First, let's go back into the Old Testament and see how God's people, the Israelites, are doing at obeying their God. They are not doing well. They are disobedient and stiff-necked. They worship other gods and The One True God is rather upset with them. So upset that He is going to hand them over to their enemies.
"20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place—on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched.”
"21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. 22 For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.
23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers." - Jeremiah 7:20-26
God's people eventually repented. Those of them who were left anyway. But then they drifted away again and God's wrath came down on then . . . again. This pattern repeats itself again and again throughout the entire Bible! Sin, punishment, repentance, forgiveness. We never learn. God used punishment back then to get the attention of His people and to draw them back to Himself.
God is the same yesterday, Today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Why would God change His pattern now? The only thing different that God has done since then has been for His punishing His one and only Son to pay for our sins with His death. Yet we STILL sin. We just can't seem to stop sinning.
God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). He wants our obedience. So much so that He was willing to sacrifice His Son to get it. Would He use an illness or some other hardship to draw us to Himself? He has done it throughout the Bible. Why would He, The Unchangeable One, suddenly change? WE are the ones who must change.
As we walk through this life it is our obedience and love that God wants. He will use whatever means necessary to achieve that. But we are a stubborn people, fighting Him every step of the way.
It would be easy to close this story with something warm and fuzzy. There are instances scattered throughout His word about how loving and forgiving God can be. And He is. But, if we are truly in the last days like most scholars think we are, it's only going to get worse. We will continue to frift further and further away. Until . . .
Only the true church will be saved.
When Jesus returns and raptures His church, things on earth will REALLY get bad. Only after Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom on the new earth will things be different. THAT is when things will get warm and fuzzy. Until then though we are going to be in for a mighty rough ride, unless we repent and turn to God.
When Moses encountered God he repented from his wicked ways on gave himself over to God in obedience. It cost him much - the kingdom of Egypt. But he gained everything and led God's people out of slavery in Egypt to The Promised Land.
It is no different for us today. If we repent and are obedient to God, He will deliver US to The Promised Land. Why? He has promised!
"14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14
Moses Stands Firm For God in Front of Pharaoh - The Ten Commandments
Repenting of Sin and Returning to God - David Platt
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