Daily Manna: Punishment for Oppressors. Tuesday 10, December 2013

Daily Manna: Punishment for Oppressors
Tuesday 10, December 2013
TEXT: ISAIAH 27:1-13

KEY VERSE: “Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together” (Isaiah 27:4).

Of thirty Roman emperors, governors of provinces and others in high office who distinguished themselves by their zeal and bitterness in persecuting the early Christians, one became speedily deranged after some atrocious cruelty, one was slain by his own son, another became blind, the eyes of one started out of his head, one was drowned, one was strangled, another died in a miserable captivity, one fell dead in a manner that will not bear recital, one died of so loathsome a disease that several of his physicians were put to death because they could not abide the stench that filled his room, two committed suicide, a third attempted it but had to call for help to finish the work, five were assassinated by their own people or servants, five others died the most miserable and excruciating deaths, eight were killed in battles, or after being taken prisoners. Among these was Julian the Apostate. In the days of his prosperity, he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven defying the Son of God whom he commonly called the Galilean. But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all was over with him, and he gathered up his clotted blood and threw it into the air, exclaiming, “thou has conquered, O thou Galilean.”

From the passage under consideration, the Lord promised Israel deliverance from the great Babylonian captivity. He dismissed their captors as incapable of withstanding His wrath in the day of battle. With their proud army destroyed, they shall be made to suffer more than Israel suffered as punishment for the cruel treatment meted to Israel when they were in captivity.

This should serve as lesson to all who oppress others. There comes a day when the Lord will avenge every iniquity and injustice. Those who are in the habit of violating the rights of the weak and vulnerable in society should expect a full dose of God’s wrath. Since He is the creator of all, He retains the absolute power to check every tyranny and overthrow all evil regimes anywhere in the world.

Those who are under oppression should look inward to discover what may have given the enemy the advantage over them. Sin opens the doors to many troubles. Come to term with your sins today. Now is the accepted time, now is the hour of salvation.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sin is Satan's Forerunner

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