Good Morning, Siblings!
Read today’s verses on Biblegateway by clicking here
Today’s readings are Ezekiel 5-8
Rabbit Trails
“Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. 6 And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. –Ezekiel 5:5-6
We begin with a bang today with this indictment against Jerusalem. Openly rebelling against the Father’s commandments and openly rejecting His rules, statutes, guidance, and laws. Their judgment will no doubt seem harsh to us with our western mindset because our culture teaches us to see things from our own point of view rather than from His.
We tend to ignore the grace and warnings and pleading and call it harsh when we push him to this point. When we ignore that he says this is coming time and again and then when judgement comes, we cry “Wait! I didn’t know you meant it! I’m sorry then!”
There is a difference between being repentant and being sorry you have to suffer consequences for your actions. The Father knows the difference.
Ezekiel 5:11 speaks of detestable things and abominations. A good rabbit trail to take would be to go back over what we’ve read so far (it holds true throughout the Word so you can go forward if you like) and look at what the Father considers detestable and what He considers an abomination. We see some of this in Ezekiel 8:10 but I encourage you to dig deeper if you’ve a mind to.
Ezekiel 6 mentions idolatry several times and we see, yet again, that the Father considers this adultery against Him. How does it make someone feel when one they have loved and treasured openly flaunts their unfaithfulness? The Father explains perfectly”
I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. -Ezekiel 6:9
(Remember, never just take a verse. Whenever someone gives you a verse, take a chapter. Better yet take a book. Better still, take the whole book. Don’t just trust me when I tell you the Bible says something.)
Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. 4 And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord. – Ezekiel 7:3-4
8 Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. 9 And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who strikes. Ezekiel 7:8-9
Notice that not once does it say the Father will judge us for what is in our heart. “It’s okay, God knows my heart..” is a light healing the world has taught us to apply (Jer 6:14) in order to excuse direct defiance of the Father.
Ezekiel 7:24 There is a difference between “their holy places” and YHWH’s Holy Places.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.” Ezekiel 8:12
How many times have we transgressed, quietly, silently, in solitude, thinking no one sees, telling ourselves that we are hidden from Him, that He is either not taking notice or turning an intentional blind eye just to us because of how He loves us. In reality, how much deeper the knife cuts when it is your beloved child that wields it. Israel had convinced themselves that they were able to live freely according to their own ways, and yet still you can see that inkling of a clue that they knew. They absolutely knew what they did was wrong for they did it in the dark, in their private rooms.
Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord,
And whose deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” Isaiah 29:15
May we so boldy walk in the footsteps of our Messiah, following after the good path laid out by our Father, that we are then able to boldly approach the throne and be called names better than sons and daughters. Isaiah 56:5
Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21
We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!
May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!