TUESDAY January 24, 2017
Imminent Judgment
…the Lordhas spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” - Isaiah 1:2-3
God continued to show His love and mercy to Israel but the people of the Lord had left their first love. Israel did not want to listen to the Lord; so after one hundred and sixty years had passed––judgment came. The Lord allowed the Assyrians to come upon Israel and through them, God chastened His people.
The Assyrians had the worst reputation in war because they committed brutal atrocities against their captives. They would strip their prisoners to shame them and then separate each person from their families. The Assyrians systematically dismembered their captives, a hand, toe or tongue would be cut off. Hot irons were used to stick into their eyes and up their noses. Other captives were taken and buried up to their mouths or noses, eventually they would slowly suffocate.
Surviving captives had a hole drilled either through their nose, lip or ear and a chain with hooks placed through the hole to drag them off into captivity. Most nations at war with the Assyrians, rather than being taken captive, preferred to commit suicide. During the invasion some of the poor people of Israel remained and intermarried with the Assyrians. These people later became the Samaritans who were treated with contempt as half breeds and hated by the Jews with pure ancestry.
Many believers in the Church today are guilty of not placing the Lord first in their lives. Revelation 2:4 is a written exhortation to the Church of Ephesus. The words of Jesus still exhorts the Church today: nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. If you have strayed from the Lord, why not return to your first love––Jesus Christ and serve Him before His chastening comes?
Remember therefore from where you have fallen;
repent and do the first works…
~Revelation 1:5~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!
