishment was simple, eternal torment or eternal life.
“Thus,
It will be
At the end of the age.
The angels will come out.
They will separate
The evil
From the righteous.
They will throw them
Into the furnace of fire.
There will be weeping
And gnashing of teeth.”
οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἐξελεύσονται οἱ ἄγγελοι καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων,
καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων.
Only Matthew has this explanation of the parable about the fishing net that was just mentioned. Once again, there is a reference to the end times (οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος) as in the parable about the weeds. The angels, like with the weeds, would come and separate the evil or bad fish from the righteous or good fish (ἐξελεύσονται οἱ ἄγγελοι καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων). These angels would then throw the evil ones or the bad fish into the furnace of fire (καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός), where there would be weeping or lamenting and gnashing or grinding of teeth (ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων). These angels burned the fish like they burned the weeds in the earlier parable in chapter 13:42. In fact, the same exact words were used in both parables about the furnace of fire and the weeping and gnashing of teeth. This later was the normal form of mourning or behavior of those who were upset or frustrated.
“Thus,
You may be
Sons of your Father
Who is in heaven.
He makes his sun rise
On the evil ones
As well as the good ones.
He sends rain
On the righteous
As well as the unrighteous.”
ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους.
Matthew has a consequence for loving your enemies, much like Luke, chapter 6:35. They would become the children or sons of their heavenly father (ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς). Their father in heaven makes the sun rise on both the bad and the good people (ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς). He also sends rain to both the righteous and the unrighteous (καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους). Clearly God is a powerful paternal person who takes care of both the just and the unjust people.
“‘Do not preach!’
This is what they preach.
‘One should not preach
Of such things.
Disgrace will not
Overtake us.’
Should this be said?
O house of Jacob!
Is Yahweh’s patience
Exhausted?
Are these his doings?
Do not my words
Do good
To him
Who walks uprightly?’”
Micah indicated the difference between false preaching and true preaching. Was Micah to preach or not? Did he only have to say good things in order to preach? Should he be careful about what he said? Is it disgraceful to speak about bad things? Has Yahweh exhausted all his patience? However, Micah believed that his harsh words from Yahweh would help those who were upright. The evil ones would not like to hear about their evil ways.
“Yahweh is in his holy temple.
Yahweh’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold.
His gaze examines humankind.
Yahweh tests the righteous and the wicked.
His soul hates the lover of violence.
On the wicked
He will rain coals of fire and sulfur.
Scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
Yahweh is righteous.
Yahweh loves righteous deeds.
The upright shall behold his face.”
Yahweh is in his holy temple on his heavenly throne. He sees and gazes on the whole world. He tests both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. Thus he sends coals of fire and sulfur on these wicked ones. He sends scorching winds on the evil ones. Yahweh is righteous and loves righteous deed. Thus the reward of the just is that they shall see his face.
“Think now!
Who that was innocent ever perished?
Where were the upright cut off?
As I have seen,
Those who plow iniquity
Those who sow trouble reap the same.
By the breath of God they perish.
By the blast of his anger they are consumed.
The roar of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
The teeth of the young lions are broken.
The strong lion perishes for lack of prey.
The whelps of the lioness are scattered.”
Eliphaz continued to talk about how the innocent and upright ones do not perish. Only the iniquitous or evil ones perish. What you sow is what you reap. The upright ones do not perish. Using beautiful metaphors, the evils one perish by the breath of God and the blast of his anger. The evil people are like fierce lions that have no teeth. They die because of the lack of prey. Meanwhile, their young cubs will scatter. He implied that God only punishes the evil ones not the good ones. The fierce toothless lion dies because he can no longer hunt his prey.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 