Revelation 9:20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood — idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
One of the charges that is often thrown at Christians is that the Bible is filled with senseless killing. Even the God of the Scriptures orders the slaughter of whole populations, or so the argument contends, so I could never serve a God like that. This is often thrown out as an attempt to shut down any further discussion.
But is this contention true? It the Bible filled with senseless killing? Is the God of the Scriptures a capricious being, a toddler constantly throwing temper tantrums?
We see in our text one of the many times the reason for judgment is spelled out. The presence of judgment in the Scripture was to bring people to repentance. The judgment was a gift, a glimpse into the future, a warning to get people to change course.
Now many people have a hard time hearing judgment as an expression of grace. But for those of us who have experienced the grace of God firsthand, we can see His grace in so many places. We see His hand not giving us us what we deserve, but giving us what we don’t deserve instead. We see His mercy extended again and again.
But for those who have heard a cursory and shallow understanding of the content of the Bible, they have heard about the killing of people and drawn an incorrect conclusion. The killing in Scripture is not about indiscriminate slaughter of innocents, accept in the birth narrative of Jesus. The killings are the regrettable consequences of rebellion and disobedience, hardening of hearts and abstinence.
So as we read our text today, we read about the reason the deaths in the previous chapters have happened and what their purpose has been. The plagues, as they are characterized, all came as an opportunity for those who remained to repent, to change the direction of their lives and turn to the LORD. They had a redemptive nature and purpose.
Most of us like warnings. We like to hear the tornado sirens in time to take shelter. We like to have the Weather Channel tell us about the landfall of a hurricane coming to our area of the coastline. We like diagnostic testing that can speed up treatment of an illness.
Very few of us like to be blindsided by events that overtake and overwhelm us. We don’t like our bank accounts drained and our reserves of food used. We like to have cushion in our lives.
But as this present world is wrapping up and the future heaven and earth about about to be introduced, there must be a cleansing of all that is opposed to the character and nature of the Creator of the Universe. He set the rules for His world. He has rights as the Sovereign to impose His will over His dominion.
And in HIs graciousness, He has given all of us a way to be reconciled, to be in right relationship with Him, and receive His blessings. We can participate with Him in His plan, right here, right now. And when we do this, then we are repenting, changing direction, and moving in step with Him.
And when we walk in step with Him, then we share in His blessings. Now which would you prefer, blessings or judgments? You get to choose, so choose wisely.
The Arnold Journey 