Tues.’s Devo - Israel’s Sin and God’s Response

Read: Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1:1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17 God pronounced death to all of Israel’s idols. They had golden calves in Dan and Beth-Aven and they would all be taken away to Assyria. God called out the vicious nations of the world to punish Israel. They had sowed wickedness and reaped sin. They had reaped the fruit of lies and trusted in their own strength to save them, but all the huge walls and massive weapons they had would not be able to save them. Israel had forgotten who they were and whose they were. As mad as God was at them, he still had compassion and promised to save a remnant of them. When they wake up and remember their God, he will bring them home. God spoke what he would do to Judah also. Jacob their father had struggled in the womb for the blessing and right of the first born and then he had struggled with an angel for a blessing from God. God had given him both the blessing and the birthright of the first born. He gave him a new name and blessed his posterity with tribes of people, but they had forgotten their namesake. They had forgotten the God who brought them out of Egypt with signs and miracles and gave them a land of milk and honey. They were about to find out that their idols would not be able to save them against God’s wrath. One day, God would bring them back and they would prosper under his shadow once again. Jude was Jame’s brother who wrote a letter to encourage the Body of Christ but ended up warning them instead. There was a teaching going around by the Nicolaitans that taught that the law of grace allows you to sin. Jesus came to rescue us from sin but he still punishes those who participate in it. Sin reaps a reward of trouble just as righteousness reaps a reward of blessings. In Genesis, the angels of heaven left heaven in Genesis 6 and came to earth and had relations with the women of earth. They produced giants of renown and were severely punished for breaking the law of heaven to do that. They were now in chains in prisons of darkness awaiting their trial in the Last Judgment. God showed us what his judgment was going to look like on earth when the destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from heaven. These false teachers told of their spiritual dreams and mysteries they saw to give them authority and make them sound spiritual all the while they were teaching the people that it was okay to live immoral lives, defy authority and scoff at supernatural beings. He went on to explain what ’scoffing at supernatural beings’ meant. God has a hierarchy and He is at the top. Satan is under him and even Michael being God’s top General in God’s Army didn’t rebuke Satan in his own name. He rebuked him in God’s name. Michael fought over Moses’ body. We know that he won because Moses appeared in that body at the Mt. of Transfiguration. Fellowshipping with these false teachers was dangerous for them. If they continued to fellowship with them they would shipwreck them. The false teachers cared only for themselves while they were doomed for hell. Enoch prophesied against these people saying that they would one day be judged and convicted. We are encouraged to have mercy on those who are wavering and snatch them back from the fire. God is able to keep us from falling and bring us into great joy in His presence. Lord, help us to gladly welcome your discipline and alignment when we get off-center. May we keep our eyes on you.