Following up on last week’s blog, I would like to share something from Ezekiel 5 which I believe to be relevant. We have been studying Ezekiel the past couple of weeks in our Tuesday Bible Study and will be for at least a couple more. God is bringing judgment upon the nation of Judah (southern Israel) for their sins and unfaithfulness to him, clearly demonstrated in their idolatry and immorality. In chapter 5, Ezekiel declares that their judgment will be horrific because their sins were greater than those of the heathen nations around them.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her. And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied [disobedience] more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations. Ezekiel 5:5-9
How were they worse than the others?
They were chosen by God, were miraculously delivered out of Egypt, received the Law, received the land, were warned again and again by the prophets, but still turned away from God into idolatry and wickedness anyway. And sadly, it seems, we are headed in a similar direction ourselves, as a nation and a society, and see no need for repentance. We are allowing the world to redefine morality, “calling good, evil and evil, good” with little challenge from us. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
For instance, killing an unborn child is not a sin but killing a cow or a pig or a crow is. Young people engaging in wanton sexual immorality, “hooking up” is not sin but preaching against it is. Homosexuality is not a sin, it is a lifestyle choice, while encouraging someone to repent of it, is hateful. Handing out condoms or needles or selling pot to young people is caring but handing out Bibles or tracts is detestable. Vandalizing and stealing from private businesses is understandable but trying to protect one’s personal property is criminal. Disobeying God ordained authority is laudable but prosecuting and putting people in jail for committing crimes is horrible. Expecting able bodied people to provide for their own is insensitive while demanding people give up more and more of their hard-earned wealth is virtuous. Teaching kids they are nothing more than animals is good education while telling them God created them in His image is vile oppression. Shouting obscenities and taking God’s name in vain is funny and cool, but telling others that Jesus is the only way to heaven is bigotry, and the list goes on and on. You see where we are headed? And we wonder why our nation and society is in chaos! The problem is we, genuine born-again Christians, do not see where we are headed or do not seem to care. We are short-sighted, and we are so wrapped up in our own financial and physical health, that we do not see the tsunami coming, and when we wake up- it is going to be too late.
It is no wonder that our schools are failing our young people, that our families are falling apart, that our government is full of liars and crooks, and that our churches have either compromised with the world or are dying. It is no wonder that there is violence in the streets and more and more of our young people are alcoholics, drug addicts, sexual deviants and suicidal. It is no wonder that we are divided against each other, hate is on the rise and personal responsibility is on the decline. We have turned our backs on God, His Word, His Son, His salvation and His sense of justice and morality. Sodom and Gomorrah, here we come! But there is yet hope and there is yet a way of escape for both the individual and the society, if we wake up in time to take it. Judah did not!
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
We need desperately to turn from our wicked ways back to the Lord and His Word. We need to pray for enlightenment and repentance (revival) in our nation. No, the U.S.A. is not Israel, but we have been blessed and protected by Almighty God because we were a nation which once respected God and His Word. We, the church, are not Israel either, but we are God’s people of today. And if we would see souls saved, lives changed and revival in our country, we must get on our knees, repent of our sins, pray for our neighbors, stand up for God and right and proclaim the good news of the Gospel to all.
Regardless of the chaos around us: God still hears the prayers of His people, will never forsake His own, and is still in the business of saving souls and changing lives. Don’t ever give up on God, but please do not give Him reason to give up on us. Please do not let these words from Ezekiel be the epitaph on the tombstone of our day.
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.Ezekiel 22:30