Another horrific tragedy occurred this past week when a gunman took the lives of a class of school children in Texas. Specific details about this terrible crime will be played out, speculation will be made about the motives, and analsysts will ask what could have been done to prevent this tragedy. This will be all be played out within the public square for the next weeks. While all agree that acts of violence such as these must be stopped, there is an on-going debate as to how to accomplish it. Gun control will be touted as the answer by some. Others will promote better security at schools. Some will want to consider better mental health counseling and screening. Some will ask, “When will God get fed up with the violence in our world and do something about it?”

We certainly are fed up with the violence. It steals innocent lives. It seems to have no explanation. It comes upon us suddenly. It leaves us mourning, confused, angered, and hopeless. Yet, violence is nothing new. It has been around ever since sin entered the world. After that first sin in the garden of Eden, Cain killed Abel and apparently things kept getting worse and worse after that. People became more corrupt, turned their hearts further from God and had become a society known for violence. Just before the global flood of Noah’s day, the Bible tells us this: “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:11-13).

God was fed up with the violence. While we don’t know exactly what types of horrific acts were being committed, we can be assured that school shooters, acts of terrorism, and other random acts of violence would have seemed commonplace to them. It was a bad time to be living on the earth. God didn’t send them to mental health clinics, increase school security or try to control their guns (or whatever else they were using in their violent acts). God called them to repentance and condemned to judgment those who would not turn to Him.

God’s answer to violence was to get prepared. After observing the violence He immediately turned to Noah and gave him the specifications for building the ark. The ark was to be large enough to carry to safety anyone who wished to repent and be saved from God’s wrath. Noah preached to them for 100 years while the ark was being constructed to repent from their corrupt ways. Yet, in the end only Noah and his family were saved from destruction.

This same sentiment is true for today. God is fed up with the violence and has committed to judge the world for it. Just like with Noah’s ark, He has prepared a means to be saved from His judgment through Jesus Christ. Just like Noah, Christians are commissioned to faithfully trust that God will one day judge the world for this violence and to call people to repentance. There is room for everyone by God’s grace through faith to turn to him. God tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Through Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness offered for even the most vile and corrupt actions that man can take. We simply must turn to Him in faith.

There is coming a day when God’s judgment shall fall upon the earth for the violence. There is coming a day when each person shall be held accountable for their sin. But there is also coming a day when the righteous King Messiah, Jesus Christ, shall rule and reign on this earth. In that day, we are told that “violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise” (Isaiah 60:18). That is a day we can look forward to with certainty as believers. We have hope in a day to come when violence will be no more.