Emptying of the bowls
Key Verses: 1, 6, 9, 14,
15, 16, 18, 21
The object of God's wrath is human
beings. We are the ones who choose rebellion. We are the ones who try to defy
the authority of God in our lives. So as you read this chapter, notice that the
plagues are poured out on parts of creation that affect our lives. Water is
made undrinkable and the fish die so that humans can't drink it. The fish are
not the object of God's wrath, we are. Water is of importance only in
relationship to our existence. Water is not sacred, we are.
This has implications today. There
are some who elevate all of creation to the same status as humans, making all
life of equal value. All types of animals get human rights, and can go to court
to ensure those rights are preserved. In the process our status is lowered. We
are no longer the central beings in the world. We are just an animal, and one
of the worst at that. We have exploited the planet at the detriment of all
other life. We need to be restrained, perhaps even eliminated. But nothing
could be further from the truth.
We are the central figure in all of
creation. All of creation exists for God's glory and serve to point us to Him.
The earth is a resource over which we have been made stewards, not equal
partners or slaves. We are responsible because we are the crowning responsible
being at the top of creation.
As the plagues come, people refuse to
repent. They become hardened in the defiance of God's authority. They refuse.
This is a stubbornness of the will. The need for people to worship something is
evident in this passage. The three impure spirits go into the world and people
are willing to follow them, even to their deaths, rather than submitting to
God. They believe their own propaganda machine, and so do the nations of the
world. They perform a few magic tricks and the people follow blindly.
Foolishness! Earthly armies are no match to the power of the omnipotent God.
Just like a toddler is no match to an Olympic athlete, so these armies don't
stand a chance.
Notice verse fifteen. It seems to be
dropped right in the middle of this scene. It almost looks out of place,
doesn't it. But it is exactly where it should be. It emphasizes the central
point of all this drama. We need to be awake, doing what God calls all humans
to do. We are to be vigilant in our pursuit of God and in obedience to His
will. The inhabitants of the world are not pursuing God. They are in rebellion
and try to win an unwinable war.
The earth itself now turns on humans.
God shakes the whole earth; cities crumble, mountains collapse, islands
disappear. And then a hail storm comes that destroys everything else. And the
inhabitants of the world blame God for the plague. They take no responsibility
for their actions and rebellion. Their finger-pointing continues. At least they
acknowledge God's existence in their cursing of Him. You can't surrender to
someone you continue to deny exists. Unfortunately, even with all these
attempts to get their attention, they still continue in their vain rebellion.
Any God who can shake the whole world bringing destruction, and bring
destructive hail certainly can defeat whatever pathetic army the world can
muster.