Unrepentant RepentanceWe read in Exodus 10:16
"Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you."
This was Pharaoh's response to the plague of locust which was one of the plagues that God brought on Egypt as punishment for not letting Israel go free & to make His name known to Pharaoh.
God had sent Moses with a simple declaration that The LORD had sent him & that Pharaoh was to free Israel that they may serve The Lord, or face God's judgement & wrath.
Pharaoh here cries out an admission of sin & in the following verse asks for forgiveness, but as soon as the hand of God lifts & the fearful judgement is gone, Pharaoh continues in his sin; his disobedience to God's command.
And we see that rather than stay his hand, even though the locusts were lifted, God brings more judgement on Egypt in the plague of darkness leading up to the final act of judgement which was the death of every 1st born in the land.
God's Judgement was not turned away by the Pharaoh's unrepentant repentant words in 10:16.
Repentant Repentance
Later in history comes a king in Nineveh who hears a message similar, one from a guy called Jonah, sent from God to warn of God's judgement & wrath that is coming to Nineveh because of their sin; their disobedience to God.
Here's what happens in Jonah 3:6-10
"The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh,
“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it."
This King, heard of the coming judgement and in fear of God acted upon his repentance with much more than words, and led his people with him in repentance before God. And God, because they had turned away from their sin did not bring the judgement on them.
Which Are We?
There are so many times that I look back on and see more of Pharaoh's repentance in me than that of the Ninevite king. I see a prayer of forgiveness, asking that God would hold back any judgement or consequence of that sin, and often He has. A while later I see that very same sin played out again in my life.
Whether it's pride, lust, covetousness, anger, greed, lying.. whatever, often we as Christians ask God's forgiveness & yet persist in committing those very same things. Perhaps we hold off from them a while; a few days, a few months, a few years, but we eventually & willingly disobey in that area again.
We (Christian's) aren't perfect, that's why we need Jesus & His Spirit. We have been enemies of God, disobedient to Him, & much like Pharaoh's refusal to obey God, we refused to obey Him.
But I know that I long to be more like the king of Nineveh who did not simply ask for forgiveness & admit sin against God, but who acted in repentance & turned from his evil ways.
How about you, honestly answer in your heart as to which of these kings you are like when it comes to repentance.
Our Future Repentance
Perhaps we can seek hard after God as this year unfolds, and actively study the Bible (God's Word) & pray, living out those things that God teaches us.
May we especially find the help from God to live out the greatest commandments:
To love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, all of our mind & all of our strength, and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.
