#163: The Truth of God’s Word in Judgment
Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seat of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria.” Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, “Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
II Kings 7:17-20 NKJV
During 2021 these devotionals have been less frequent then in 2020 primarily as the result of our church’s focus in witnessing to the lost at abortion mills in the Atlanta area. Nearly every Saturday and occasionally on weekdays, the Word of God is proclaimed to lost souls in route to murder their own children, to the staff that work at these places, to unbelievers protesting abortion, and to passers-by.
By God’s goodness, mercy, and grace, we have had the delight of seeing many mothers turn from the intentions of their hearts and save their children. Some have come to church. More than a hundred gospel tracts have gone out to parents in route or returning from an abortion. Dozens have been prayed with. Hundreds, perhaps a thousand, have heard the Word of God proclaimed. While all of these things are occasions for great joy in the Lord and thanksgiving to Him for His mercy that endures forever, many others including all the employees we know have continued in their wicked ways.
With this introduction, consider our text at the end of II Kings 7 where the King’s servant was warned that he would see the showers of God’s blessing on Samaria but He would not partake of them because of His unbelief. He mocked God’s prophet and was promised that he would know God’s Word is truth when he was destroyed at the very moment of Israel’s salvation from the famine. At the time of God’s prophecy, the servant had but one day or less before God’s Word would come to pass and he would be destroyed.
While God can set a specific time for His judgment to come upon certain men or cities (Genesis 7:4; Jonah 3:4); ordinarily, God does not promise a year, a decade, or a lifetime of opportunity to repent and embrace Christ by faith for salvation. The time to repent, believe, and be saved is now (II Corinthians 6:1-2). For those confessing Christ, the time to obey, serve, and be a profitable servant of the Lord is today, not tomorrow. Turn from sin to the savior of sinners Jesus Christ now!
As servants of the living God who rescued us from the fires of Hell we love to demonstrate the truth of God’s Word and the glory of His mercy in the salvation of sinners. The angels in Heaven rejoice at one sinner coming to repentance. Certainly in God’s mercy we see His Word is Truth. But as seen in these final verses of chapter 7, we also see that the Lord shows the certain truth of His Word in another way – the judgment of the wicked (See also Psalm 136:15-20).
To you who are still in your sin, while it is still today, be reconciled to God! If you refuse, you will surely see the truth of God’s Word in your own judgment. But if you repent and embrace Christ you will see the truthfulness of God’s Word in glory with Christ forevermore!
Ye who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose its evil great
Here may view its nature rightly
Here its guilt may estimate
Mark the sacrifice appointed
See who bears the awful loan
Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed
Son of Man and Son of God!
Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted, Thomas Kelly (1804)
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