The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Isaiah 9:12
If you've ever been chastised by God before, you'll agree with me that it is not a pleasant experience. You'll feel so burdened, and wonder why you feel so. Some persons even think that if God loves us like He "claims", He wouldn't "punish" us when we do wrong. But scriptures tell us in Romans 12:6 "for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth". This is quite instructive.
Now, the love of the Father is a special kind of love. It is not a love that leaves us with all of our faults and shortcomings. Neither is it a love that corrects us for its own pleasure. It is love that prunes us for our own profit, as Hebrews 12:10 says, "for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." God Who knows all things, knows that when we do not walk according to His ways we would end up not being partakers of His holiness and enjoy the benefits of His love, which will be a great loss to us.
In Isaiah 9:11-21, when God was telling the Israelites their punishment for their unfaithfulness and disregard of His precepts, one phrase kept on recurring, "...but his hand is stretched out still" (Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21). This just goes to tell us that the Lord is merciful in His chastisements, and at all times wants us to run back into His loving and merciful hands. In chastising us He is still saying, "...come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). His merciful hands are stretched out still. Run to Him.
Keep winning daily.
Prayer:
Dear Father, thank You for Your love. Your love that wants me to be better for my own good. Help me therefore to know when You chastise me out of love, and understand that Your mercies endure in every circumstance, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
By Esun Tekeme
God is indeed merciful. However I have read different versions of the Isaiah passages that you quoted, I think the hand that is 'stretched out still' is a hand ready to still punish an unrepentant people.
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