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The Bitter End
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Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds.
~ Hosea 6:1 (Berean Study Bible)
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Today is Day #13 in Counting the Omer in our continuing devotional series from Passover to Pentecost. The number 13 has long been associated in the secular world with bad luck and evil. While true Christians should not believe in luck or bad omens, 13 is the number of apostasy, rebellion and lawlessness in scripture. Let's take a look:
~Nimrod was the 13th in the line of Ham who was cursed by Noah.
~The Valley of Hinnom (where Molech pagan rites were held) is mentioned
13x.
~In the Book of Esther, Haman's decree against the Jews was signed on the 13th day of the first month (Nissan
13
). It stated that all Jews would be killed on the 13th day of the twelfth month (Adar
13
).
~Jesus lists the 13 things that defile a person in Mark 7.
What is God's response to stubborn apostasy, rebellion and lawlessness? In the Bible, God continually characterizes His rebellious people as an unfaithful wife. He seems to alternately experience shock, jealousy, anger, sorrow and perhaps worst of all, at some point He expresses resigned acceptance.
In a seeming cycle reminiscent of Elizabeth Kubler Ross' "Five Stages of Grief"...God Himself appears to go through a series of phases in trying to reconcile his wayward Bride.
SHOCK:
where (you) burned (our) children in sacrifice to the god Molech-I can hardly conceive of such evil!-turning the whole country into one huge act of sin.
~ Jeremiah 32:35
ANGER:
Soon I will pour out my fury on you and unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your detestable sins.
~Ezekiel 7:8
BARGAINING:
"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
~ Isaiah 1:18
SORROW:
"How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"
~ Matthew 23:37
ACCEPTANCE:
According to all the deeds that they have done...forsaking me and serving other gods...Now then, obey their voice.
~1 Samuel 8:8-9
At this "acceptance stage" (at which much of Western Civilization now finds itself, I humbly believe), God almost seems to acknowledge that in allowing us the right to choose obedience or rebellion, He concedes that, for the time being, He has handed us the ability to bring grave judgment on our own lives and nations.
But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land...I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days,
~ Deuteronomy 30: 17-20
As Western countries appear to formalize and finalize the final stages of our National Apostasies, we are reminded of the Hebrew tradition of divorce request. See the definition below from Wikipedia.
A get (/ɡɛt/; Hebrew: גט, plural gittin גיטין) is a divorce document in Jewish religious law, which must be presented by a husband to his wife to effect their divorce. The essential part of the get is very short; the text is "You are hereby permitted to all men", which means that the wife is no longer a married woman.
At this stage, a nation would no longer be operating under a Godly Covenant or a Judeo-Christian Mosaic lawfulness. We would be "free" to pursue our lust for other gods. It is similar to when the Shekhinah glory departed the Temple in Ezekiel 10.
Make no mistake, God HATES divorce. However, Jesus Himself said it is permitted where there is unrepentant adultery. Here, is what I imagine, God's divorce writ might look like:
"Whereupon you have persisted in breaking covenant, you leave Me no other alternative than to provide you with this written notice.
Whereas you have:
1) Slaughtered our innocent children
2) Embraced and sanctified perversion
3) Publicly rejected Me and replaced Me with others
4) Cursed those whom I loved.
Even now, I ask you to cease and desist. But if you persist, please be apprised that you will be turned over to your own devices (Psalm 81:12) and you will be "Ichabod" (1 Samuel 4:21) on the Final Day of Atonement."
Signed your Faithful Husband,
~Yahweh
His Final Plea:
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity."
~ Joel 2:12-13
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in Jesus' Name, we hang our heads in shame and sorrow as we watch our nations begin to reap what they have sown. Individually, we may not have participated in the 4 National Apostasies of Innocent Slaughter, Sanctification of Perversions, Removal and Replacement of the One True God from the public square and Betrayal of the Throne of David. However, through inactivity and apathy, we have allowed our society to reach this bitter end. We REPENT and confess that we have failed to resist the devil's agenda and now we are reaping the bitter and chaotic results. Please remember Your promise to pursue us, even in the Valley of Sorrows, so that we might not lose hope. We pray this prayer in the Name above all names, Yeshua, in Whom we place our blessed hope.
~Amen
Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor (Valley of Sorrow) a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
~Hosea 2: 14-15
National Day of Repentance
Those who have read our 40-day Devotional book tell us there are powerful experiences of repentance awaiting a reader of River & Streams in the Desert! This is a 40-day repentance devotional based on the 40/40's of Scripture.
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
"River & Streams in the Desert" ~ Pastor Jeffrey Daly
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 200 pages | ISBN 9781973661863
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 200 pages | ISBN 9781973661856
E-Book | 200 pages | ISBN 9781973661870
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
We welcome comments, feedback and insights from all of our participants. Please send them via email to
pastorjeff@repentday.com
for consideration.
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LINKS: (Free Chapters of our 50 Day Devotional Book)
Day #8 ~ Poor Crop Yield
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