Day 238

The object of God’s wrath is human beings. We are the ones who choose rebellion. We are the ones who try to defy the authority of God in our lives. So as you read this chapter, notice that the plagues are poured out on parts of creation that affect our lives. Water is made undrinkable and the fish die so that humans can’t drink it. The fish are not the object of God’s wrath, we are. Water is of importance only in relationship to our existence. Water is not sacred, we are.

This has implications today. There are some who elevate all of creation to the same status as humans, making all life of equal value. All types of animals get human rights, and can go to court to ensure those rights are preserved. In the process our status is lowered. We are no longer the central beings in the world. We are just an animal, and one of the worst at that. We have exploited the planet at the detriment of all other life. We need to be restrained, perhaps even eliminated. But nothing could be further from the truth.

We are the central figure in all of creation. All of creation exists for God’s glory and serve to point us to Him. The earth is a resource over which we have been made stewards, not equal partners or slaves. We are responsible because we are the crowning responsible being at the top of creation.

As the plagues come, people refuse to repent. They become hardened in the defiance of God’s authority. They refuse. This is a stubbornness of the will. The need for people to worship something is evident in this passage. The three impure spirits go into the world and people are willing to follow them, even to their deaths, rather than submitting to God. They believe their own propaganda machine, and so do the nations of the world. They perform a few magic tricks and the people follow blindly. Foolishness! Earthly armies are no match to the power of the omnipotent God. Just like a toddler is no match to an Olympic athlete, so these armies don’t stand a chance.

Notice verse fifteen. It seems to be dropped right in the middle of this scene. It almost looks out of place, doesn’t it. But it is exactly where it should be. It emphasizes the central point of all this drama. We need to be awake, doing what God calls all humans to do. We are to be vigilant in our pursuit of God and in obedience to His will. The inhabitants of the world are not pursuing God. They are in rebellion and try to win an unwinable war.

The earth itself now turns on humans. God shakes the whole earth; cities crumble, mountains collapse, islands disappear. And then a hail storm comes that destroys everything else. And the inhabitants of the world blame God for the plague. They take no responsibility for their actions and rebellion. Their finger-pointing continues. At least they acknowledge God’s existence in their cursing of Him. You can’t surrender to someone you continue to deny exists. Unfortunately, even with all these attempts to get their attention, they still continue in their vain rebellion. Any God who can shake the whole world bringing destruction, and bring destructive hail certainly can defeat whatever pathetic army the world can muster.