Psalms 89:30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
This passage of scripture reveals to us the varying and increasing degrees of corrective measures that are taken by God in order to call nations and individuals to repentance. First He starts by giving us instructions via laws and various statutes with the hope that we will learn the easy way. God does not delight in the suffering of any one, and when He finds it necessary to bring or permit corrective judgments on nations and individuals, it grieves Him at His heart, just like how an earthly parent takes no delight in administering the rod to a wayward child when it becomes necessary. But if after numerous efforts have failed, and we keep on persisting in a wrong course of action, then The Lord has to reach for the last resort, which includes the rod, and judgments of various sorts to bring us to repentance.
This is exactly what took place with king Manasseh, who repeatedly refused to listen as God spoke to him about the grievous sins that were being perpetrated by himself and his people. These sins ranged from witchcraft, to murder, to idolatry of a rare sort, and so God spoke to the king by His prophets on several different occasions, but Manasseh would not hear. Then after God had exhausted all other methods, He was left with no other choice but to permit a mush harsher form of correction, which ultimately brought the king to repentance, so that the work of salvation could begin in his soul. Let's read:
Manasseh" ... "reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. 2 But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, 3 For he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards. 10 And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. 11 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.
The question for us is, why is it often the case that we must be brought so low in order for us to listen to the voice of God, calling us to repentance? Why is it that we put God in a position where He has no choice but to visit us with judgments before we listen? There are many disturbances, troubles, diseases, protests, and calamities that are multiplying daily across the globe, and most of these are not the result of mere chance, they represent the voice of God calling the human family to repentance, but the lingering question is, are we listening?
In our own experiences, when through the providential working of God he manifests His gracious overtures in speaking to us, it will be well with us if we can learn our lessons from the sound of His voice, rather than from the manifestation of judgments, for The Lord always prefers that His people learn the easy way. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to harbor the right attitude towards God's instructions and corrective measures, for they are all intended and designed for our best good. Let's read:
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" ........ "nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!