THE MEANING OF THIS BIBLE VERSE: ISAIAH 33:1
“Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered;
And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you!
When you cease plundering,
You will be plundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.”

If we look at this special Bible verse very well, there two things to take note: 1, God declares woe, judgment on those who plunder and those who deal treacherously, and 2, it says when they cease plundering or dealing treacherously, they will be plundered and they will be dealt treacherously with.

Now, what does this mean? Does it mean when someone who has been plundering or dealing treacherously repents and stops, that God will make people to plunder him and deal treacherously with him? The answer is no, that is not what it means. Because when we repent from our sins and stop doing sinful things, God’s mercy overrules judgment. But this Bible verse is not talking about people who repent and stop doing bad things but it is talking about people who cease. It is a different thing to willfully stop or to cease because the opportunity ceases or because you are sacked or your time expires. They are two different things.

The Bible says, “When you cease plundering,
You will be plundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.”

Here, it is talking about people who are doing bad things and when their opportunities of doing bad things cease, not that they repent and stop, but they don’t have the opportunity to do it again, then God will allow people to begin to do bad things to them.

A young single lady going out with other women’s husbands, collecting their money and committing sins with them, one day, she will cease being single and want to marry and settle down with her family, then she will begin to reap her sins, her marriage will also be plundered and single ladies will also deal treacherously with her husband.

Smart people, right? Who are plundering, stealing, looting money at their places of work, they are dealing treacherously with another man’s business, but one day, they will cease, they will be retired or they will leave and want to start their own businesses, then the Bible says, when they cease plundering, then they will be plundered.

You see some people looting money in their places of work and within a short time that they are retired or they are sacked, everything they have goes down and they are subjected to nothing, it is the fulfillment of the word of God.

Listen, the Bible says whatever a man sow he shall reap. There is nothing we do that we will not reap the judgment. You are stealing, looting, robbing, deceiving, in people’s business or government offices, one day, you will retire or think of having your own establishment, then you also will be looted. The cars you buy with stolen or looted money or the houses you build with stolen money will bring God’s judgment upon you and your household.

As a single man or lady, you are flirting with married men or women, later you will want to cease such life and settle to have your own family, then as you have done to married people, it will be done to your married wife or husband.

The one way to escape the judgement of sowing and reaping, of the repercussion of what you have done is to repent, plead for God’s mercy and forsake your sin before it is too late. It is only God’s mercy prevails over judgment and for you to have God’s mercy, you must repent and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior so that His Precious Blood can atone for your sins and wipe them away free.

It is not just to cease doing bad things but it is to receive the mercy of God into your life through Jesus Christ. Even if you cease doing the wrong things, you can’t undo the wrong you have done but you can receive mercy that prevails over judgment into your life through Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13.

" If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8,9

Amen

Gideon Akande, the Eangelist