Joe and I have prayerfully addressed some repetitive disobedience by some of our kids. The consequences get steeper subsequent times. Why? So they are motivated to stop and take time to think about the seriousness of their choices.
God’s consequences aren’t for
merely punishing the sin, but are intended to draw the unrepentant to
repentance.
With unrepentant Solomon, God
gave him several warnings and then raised up one enemy after another to disrupt
the nation’s peace, including his very own high standing official, Jeroboam!
The Lord to Jeroboam:
I Kings 11:34-36, 39 34 “‘But I will
not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the
days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed
my commands and decrees. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s
hands and give you ten tribes. 36 I will give one
tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before
me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name… 39 I will humble David’s
descendants because of this, but not forever.’”
I think if Solomon had truly
repented he would have been spared some of the subsequent consequences.
Where might you and I be
experiencing consequences for unrepentant sin? Maybe God has allowed a lack of
peace in our own lives and relationships to draw us back to Him!
God is faithful to His
promises even while purposefully administering consequences.
