God Will Judge Sin! (Continuing 2)

Judgment doesn't suddenly come upon a people or person without warning. In the old Testament, when God's people strayed from His leadership, God always sent His Prophet to warn them of the consequences and give an opportunity for correction and change. A good example of this is found in Isaiah 9:10, “The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.” Isaiah had prophesied the imminent judgment upon the northern tribes of Israel specifically addressing the tribe of Ephraim and the city of Samaria. Isaiah 9:9, “And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,...” The people's response was that they would build back bigger and better. The chosen materials would be hewn stones and cedars which were used for the palaces of the kings. The brick and sycamores were for the common people. That spirit that rises up is the spirit of carnal flesh which must be crucified. The correct response would have been to repent and return to God.

God uses the same principle today to correct His children. He will warn us and give us the opportunity to make the necessary corrections. He will show us where we missed the mark. In the midst of our situation, all we need to do is trace it back to a failure on our part, a place in our journey where we made a wrong choice, where we took the wrong path. Then we are presented with the choice to repent and return to Him or suffer the consequences for our disobedience.

God is good and His mercy endures forever to bring salvation to all who will obey. Psalm 106:1, “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever 2Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise? 3Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. 4Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;” God's desire is for the world to observe how He loves those that will come into a loving, obedient relationship with Him, v5, “That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.” Even in our blatant rebellion, His heart yearns for communion with us. We have not fully understood God's plan for us, if we did we would not pull back, v6, “We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 7Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. 8Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.” God stands ready to forgive all that will repent and return to Him.