Scripture:
Ezekiel 24: ‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.
14 ” ‘I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.’ “
Observation:
To pretend I fully understand all the aspects of this passage would be folly on my part. But what I do understand is the heart of God. His heart, as expressed in this passage is to come to Ezekiel and prepard him for what is to come. Due to the continual rebellion of the people towards God, action must be taken and God is not going easy here. It is God’s desire to cleanse us. Think of the provision of the sacrifices in the scriptures. These sacrifices were so that people could be clean. Yom Kipur, the day of attonement was so that people could be clean. Here we find them living UNCLEAN and in violation of God’s heart. Their impurity has become lewd. Lewd is best defined as evil, wicked, perverted and obscene. This is counter to the character God wants for us to live in.
Application:
Since God is concerned with our character more than our comfort, He will bring (as He did in this passage) a discipline upon us in whatever form it may take so that we will be changed. Verse 16 goes on to say:
16 “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.
God knows what has become the delight of our eyes and our life and what we have fallen in love with more than Him. With one blow, He can wipe it away from us. Seek God, follow after Him so that our character can grow and we will not bring down His wrath, but rather His grace and glory.
Prayer:
Lord, there are things that have creept in and taken your place in areas of my heart. Help me to see you as the delight of my life and the joy of my heart. Help me to pursue the character you call me to above the comfort or desire of my own life. Thank you Jesus, that you stayed the course and kept God and His will as your delight. Amen.
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