But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
The verse sets before God's people a twofold choice, that the willing and obedient shall enjoy good while those who refuse and rebel shall be destroyed by judgment. It was spoken to favored children whom God had nourished, yet who had become corrupt and rebellious while keeping outward sacrifices, feasts and prayers that He rejected because their hands were full of blood, and it follows His invitation to reason together, to wash clean, to cease evil and learn good, to relieve the oppressed and defend the fatherless and widow until scarlet sins are made white as snow. To be devoured with the sword means utter destruction for iniquity, and the sentence is certain and demands exact obedience because the mouth of the Lord has spoken it and His word will be fulfilled. Even in rebellion He still stretches out His hand to lead sinners into the narrow path of self-denial and sonship, pleading with them to discern their only hope. The warning therefore calls every sinner to repent, turn from evil and obey while mercy lasts, for the outcome rests on their own choice between light and darkness, and those who understand truth yet persist in dishonesty, worldliness, unbelief and transgression of His law show they do not value His mercy and will perish with transgressors who forsake Him.
Context and Meaning
The verse sets the dark side of a twofold choice, that willingness and obedience bring eating the good of the land, while refusal and rebellion bring being devoured with the sword. The promise is definite and conditional, blessing set against judgment, and the outcome turns on response.
It was spoken to Israel as once favored children nourished by God, addressed as rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. They had rebelled, forsaken the Lord, and become corrupt, yet kept outward sacrifices, feasts, sabbaths, assemblies and prayers which God hated because their hands were full of blood.
The warning comes after God's offer to reason together and be cleansed, to wash and be made clean, to put away evil doings. It calls to cease to do evil, learn to do well, turn from evil and do what is right, to seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless and plead for the widow, with scarlet sins made white as snow.
To be devoured with the sword means utter destruction for iniquity even after high calling to dominion under the seed of David. It shows how the Lord regards those who claim to be righteous while transgressing His holy law, a condition repeated in the men Christ drove out of the temple courts.
The judgment is certain because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, and His declared word will be fulfilled. Exact obedience is required, and refusal of His call brings destruction by the sword.
Even in rebellion the Lord still holds out His hand to take Israel's hand and help them into the narrow path of self-denial and self-sacrifice to share heirship as sons of God, asking them to be entreated and discern their only hope. Israel was fulfilling this vision of rebellion in the days of Christ, while Christ's heart still pleaded for the rebellious son and wept over the beloved city.
Warning Applied Today
The warning is a call to sinners to repent, to turn from sin and evil, and to obey while mercy still remains, for the promised outcome turns on their response. Willingness and obedience bring the enjoyment of the good of the land, while refusal and rebellion bring destruction by being consumed by the sword, and that judgment is certain because the Lord Himself has declared it. The choice between light and darkness lies with those who hear, and to refuse the light given is to bring judgment and destruction upon oneself. It confronts corrupt rulers and liquor-dealers who love gifts, who do not judge the fatherless nor plead for the widow, and whose hands are full of blood, requiring them to wash, to be made clean, to cease evil, to learn to do well, to seek judgment and relieve the oppressed, with scarlet sins made white as snow, or they will be consumed together with transgressors and sinners who forsake the Lord.
It warns one who understands the theory of truth yet turns from it to pursue worldly pleasure and unbelief that continued refusal and rebellion will cost eternal life. Repentance and humbling before God are required, with turning from transgression of His law, laying down warfare against truth and righteousness, and being converted and surrendered to God, under the joined condition of washing and being made clean, putting away evil doings, ceasing to do evil and learning to do well. To add sin to sin by standing in rebellion, by urging wife and children into the unbelieving path, by laying plans to destroy their hold upon God and their love for the truth, and by enticing them to sever connection with the heavenly Father and the Redeemer who gave His life, adds the blood of their souls to the rebel's own sins.
It applies to people who, despite trials and help and opportunities to know the truth, persist in dishonest and corrupt practices, whose conduct shows they do not value God's mercy and have chosen the way that leads to destruction. The same warning is directed to those in Battle Creek and the Battle Creek church who resist God's will, deny His judgments, and obstruct His work, calling them to turn from rebellion and obey. Unless they repent and turn to Him, they will perish with those who do evil and obstruct His work.
In this application the refusal brings destruction, while willingness and obedience bring the good of the land, and the call is to repent over failing to do what could have been done for youth and children and to make up for lost time. It stands also as a personal call to one estranged from God to return to obedience, with willingness and obedience bringing good and refusal and rebellion bringing destruction. Obedience is an exact requirement, and professing to keep God's law while acting against it leaves one unable to withstand temptation or to retain the promised blessing of the Holy Spirit.
The verse sets before God's people a twofold choice, that the willing and obedient shall enjoy good while those who refuse and rebel shall be destroyed by judgment. It was spoken to favored children whom God had nourished, yet who had become corrupt and rebellious while keeping outward sacrifices, feasts and prayers that He rejected because their hands were full of blood, and it follows His invitation to reason together, to wash clean, to cease evil and learn good, to relieve the oppressed and defend the fatherless and widow until scarlet sins are made white as snow. To be devoured with the sword means utter destruction for iniquity, and the sentence is certain and demands exact obedience because the mouth of the Lord has spoken it and His word will be fulfilled. Even in rebellion He still stretches out His hand to lead sinners into the narrow path of self-denial and sonship, pleading with them to discern their only hope. The warning therefore calls every sinner to repent, turn from evil and obey while mercy lasts, for the outcome rests on their own choice between light and darkness, and those who understand truth yet persist in dishonesty, worldliness, unbelief and transgression of His law show they do not value His mercy and will perish with transgressors who forsake Him.
Context and Meaning
The verse sets the dark side of a twofold choice, that willingness and obedience bring eating the good of the land, while refusal and rebellion bring being devoured with the sword. The promise is definite and conditional, blessing set against judgment, and the outcome turns on response.
It was spoken to Israel as once favored children nourished by God, addressed as rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. They had rebelled, forsaken the Lord, and become corrupt, yet kept outward sacrifices, feasts, sabbaths, assemblies and prayers which God hated because their hands were full of blood.
The warning comes after God's offer to reason together and be cleansed, to wash and be made clean, to put away evil doings. It calls to cease to do evil, learn to do well, turn from evil and do what is right, to seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless and plead for the widow, with scarlet sins made white as snow.
To be devoured with the sword means utter destruction for iniquity even after high calling to dominion under the seed of David. It shows how the Lord regards those who claim to be righteous while transgressing His holy law, a condition repeated in the men Christ drove out of the temple courts.
The judgment is certain because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, and His declared word will be fulfilled. Exact obedience is required, and refusal of His call brings destruction by the sword.
Even in rebellion the Lord still holds out His hand to take Israel's hand and help them into the narrow path of self-denial and self-sacrifice to share heirship as sons of God, asking them to be entreated and discern their only hope. Israel was fulfilling this vision of rebellion in the days of Christ, while Christ's heart still pleaded for the rebellious son and wept over the beloved city.
Warning Applied Today
The warning is a call to sinners to repent, to turn from sin and evil, and to obey while mercy still remains, for the promised outcome turns on their response. Willingness and obedience bring the enjoyment of the good of the land, while refusal and rebellion bring destruction by being consumed by the sword, and that judgment is certain because the Lord Himself has declared it. The choice between light and darkness lies with those who hear, and to refuse the light given is to bring judgment and destruction upon oneself. It confronts corrupt rulers and liquor-dealers who love gifts, who do not judge the fatherless nor plead for the widow, and whose hands are full of blood, requiring them to wash, to be made clean, to cease evil, to learn to do well, to seek judgment and relieve the oppressed, with scarlet sins made white as snow, or they will be consumed together with transgressors and sinners who forsake the Lord.
It warns one who understands the theory of truth yet turns from it to pursue worldly pleasure and unbelief that continued refusal and rebellion will cost eternal life. Repentance and humbling before God are required, with turning from transgression of His law, laying down warfare against truth and righteousness, and being converted and surrendered to God, under the joined condition of washing and being made clean, putting away evil doings, ceasing to do evil and learning to do well. To add sin to sin by standing in rebellion, by urging wife and children into the unbelieving path, by laying plans to destroy their hold upon God and their love for the truth, and by enticing them to sever connection with the heavenly Father and the Redeemer who gave His life, adds the blood of their souls to the rebel's own sins.
It applies to people who, despite trials and help and opportunities to know the truth, persist in dishonest and corrupt practices, whose conduct shows they do not value God's mercy and have chosen the way that leads to destruction. The same warning is directed to those in Battle Creek and the Battle Creek church who resist God's will, deny His judgments, and obstruct His work, calling them to turn from rebellion and obey. Unless they repent and turn to Him, they will perish with those who do evil and obstruct His work.
In this application the refusal brings destruction, while willingness and obedience bring the good of the land, and the call is to repent over failing to do what could have been done for youth and children and to make up for lost time. It stands also as a personal call to one estranged from God to return to obedience, with willingness and obedience bringing good and refusal and rebellion bringing destruction. Obedience is an exact requirement, and professing to keep God's law while acting against it leaves one unable to withstand temptation or to retain the promised blessing of the Holy Spirit.