THE LORD'S PUNISHMENT

PROCLAMATION

“So now The Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow.  You yourself will be ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.”  2 Chronicles 21:14-15 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram succeeded him as king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 21:1-3)  Once Jehoram became king, he killed all of his younger brothers, married the daughter of Ahab, and did evil in the eyes of The Lord. (2 Chronicles 21:4-7)  He built high places on the hills for idol worship and led the people astray. (2 Chronicles 21:11)  Then The Lord God sent word to him through Elijah the prophet in a letter saying that He was going to punish him for what he had done. (2 Chronicles 21:12-15)  The Lord God caused the Philistines and the Arabs to attack Judah, invade it, loot it, and carry off his sons and wives as captives. (2 Chronicles 21:16-20)

APPLICATION

It may appear that we have gotten away with doing wrong, but The Lord God is watching us and sooner or later we will pay for our sins.  As believers we will not lose our salvation, but we will be punished for our sins.  We will be tried by fire.   All of our works will be tried by fire with us and all of the things which do not give God glory will be consumed by the fire.  That which glorifies God will pass through the fire with us. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)  We should ask now to be forgiven for our past sins and start doing more things which give God glory.