God was disappointed to see Israelites persist in their rebellious acts, despite his warning. Therefore, he promised to severely punish them until they exercise repentance. (Israelites would have to suffer from their enemies who will dissolve their nation). God said to Ezekiel,
“…And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: ‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. Now the end has come upon you, and I will send my anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will repay you for all your abominations. My eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity; but I will repay your ways, and your abominations will be in your midst; Then you shall know that I am the Lord!’ “Thus says the Lord God: ‘A disaster, a singular disaster; Behold, it has come! An end has come, the end has come; It has dawned for you; Behold, it has come! Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land; the time has come, a day of trouble is near, And not of rejoicing in the mountains. Now upon you I will soon pour out my fury, and spend my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will repay you for all your abominations” (Ezekiel 7:1-8).
Lesson:
God hates sin as a detestable disease. Sin forces his hands to withdraw his benefits from his own people. The devil rejoices when a Christian commits sin because he would have the opportunity to strike against him/her – especially when repentance is not exercised. However, the consequences of sin are not easily predictable, since one does not know how God would respond. In most cases, the punishments awarded for sinful actions appear outrageous! However, God who exercises judgment of punishment is mostly interested in the repentance of his people. He expects a sinner to repent and return to his/her true love of Christ, so that devil can be put to shame. Jehovah will restore any sinner who comes to him – no matter the gravity of his/her sin. Hence, every child of God should consider serving God in the beauty of his holiness. Any believer who falls into sin should consider it a must to repent and turn a new leaf so that devil can be ashamed, and God is glorified. A person who walks carefully before his Maker will enjoy his divine benefits, but a rebellious child will incur his Maker’s rod of punishment.
Prayer:
Dear God, what advantage do I have in an act of rebelliousness? What would be my gain if I sin or I refuse to repent from my sins? Wouldn’t the devil be glorified in my sin? Therefore, I am determined to walk before you in the beauty of holiness. I will do whatever you ask me to do, and I will obey you in all aspects of my life. In as much as I have your grace, I will faithfully serve you and obey your instructions, so that I can prosper. Please give me a simple and sincere heart to walk before you in godly fear. Enable me to be humble to repent from my sins, and give me the grace to do your will throughout the days of my life. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.
