Reflecting on my life, I acknowledge that I have committed numerous sins and deserve punishment. However, Jesus took it upon Himself to bear the consequences of my actions. I struggled to accept this truth when I started following Jesus nineteen years ago. I felt ashamed that God had to suffer so greatly for my mistakes. I even prayed to pay for my sins, believing rightly so that I deserved to do so. But God searches our hearts; He didn’t grant my prayer. Looking back, I realize my lack of understanding of God’s Will made me naive and foolish. Although I still feel guilty that my sins caused Jesus’s crucifixion, this holy shame reminds me to strive to follow Christ and sin less. I don’t want to keep punishing Him for my lack of self-control. Thankfully, I am not alone in this journey. In Matthew 20 vs 22, we see a mother seeking prestige for her sons, asking Jesus to transfer His destiny to them for their honour. However, Jesus responded, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” This Scripture reminds me that following Jesus means accepting and carrying our own crosses, grateful that God is merciful as He lovingly disciplines us to be more like Jesus as we do so.
One such corner is found in Ezra 9. The people broke God’s Laws, worshipped idols, had sex with evil people, and turned from God, which caused them to become slaves in Persia. Yet, after all the rejection, God still gives the Israelites favour through their captives- the kings of Persia, and sets a plan in motion to help His disobedient children. Again.
To understand something of the depth of God’s Mercy, we have to weigh Scripture in the context of Romans 6 vs 22- 23, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
It’s important to understand that while God is merciful and forgives us for our sins, we cannot abuse His Mercy by using it to justify sinning.
Learning from our mistakes and avoiding repetitive sins is essential to God’s Mercy. However, seeking forgiveness alone is only the beginning of repentance; we must strive for greater obedience through correction. Joshua 19 vs 1 and 9 eloquently express this principle of Mercy.
Don’t you find the wording intriguing, considering that the concept is repeated twice in this paragraph- territory within the territory? Reading Joshua 19 vs 1 & 9 in context, we discover that this allotment of Simeon’s territory within Judah’s territory is an act of correction and Mercy.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary fills in the details:
‘The knowledge of Canaan possessed by the Israelites, when the division of the land commenced, was but very general, being derived from the rapid sweep they had made over it during conquest; and it was on the ground of that rough survey alone that the distribution proceeded, by which Judah received an inheritance. Time showed that this territory was too large. Justice, therefore, required (what kind and brotherly feeling readily dictated) a modification of their possession, and a part of it was appropriated to Simeon. By thus establishing it within the original domain of another tribe, the prophecy of Jacob regarding Simeon was fulfilled (Genesis 49 vs7).’
Genesis 49 vs 5- 7, “Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honour be united to their assembly;
For in their anger, they slew a man,
And in their self-will, they hamstrung an ox.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them into Jacob.
And scatter them in Israel.”
To quote, ‘Enduring Word’, ‘Simeon and Levi are brothers: The second-born son Simeon and the third-born son Levi received the exact words for the same evil deed. They were instruments of cruelty when they wiped out all the men of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34:25-29).
Jacob, perhaps in weakness, did nothing at the time except register a minor, self-centred complaint (Genesis 34:30). Yet he (and the LORD) remembered this event. This illustrates the principle that our past sins can come back and haunt us. Even when forgiven, they may carry consequences we must face for a lifetime.’- https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-49/
Like Simeon’s punishment, whose sin resulted in scattered and diminished territory, we must also face the consequences of our actions. However, God’s kindness allows us to correct our mistakes by following His guidance. Therefore, it’s essential to strive for purity and make choices that align with God’s will, as exemplified by Jesus.
Besides spiritual growth into greater closeness with God, there are some cool practical outcomes in our everyday life too, as we learn to enjoy God’s Correction as a sign of God’s Mercy. Not only His Mercy, but His Unfathomable Love too, Proverbs 3 vs 12, ‘For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.’
#Hayibo 