In our past teachings we
have learned about the law of reciprocity. The apostle Paul wrote in
the book of Galatians in chapter six and verse seven,
“Be not deceived;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also
reap.”
Habakkuk
came to the realization that he did not have to understand everything
that God knew and was doing in order to simply trust in Him. That is,
“the just shall live by his faith.” Now
as God begins to relay to him what He will do to the Chaldeans
Habakkuk's understanding is enlightened, and we see that God has a
plan even when He does not appear to have one. Habakkuk wrote in
chapter two and verse eight:
Because you have
spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil you;
because of men's blood, and [for] the violence of the land, of the
city, and of all that dwell therein.
The Chaldeans were mighty
conquerors. They destroyed cities and pillaged village after village.
After a while they became so confident within themselves that they
believed themselves impervious to anyone's attack. They forgot about
God. God said through Habakkuk, “Because you have spoiled many
nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil you.”
The Chaldeans spoiled “many”, and now “all the remnant” will
spoil them. They have sown to the wind, and now they will reap the
whirlwind. There is no way for someone to continue in a prideful,
manipulative, conquest oriented, disrespecting way and get away with
it. The all-seeing, all-knowing and omnipresent God is watching. God
saw the behavior of the Chaldeans toward the other nations, and now
judgment has come for them.
Habakkuk
continues, “because of men's blood”,
(For we Bible students, do we not remember how God said to Cain in
the book of Genesis chapter four and verse seven, “And he
said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries
unto me from the ground.” ) God
heard the cries of the pillaged and killed, and nothing could mute
the sound of their souls.
Habakkuk
wrote, “and for the violence of the land, of the city,
and of all that dwell therein.”
Violence was rampant. It was in the land, the city and among the
people who lived in them. Today we might liken it people who
constantly are a menace to others in the world. Conflict is constant,
and without a day going by they have another fight ensued or
percolating. Their very nature is beastly, and they cannot survive
without inciting another skirmish, battle or war. The Chaldeans were
this way. They had the insatiable desire to continue in their
triumphs, and they had no regard for those they were conquering. But
God did, and now His spoiling will begin because of it.
There
is no way for people who do not bring their sins before an Almighty
forgiving Heavenly Father to be forgiven. Jesus made provision for
every person's sins by dying on the cross no matter how dreadful they
may be. The Chaldeans were not repentant in the least, so they reaped
the wrath of God. People do not have to suffer the retribution and
judgment of God if they will simply turn their lives over to Him.
However, many do not, and as the Chaldeans, they shall reap what they
have sown. We must wonder today what would have happened if the
Chaldeans had repented of their evil deeds? Would God have changed
His mind and forgiven them? We may never know the answer to that
question, however we can know as John the apostle wrote in First John
chapter one and verse nine,
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
May we
ever be about His forgiveness and not about His spoiling.
Next
time we will explore the summations that God makes about those who
have the traits of the Chaldeans, so read ahead, and we shall join
together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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