Why Judgment?

Ezk. 38:23; 39:7, 29

"So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

"And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel... And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD."

Though harsh, God's judgment has a definite purpose. For Israel, it was to show His greatness and holiness as well as His Lordship. Israel had been far removed from God because of their idolatry and disobedience. The result: they had been scattered among the nations. But when God's time is right, He will then turn His face toward them pouring out His Spirit upon them bringing them back into relationship with Him.

But what about judgment for the other nations? Does God have a purpose in judging them? Yes, all the nations must and will know that He is Lord. In fact, they will all bow down before Him. God is King and will reign as king. All people will bow down either because of an internal, personal relationship with God or external judgment shaping their behavior. God's will cannot be thwarted! What He declares will come to pass.

Father,

Your words are true. I believe in You and what You will say. Give me the urgency and passion to share Your love with those who do not know You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

For the Sake of His Holy Name

Ezk. 36:22-28

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.  And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."

What a great illustration of a sovereign God! What He does He does for the sake of His name! Certainly, Israel were and still are His chosen people, as I am His chosen child, but His actions toward them and me are motivated by His sovereign will and plan. Israel profaned His name and was filthy with idolatry, yet God did and will continue to draw them together so that He might cleanse them, give them a new heart, and put His Spirit within them. It was not because they did in any way deserve it, but it was for the sake of His name. The same goes for me. I, in no way, deserve to be chosen His child, yet He did choose me. It was for the sake of His name, the holiness of His name. As with Israel so it is with me. The only way to vindicate the holiness of His great name is to put within us a new heart. We must be supernaturally changed to be His people and for Him to be our God.

Father,
My heart is full of praise as I contemplate the holiness of Your great name, and that because of it, You chose me and saved me!
In Jesus holy name,
Amen

The Human Sheep of His Pasture

Ezk. 34:30-31

"And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD."

When the judgment is over, the Lord Himself will gather His scattered sheep. What a contrast Ezekiel develops between the selfish shepherds and the true shepherd! The false shepherds feed themselves instead of their sheep, eating the fat and clothing themselves with the wool. They do not strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays, or seek the lost, but instead they rule them with force and harshness. Because of this, the sheep were scattered over the face of the whole earth. God speaks out to these shepherds. He declares that He is against them and will require His sheep at their hand. Not only that but He Himself will gather His sheep.

By contrast when God is the shepherd, He will seek and rescue the sheep out of foreign places and bring them into their own land. He will feed them with good pasture and make them lie down. He will bring back the strays, bind up their injuries, strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong He will destroy. Justice will be on that day! And the best part of all, "I will be their God... I am the Lord; I have spoken."This same God is my Shepherd. He sought me and found me. He feeds me and sustains me. He is my God.

Father,

Thank You for being my shepherd, for seeking me when I was lost, for feeding me when I was hungry, and for healing me when I was sick. Thank You for being my God and letting me be Your human sheep.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Faithfulness of His Word

Jer. 24:14

"I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD."

God had spoken. What He says would come to pass! There were prophecies against Jerusalem for her wicked idolatry, but there were also prophecies against Ammon, Moab, Seir, Edom, Philistia, Tyre. God's judgment came on those who refuse to hear His voice and obey. It was a sure thing! Just like all of these prophecies came true, so too, all of God's word is true. It can be counted on and relied on.
 
Father,
Thank You for being faithful to what You say. Help me to believe in Your words and stake my life on them without wavering.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Bear the Consequences

Ezk. 23:35

"Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring."

Jerusalem and Samaria, described as two whoring women, had played their hands beyond redemption. God had no recourse but to let the bear the consequences of their actions. Israel had become dross, dross only good for the furnace. God's wrath would gather Israel in the midst of the furnace of Jerusalem, and He Himself would put them in this furnace. The outcome: God's wrath would consume them. How horrible! God sought for a man to build up the wall and stand in the breach, but there was none. What a desolation when there is no one to stand for God, no one to do His will.

Father,

Keep me ever building Your wall and standing in Your breach. Help me to be faithful to You and Your holiness.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Rebels Reap

Ezk. 20: 13-14

"But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out."

 
The rebel reaps what he sows! If he refuses to walk in God's ways rejecting what God says and profaning His Sabbaths, they the heavy comes down. Where is the dividing line between God's just ice and His mercy? When is enough enough? It must be in the human heart. God must know the heart of man when it is totally turned to evil, when it is beyond redemption. So why does He do this public judgment? So that His name will not be profaned in the sight of the nations. The nations had seen God be the God of Israel, and conversely, they had also witnessed their heinous idolatry. I am sure these nations felt their gods of wood and stone were stronger and more powerful, after all, who was the victor? But God will enlighten all eyes. His judgment reaches the offender and the observer. It purges out the rebellious heart and the transgressors.
 
How bad will this be? Ezk. 21 says that the news of the coming judgment will be so bad that the heart will melt, and the hands will be feeble. Spirits will faint, and knees will be weak as water. If this is so, why don't people believe and change? Why won't they listen to the prophets? Could it be their hearts were full up with rebellion and self-will? There was no room left for the mercy of God to do its cleansing work, only room for a sure and present destruction. What is my heart like? Am I allowing corners of rebellion to coexist with my obedience?
 
Father,
Show me my own heart. Bring your rebellion hunter in and let it find its prey. Give me Your grace and strength to be rid of it completely.
In Jesus name,
Amen

The Soul Who Sins Dies

Ezk. 18:19-23

"Yet you say, 'Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?' When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

"But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"

Each person has to answer to God for their own particular life. The old defense of I was an abused child, I had a terrible home, or I was raised in an environment of evil will not be an excuse for refusing to respond to God. God looks at each individual heart. Each one must examine his or her own life in light of the call of God, an invitation freely offered.

As a sidebar, this section eases the pain of parenting when the child or children chose evil over God. All the parenting in the world cannot change the heart that is bent on doing evil. But the neat thing is that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He offers abundant grace and mercy which is especially meaningful to the parent whose child refuses to follow God. God takes no delight in the death of the wicked. He wants all to respond to His love. God simply says, "So turn and live."  With God there must be a turning to live. A choice must be made.

Father,
Thank You for drawing me to You so that I can be Your child. Help me to shine out to those still trapped within the confines of evil. Let me be Your light to show them the way.
In Jesus name,
Amen