Bible In One Year-Day 297 (Thursday, October 24, 2013)

Commentary: Isaiah33-36. To plunder and be treacherous without any cause is a great sin before the Lord. Doing these as work is like piling up loans in advance and the payback is very painful; only the mercy of God can give grace during payback. You could be born again after these practices and repented doing them, the payback is still sure because God will not despise the cry of the righteous; especially if the act of plundering was towards the righteous.

Isaiah 33:1 “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.”

To explain this verse, we need to look at it using a biblical example. Let’s consider Jacob’s attitude towards his brother, Esau. That was an unrighteous way of plundering and treachery. He escaped from his brother’s wrath for 20 years; as he grew bigger, so Esau also grew larger in size. After 20 years, they had to meet, Jacob paid back the hard way; he gave out almost all he had. He even subjected his household members to danger which they knew nothing about. He called Esau his Lord, Gen32. He was plundered by his uncle, Laban. His peace was plundered through treachery by his own children at old age.

Genesis 37:34-35 “And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.”

Jacob’s plundering was an unrighteous plundering which he had to payback. Employees cheating employers, employers cheating employees will payback. Friends practicing treachery will pay back the hard way. Citizens that are disloyal to the nation will payback.  Those cheating their countries by evading tax will payback. Citizens cheating through false tax return claims will payback. Pastors cheating the congregation will payback the hard way. You cannot be doing this and expect to prosper in the same country.

Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

The only thing that is able to remove the consequence of unrighteous plundering is the mercy of God; this is purely of God’s discretion. To forgive is different from to have mercy. Forgiveness will only give grace to go through the payback period and on the last day there will not be the remembrance of it; though the punishment might still be there.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

On the other hand, God’s mercy is superior to forgiveness; it will remove the consequences as well as forgive and one becomes totally free. However, this issue of mercy is absolutely of God’s discretion.

Exodus 33:19 “And he said, …; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.”

Truly the Lord is merciful, but it is absolutely at His discretion. The state of your heart determines which way to go. He is still faithful to all His words.

Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

Genuine repentance is really needed to instigate His goodness towards us. SIN NO MORE.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Isaiah37-40. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA