Open Heaven 31 January 2022
MEMORISE: For the Lord thy God Is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4.24
BIBLE READING: 2 SAMUEL 6:1-7
6 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from [a]Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called [b]by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new [c]cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and [d]took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his [e]error; and he died there by the ark of God.
The serious attribute of God that I have emphatically taught people not to overlook is divine anger. Truly, the Almighty God is Love (1 John 4:8); however, we must never forget that He is also a Consuming Fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).
Any time I say this, some people argue that the Bible reference belongs to the Old Testament dispensation and we are now in the New Testament.
Amazingly, such people did not read their New Testament thoroughly enough to discover that even Hebrews 12:29 says “For our God is a consuming fire.”
This is one of the wonders of divine anger, because how can the God of love be a Consuming Fire at the same time? We need to remember that it was divine anger against the devil that made way for man’s deliverance from satanic oppression. (Genesis 3:14).
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
Divine anger against the devil after the fall is full of the wonders of God’s love for man – that the man may be redeemable, unlike the fallen angels. He cast the man and the woman out of the garden so they would not have access to the tree of life in their fallen state, which would have made them irredeemable like the angels.
Thus, God cast them out as He embarked on a redemption process that was centred on Jesus dying for the sins of man, His resurrection and second coming to rapture the saints.
When a child of God falls into sin, “God does not spare the divine rod. Why? It is because God would not want him or her to miss the bliss of His Kingdom. This is why God punishes His erring children.
Hebrews 12:7-8 says: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Whenever the Lord chastens you, accept it in faith, repent and amend your ways. His fire refines us when we yield to His correction but consumes when we choose to remain in our sins.
Repent and forsake all your sins today, then confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour so as not to experience God as a consuming Fire.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to receive your correction joyfully so that I can laugh at the end of it all in Your Kingdom, in the mighty name of Jesus.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 1-4
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Wonders of Divine Anger – written by Pastor Enoch A.
Don’t forget to Follow Elanhub on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Open Heaven 31 January 2022
