Ezekiel 12 – a second chance for the few…

God asks Ezekiel to act out a symbolic sketch of what is to come.  He wants Israel to see what is going to happen to them – that they are going to be sent into exile.  He also wants them to know that most will die – only a few will be spared.

“They will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.  But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices.  Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (vv. 15-16)

I am one of the few.  I am in a sort of exile, and I am finally acknowledging my detestable practices.

As you can see from the date of my last entry and the date of this one, I haven’t been in God’s Word.  I have been doing the very things I warned against in past posts.

“I know that I will be blessed if I’m obedient… I need to be.”

“Too often I’m quick to shower myself with God’s grace.  When I sin, I tell myself that it’s ok and that God will forgive me.”

“I shouldn’t take my sin so lightly.”

“How much will it take for you to really understand God?  Do you know how serious He is about sin?  Do you know He wants your whole life?  Or are you just playing the game because you know how to act ‘Christian?’”

“How repentant am I over sin?  Do I grieve over my mistakes, or do I simply let them slide?”

“DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S GRACE!”

Through a friend, I’ve been brought back to the place I need to be – repentant and in His Word.  I am thankful that I am one of the spared, and I am praying that I will remain in God’s Word where I so desperately need to be.  I’m a pastor.  An example.  I need to be leading others to Jesus.  How can I do that if I myself am not in tune with Him?

God, forgive me.  I repent.  Continue to bring my repentant heart to You.  Amen.

Ezekiel 4-5 – God shows Ezekiel how He will punish their sin

God uses Ezekiel to symbolically show Israel’s destruction.  He has Ezekiel lie on his side a day for every year of Israel and Judah’s sin – 40 days/years for Judah, and 390 days/years for Israel!  Not only did Ezekiel have to lie on his side for over a year for Israel’s sin, but Israel was living in rebellion for almost 400 years!  God also has Ezekiel build a mini-Jerusalem, play out a mini-siege, and use his hair (off of his now-shaved head) to symbolize how the Israelites are going to die.

What stands out to me in all of this is how seriously God takes Israel’s sin.  Not only is He ready to wipe them out for their sin, but He uses them as an example to the surrounding nations.  I think He has Ezekiel go through all of the symbolism to grasp the gravity of Israel’s rebellion.

This God that took Israel’s sin that seriously is the same God of today.  He is the God we pray to, the God we worship, and the God we serve.  Is He still forgiving?  Yes.  Is there still room for grace?  Yes.  But along with all of that is an anger that God has against sin.  I think Paul said it best:

“What shall we say, then?  Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means!  We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” –Romans 6:1-2

Too often I’m quick to shower myself with God’s grace.  When I sin, I tell myself that it’s ok and that God will forgive me.  Though this is true, I shouldn’t take my sin so lightly.  God sees it as a serious issue, and so should I.

So should you.

wicked(ness)

i went and saw Wicked yesterday with my family. it was AMAZING! the music - addicting! the sets - astounding! the story - captivating! it did make me think, though...

when i opened up the promo book my mom bought, i saw this quote: "are people born wicked or is wickedness thrust upon them?" (don't worry... i won't spoil anything for those of you that haven't seen it) it's pretty clear from the quote that the play aims to show that the wicked witch was forced into her wickedness - that she had no intention to be wicked but eventually had no choice but to be wicked. although this concept works for the play and we do create some understanding for the witch, this idea is a bunch of hooie.

you always have a choice. elphaba (the witch) had a choice. sure, people made her out to be wicked, but she did not have to adopt what was "thrust" upon her. too often, we use that same excuse for ourselves. "i didn't want to be bad... i was forced to be!" garbage. pure garbage.

i can't get enough of the new cd by RED (redmusiconline.com) called Innocence & Instinct. the first song is called "Fight Inside," which is one of my favorites on the album. here's some of the lyrics:

enemy / familiar friend / my beginning and my end / knowing truth / whispering lies / and it hurts again / what i fear and what i try / the words i say and what i hide / all the pain / i want it to end / but i want it again / and it finds me / the fight inside is coursing through my veins / and it's raging / the fight inside is breaking me again

wickedness is not thrust upon you. it's a battle. it's something you fight for and against. you know what the right thing is to do, but often, you don't do it. it happened me today at work. i wanted to get work done, but i wanted to play dumb games on my comupter. it's a fight.

maybe you agree. maybe you don't. either way, let me know what you think with your comments below...