0237. Pursued with Judgments

Pursued with Judgments

"But God sent out a great wind" (Jon_1:4).

"I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard" (Isa_5:5).

When Jonah broke faith with God and refused his commission, fleeing by ship from Joppa to Tarshish, God sent out a great wind after Jonah. When Israel broke faith with God, when God looked for fruit and found none, He sent out storms after Israel. He said: This will I do to My vineyard–"I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be trodden down: I shall lay it waste and it shall not be digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns upon it." "For the vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel."

Israel is today trodden under the feet of the Gentiles, because she refused to go to the Gentiles and show forth the salvation of the Lord.

The 36th chapter of Ezekiel reveals the whole story of Israel’s perfidy.

Gen_10:17 says: "When the House of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doing."

Gen_10:18 says,–"Therefore I poured out My fury upon them."

Gen_10:20-23 shows how Israel, having profaned God’s holy name among the nations whither they went, the nations mockingly said: "These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of His land."

No wonder then that God has sent a storm out after Israel; no wonder that they have been pursued by fire and flood. Oh, Israel, hadst thou but hearkened unto the Lord thy God, and hadst thou not wasted thy substance under every green tree; and hadst thou not profaned His holy name; then, He would have fed thee with the finest of the wheat; He would have filled thy barns with plenty; He would have lifted thy name high above the nations, and He would have established thy going out and thy coming in; He would have made thee a blessing unto the whole earth; and He would have magnified His great and holy name in thee.

But thou didst rebel; thou didst refuse His commands; thou art revolted and gone! Behold therefore the storm of His wrath has broken full upon thee! He is pursuing thee until He shall awaken thee to the acknowledgment of thy sins, and find thee willing to obey His holy will.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR