Isaiah 63:1-19
Thursday, 24 August 2023
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them. -Isaiah 63:10
The story of Israel is marked throughout, with dark clouds of rebellion against God who loved them and did everything for them. Rebellion was like a plague that consumed them and kept them from receiving the fullest blessings of God which was promised to them. A whole generation was not able to enter into the promised Canaan because of their rebellion and hence they all died in the wilderness.
“Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” (Hebrews 3:10-11)
Consequences of Rebellion:
· Grieving the Holy Spirit: Rebellion is a serious matter because it grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. He is a gentle Spirit and that is the reason Apostle Paul says: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph.4:30) Only with the help of Holy Spirit can we reach the eternal shore. He is given to lead us daily in the Truth of God’s word and will. Once He is grieved, we are left with no choice. We ourselves do not have the strength nor the wisdom to live each day. We need Him moment by moment. So we need to obey Him in all things- small or big.
· The Lord becoming our enemy:
The wilderness journey of Israel need to be studied in detail and how they rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit. They murmured, complained, went against God’s instructions several times. This brought them to a point where the Lord God Himself fought against them. Imagine a situation when God Almighty becomes our enemy. It is the most dangerous thing that can happen to any human living upon this earth.
As believers we need to be aware of this stark warning. In our wilderness journey, if we keep on rebelling against God; then we may reach a point where the Lord God Himself turns against us (Refer Heb.6:4-8). As we read: Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1Cor.3:16-17)
Redemption:
Many times, we rebel in our walk with the Lord; but He graciously forgives us. Let us be reminded that repeated sinning causes hardness of heart. So if at all you are in a position where your heart is hardened by sin, come before the throne of grace and openly confess your sins before Him- our High Priest, Jesus Christ who is able to show mercy on us, forgive and restore us. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:15-16)
Prayer for Restoration: Abba Father, I have rebelled against You and Your Holy Spirit. Please forgive me and remove this hardened heart and give me a heart that is obedient to Your Holy Spirit, who dwells within me. Help me to continue in willing submission and obedience to Your Spirit. Thank you for redeeming me. In Jesus name, Amen.