14.5 Revelation – God Doesn’t Want This

God Doesn’t Want This

The other day my wife and I needed to discipline one of our children.  It was horrible.  It was the last thing we wanted to be doing and we felt only sadness and hurt in it.  There was no joy or peace with it.  But, there was love.  The only reason we put ourselves and our family through the pain and hardship that seeing the punishment and discipline through involved was because of a love and desire and commitment to help this child change and turn back to what was right.

In the same way, I don’t believe God wants any of this that we are reading in Revelation for His people and His creation.  He would much rather be taking us into His loving arms and telling us how proud He is of our love for each other and our unity to Him and all the saints and believers.

But, we are on the wrong path.  We are on the path that, in spite of the futility of it, we turn to idols instead of God.  It reminded me of going over to the wall and repeatedly turning the light switch back off and on, when the power goes out.  It isn’t going to make a difference.  The idols made of wood and stone can’t help when 1/3rd of the sun turns black.  It is a ridiculous response.  But it is exactly the type of response we make.

But, God loves us enough to be just.  He loves us enough to take on the pain of disciplining us.  He is willing to destroy a third of creation (or more), to get a soul back on the path to Him.  He is willing to allow pain and death, because He is willing to honor our choices.

Like the prodigal son, if we want to take what doesn’t belong to us and waste it, putting ourselves into a position of filth and defilement and starvation, God will allow it.  But, what He really wants is to wrap His arms and a new robe around us when we return home to Him.

My Answers

12.
a.
1 hail=7,  2 sea to blood=1, 3 wormwood=moses log water sweet ex 15:22, 4 darkness=9, 5 locusts=8, 6 death=10

b.
except for 5, the people of God were not excluded.  Also, these are universal.  With the locusts, not crops, but people.  With death, not only firstborn but 1/3 and no mention of passover protection

c.
Denial – turn to idolatry, sorcerer, anger at God.

13.
a.
This is not what God wants – that is the only reason it is delayed – it is what man is ordering to spite God

b.
pride, wasted time