November 19: A TRIVIAL THING?
And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Revelation 16:9
This negative response will be a great surprise to all who named the name of Christ, yet lived a life out of harmony with the Word of Truth. During decades of habitual actions and thinking that did not line up with His word, repeated resistance to the Holy Spirit’s gentle leading led to a deafness to His whisper. Rebellion sustained over time brings incremental measures of a hardening effect upon the heart. As the distance from God increases, denial of His loving warnings also increases. At the end, a tendency to blame Him for the consequences of one’s own actions ensues, as well as a critical spirit toward fellow humans who encourage a close walk with Him in this life.
Continuing with Ezekiel’s vision, we learn that breaking with any of God’s commandments opens the door for a terrible litany of possible woes. On the heels of showing Ezekiel those who had turned their backs toward the temple and were worshiping the sun, the LORD said, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger.” (Ezekiel 8:17)
No. It is not a trivial thing. Yet, when the day of the fourth plague comes, the millions who scoff at the idea of honoring the Sabbath (instead of the popular Sunday) will find themselves among those who are blasphem[ing] the name of God who has power over these plagues. Having grieved away the Holy Spirit, they will find themselves utterly unable to repent and give Him glory.
As long as it is day (John 9:4), our characters can be formed – ideally molded into the greatness of the humble, self-sacrificing love of Christ. But it is only by His Spirit that such can occur. Even then, it is only at our invitation that He will enter in to do the miraculous work. He is knocking at the door now. (Revelation 3:20)
In the scenario of today’s verse, it is evident that those who are scorched with great heat recognize the power that God has over these plagues. They will also recall the reality of the beautiful balance of distance between the earth and the sun during their lifetime. Yet, even if they could repent, all who have accepted the mark of the beast will not. Instead, they will dig in their heels in siding with the beast, until they realize that they have been duped. The predominant character trait of ‘self-above-God’ will be evident to the watching universe. The fourth plague simply adds to the clarity of the delineation between the two distinct groups living at the end of the age. Those with the seal of God will have joy for having heeded God’s last-day message of Revelation 14:6-12. Those with the mark of the beast will have rejected the last-day message. There is no chance that God will judge anyone—saved or lost—incorrectly.
Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. Romans 1:21-22