November 20, 2014
HUMILITY, REPENTANCE, GRACE, RELATIONSHIP
Revelation 16:8–16
Brian Ricketts
Central Truth
God is most glorified when we humble ourselves, repent of our sins, accept His grace, and find our fullest joy in Him alone.
Key Verse | Revelation 16:9
They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. (Revelation 16:9)
Revelation 16:8–16
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed 1 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21 the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 16:8–16
One of my favorite songs is "Yearn" by Shane and Shane. The chorus says, "I want to burn with passion over You, and only You." While the lyrics might not be referring to the same "burning" that these people in Revelation 16:9 experience, it popped in my head because I just love this song. The point is that we want to want to spend time with the Lord!!
Back to the passage where three things happen:
First, the people curse the Lord. They blame Him for their peril. This is like blaming the police officer because he has dominion over the speeding ticket. How many times have I tried to blame someone or something else rather than humbly accepting responsibility for my actions? This attitude is specifically borne out of pride. Quick reminder: James 4:6b (NIV) says, "'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'"
That pride in their hearts then prevents them from repenting. Why would they repent if they blame God for their situation? Have you ever been in a fight with someone when you defended, minimized, or boldly rejected any wrongdoing? I basically just summarized every fight I have ever had with my wife. And I can promise that pride robs us of oneness every time because it removes the opportunity for grace and forgiveness.
Finally, Revelation 16:9 says they do not "give him glory." To be clear, God does not need us to give Him glory. The glory that this verse is referring to is the glory that comes from a saved soul. God loves nothing more than being able to save one of His children. We glorify Him when we humble ourselves, repent from our wickedness daily, and abide in Him. Ponder the words of David, who was a man after God's own heart and certainly glorified Him: "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1)
Discussion Questions
1. In what way is your pride preventing you from accepting full responsibility for sin patterns in your life?
2. What would it look like to end the denial, humble yourself, and repent from those things?
3. Do you fully trust Romans 8:1 and 1 John 1:9?