Tell me you don’t have to go to a fairly somber place to sing this with your wife during morning family worship:
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
…
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
If you think God is love means he is on the side of history moving toward tolerance, understanding, empathy, and harmony, you may have some explaining to do about those aspects of redemptive history that don’t line up with modern sensibilities (just like if you are a proponent of American exceptionalism you do have to do something with native Americans and slavery). Of course, the problem could be with moderns and our discomfort with sin’s consequences or the way we want our history — whether church or national — free from the presence of sinners and the wages of sin.
God is love but he does not love everyone in the same way. The same goes for Christ, especially in his execution of the office of king:
Q. 26. How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
A. Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.That is why the Shorter Catechism describes Christ’s kingship but God has enemies.
That is no reason to gloat. How could it be. Christ’s salvation and the reality of the antithesis should nurture humility and reduce outrage. It could even soften #Woke Christians and sober up naive transformationalists.
More reasons to sing the Psalms.
Old Life 