Joel M Bradshaw

20The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.–Revelation 9

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he (God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

1. God was sending judgements upon the people of the earth.
2. Whatever thoughts you have on God judging people, place this in the context of an end-time’s judgement day.
3. Most people who believe that God exists also believe that He will one day bring judgment. That is what this chapter is the beginning of.
4. It appears that God had designed the judgments to serve as a tool. People would either harden their hearts further or repent and turn to God.
5. And John tells us here that they reacted much like the hardened Pharaoh of the exodus story thousands of years ago.
6. It wouldn’t be good Bible study to simply say, “Don’t be like these people!” They were in a unique context and we should never rip verses out of their contexts or simply moralize them to our day.
7. But know that God takes sin seriously. God expects us to confess our sins, to own when we have wronged others, and to repent of them, making amends when appropriate to do so. So do you do those things?–JMB