Jul 16
13
humbled or angered
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee (Proverbs 9:8). Someone has said, “Faithful reproofs, if they don’t profit you will provoke you.” God’s prophet, John the Baptist faithfully rebuked Herod for taking his brother’s wife (Matt. 14:4). Herod’s response to the truth of God was anger and murder toward God’s prophet. On another occasion, the prophet of God, Nathan rebuked King David for taking Bathsheba to be his wife and for the murder of Uriah the Hittite, her husband (2Sam. 12:7-14). David, instead of being angry was humbled and confessed before God that he was a sinner and begged for mercy. David expressed this in Psalm 51, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.” Now here is the question for us. How do we react to the rebuke of Holy Scripture? Are we humbled and broken hearted? Do we beg God for mercy and forgiveness or do we get angry and upset? Believers are humbled, those who don’t believe God are only angered and enraged. Tom Harding.