Beloved: welcome to another week of the month of November 2022. I pray that God will keep your heart form embracing any form of rebellion that may expose you to destruction without remedy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The word of God says, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed — without remedy.” (Prov 29:1NIV) Unfortunately, there are many stiff-necked people today, even in the church. These are individuals that are never ready to take correction. So, it does not matter what you say to them about their sins or wrongdoings, they will not repent. Some of them don’t even want to hear or look at what you want to say to them about their errors. And that is simply because they are stubborn, stiff-necked.
Now from what Solomon tells us in that bible text, the only thing such people can expect for their stubbornness is sudden destruction, a kind that has no remedy. That means there is nothing anyone will be able to do for them or do to save them when their destruction comes. They just have to perish.
Yes, it is true that God does not delight in the death of any sinner but in their repentance and salvation (Ezek 18:32). It is also true that He is patient with sinners, so that they will be able to utilise the opportunities for repentance that He is bringing to them (2Peter 3:9). But where the sinner is stiff-necked and unwilling to repent, what will God do? Will He continue to endure their nonsense? No! At some point, He will allow them to face the full consequences of their sins.
But then, someone may say, “What if there is an intercessor for the stiff-necked person, one that is praying for them that God may show them mercy? Will God still allow them to be destroyed?” Truly, God Himself has said that even if it just one intercessor that is praying for a sinner or an entire nation, He will honour that intercessor and refrain from destroying that nation (Ezel 22:30). And we have an example of this in how He listened to the intercession of Prophet Amos for the nation of Israel. Twice, this man of God pleaded with Him not to destroy Israel. And He listened to Him (Amos 7:1-6). Woe, then, to that man, woman or nation that has no one to intercede for her. That is because disaster may overtake her without warning.
However, even though God always honours the intercession of His people for sinners, if these sinners refuse to repent, a time will come when they will have to face the consequences of their sins. At that time, whatever intercession being made for them will fail and the destruction they have been escaping will come upon them suddenly and without remedy. For instance, despite his continuous intercession for the nation of Israel, at some point, God told Amos that He would no longer spare them – He must destroy them. Why? They were stiff-necked. (Cf. Amos 7:7-9)
Also, we see how Abraham fervently interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible. This man stood in the gap between them and God’s wrath, asking for mercy for them, even if it was only ten righteous people that could be found in them. And God listened to him. But did He find ten righteous people there? No! On the contrary, what He found was only a family of four righteous people. So, despite the intercession of Abraham, He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah when they least expected it and spared only Lot and his family. (Cf. Gen 18&19)
Sadly, there are people today who are grossly misbehaving and yet are counting on the intercession of their parents or certain men or women of God. What they don’t realise is that if they don’t change their ways and stop being stiff-necked, a time will come when their destruction will no longer sleep but will overtake them suddenly. Then they will perish without remedy and despite the intercession of those godly people. And if you too are like that, if you are stubborn and unwilling to accept rebuke, however slight it may be, you may just be preparing yourself for sudden destruction – destruction without remedy. So, repent now before it is too late. And may God help you to do the right thing. Amen.
Have a splendid week.
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