“And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.”
– Leviticus 26:18
Exposition:
We love to hear
that God is love, and we often hesitate to talk about the wrath of God. Sure,
it looks good to attract people because of love than to drive them by fear.
However, the Scripture says that God is also an angry God and He has often
punished us to bring back to Him. In Leviticus 26, God assured the Israelites
of prosperous blessings should they continue to obey Him. He also warned them
of punishment should they choose to turn away from Him.
Verse 18
reveals that God’s punishment is not merely a consequence of disobedience, but
it is for us to obey God knowing that the way of disobedience is hard and
painful. No matter how stubborn we may be, God is not backing off. If the
Israelites would not turn away from their sins even after a season of
punishment, God warned them that He will punish them seven times more. It is to
make them realize that only the path of obedience pleases the Lord to bless
them.
The wrath of
God is virtuous like the love of God or the justice of God. God’s wrath is
unleashed upon the unjust that everyone may fear Him. However, God never
punishes us to the degree that we deserve; for none can bear the full
punishment of God, only Jesus can, and He bore the wrath of God in the cross.
He satisfied the wrath of God which was to be upon the sinners who put their
trust in Him for their Salvation. Whosoever repent for their sins and trust in
the Lord will receive eternal life. God commands everyone to repent of their
sins to be saved from the wrath to come.
Personal
Reflection:
·
Is
there any unrepentant sin in my life that I should deal with now before it is
too late?
Personal
Commitment:
·
I
must consider the trials of life and the chastisement of God as joy knowing that
God chastens whom He loves.
Prayer:
Lord, forbid me to be stubborn like the Israelites of the Wilderness.
Show me my sin by the convicting work of Your Spirit, and then empower me to
yield my life to His control, Amen!