30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 21 20-24 WATCH AND PRAY III 11 Luke 21 24 The consequences of our rebellion
📖 Luke 21:20-24
*FRIEND OF GOD*
03Jun2021 - *The consequences of our rebellion* - _Luke 21:20-24_ - WATCH AND PRAY III (11) – Bible reading: _Isaiah 5:1-7_
The Lord has always warned humanity, of the consequences that we will face if we rebel from under His authority and seek independence from God. Yet, this has been our sin from the very beginning, our rebellion from God.
If we had lived in a surrendered relationship with God, we would have been in the safest and in the most glorious experience of our lives but that was not to be. Even now, in this time of serious crisis, man has no intention to return to God and come under the authority of God, for God to be King in his life.
_Luke 21:24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled._
Though this is what the Lord said would happen, this is not what the Lord desires. He is God of love and goodness but when we go against Him and reject Him then He has and He is warning us of the consequences of our rebellion against Him.
As we go through this pandemic, the world over, we must realise that this is happening because we chose to put God out of our lives.
_Luke 13:34-35 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! *How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing*! (35) *See! Your house is left to you desolate*; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' "_
God’s chosen race, the Jews, are not seeking Him even now, after all the agony and suffering that they have experienced over the centuries. The Lord is bringing about the close of this age but there will come a day when the Jews will acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah.
_Isaiah 5:1-7 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. (2) He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes._
The Lord is showing here as to all that He has done for His people and how He has cared for them and desired for them to be fruitful, for His glory.
What happened with the Israelites is a case study, a demonstrative model, a prototype for the world to see, understand and learn.
_(3) "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. (4) What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?_
This is the agony of God’s heart. God relates with us and He expects results from our lives. Can we say that God has no right to expect us to deliver results?
We work in organisations, where deliverables are a serious matter. Our assessments, increments in our salaries, our promotions are all hinged on our delivering what is expected of us. All of us understand this very well.
How is it that with God, we are the least concerned, whether we are meeting and delivering what He expects of us? Are we thinking that we can get away with rejecting God and doing what pleases us and not meeting His expectations of us? No friends, there will be consequences for our rebellion against God.
_(5) And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. (6) I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it." (7) For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help._
The Lord is showing us that when nations reject God there will be sadness in the life of the entire nation. There will be oppression, injustice, deception, unrighteousness and wickedness. People will be in a state of despair, crying for help. Isn’t this a reflection of the ailment of our people today? What is the root cause? It is man’s rejection of God.
When we see the pandemic and pestilences, let us be clear, it is a consequence of our own rebellion and choosing to go away from God.
We must be those who lament along with the pain of God for the condition of our nations and we need to repent on behalf of our nations, to God. If we are suffering, it is not because God wants us to suffer but He has been warning us of the consequences that we would heap upon ourselves if we rebel against Him. Yet, humanity does not want to repent, return and be restored to God.
_Lamentations 1:15-17 “The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He has called an assembly against me To crush my young men; The Lord trampled as in a winepress The virgin daughter of Judah. (16) "*For these things I weep; My eye, my eye overflows with water; Because the comforter, who should restore my life, Is far from me*. My children are desolate Because the enemy prevailed." (17) Zion spreads out her hands, But no one comforts her; The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob That those around him become his adversaries; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them._
The Lord is showing us that there will come a time when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. For 2000 years Jerusalem and Israel have been trampled by the Gentiles. Now the times of the Gentiles is being fulfilled.
*Thought to ponder*
```“Teach me, dear Lord, to agonise with you, over our sin and our rebellion, for my heart is still unmoved”```