Schooling the Scorners

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” (Exodus 5:2).  “God hath spoken in His holiness” (Psalm 108:7).  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding… If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it” (Proverbs 9:10,12).  “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2,3). 

When Pharaoh asked, “Who is the Lord?”

That he should then “obey His voice?”

He scorned the God whom he ignored,

But God would soon reprove his choice. 

Like Pharaoh, scorners still pretend

That God Almighty has not spoken,

Though God alone foretells the end,

And not one prophecy was broken. 

The Lord speaks in His holiness,

So this is where we should begin. 

Since God is Holy, we address

The need of cleansing from our sin. 

Though scorners mock those who have feared,

God’s judgment comes, and we declare it. 

All those who trust Him shall be cleared,

But those who scorn His wrath shall bear it. 

We preach the Word in every season,

That we may show the lost their need. 

For God says, “Come now… let us reason”

To those who fear and will take heed. 

We surely need to speak of love,

But holiness demands a price;   

Yet scorners scorn our God above

And mock His gracious Sacrifice.

The time has come, we may be sure,

Foretold by the apostle Paul,

When many hearts will not endure

The Gospel truth God sends to all. 

O Lord, we see the need to speak

The truth in love where we are sent,

That souls in danger yet may seek

And find Your grace as they repent. 

O help us, Lord, in each occasion

In which the Gospel may be heard,

To be the voice of Your persuasion

As we are called to preach the Word.