Monday, July 18, 2016

REBELLIOUS BUT REDEEMED (PART 3)



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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“But the children rebelled against Me: They did not follow My decrees, they were not careful to keep My laws, of which I said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them,’ and they desecrated My Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out My wrath on them and spend My anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld My hand, and for the sake of My name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed My laws but had rejected My decrees and desecrated My Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.”

“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.”

“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will take note of you as you pass under My rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against Me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

“As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to Me and no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and idols. For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘there in the land all the people of Israel will serve Me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for My name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Ezekiel 20:21-26, 30-44

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The theme has been the same across the first two devotions in this three part series.

God’s people have sinned against Him and engaged in idolatrous worship practices, behavior that has deserved the fullest measure of His wrath and punishment. But what we have seen is that although God would never condone the actions of His people, neither would He turn from His nature in the sight of His people and others, a nature that is defined by mercy and grace and forgiveness and love, a nature that eventually brings His people to redemption.

Thus far, we examined the Israelites of old in part one, those who were held captive and oppressed by Pharaoh in Egypt. Despite God’s command for them to turn from the idols of Egypt, His people rebelled against Him in blatant disobedience but God did not hold back rescuing them from the hands of the Pharaoh. He still brought them redemption and deliverance.

This led us to part two where God specifically addressed the children of those redeemed Israelites from Egypt, exhorting them to not repeat the mistakes of their parents. But as we know, the children failed to listen. They engaged in the same sins of those who raised them and thus incited God’s anger to where they deserved to be destroyed in the wilderness. But once again, God relented and chose to allow His people to live. He did not allow them to enter into the Promised Land, the land described as flowing with milk and honey, but He did allow them to survive and usher in a new generation of Israelites.

And this brings us to where we are today as we look at our third and final devotion in the series. Would the children listen to God and turn away from the sins of their ancestors? Would they opt to leave transgressions aside to follow His laws and decrees in obedience? Would they return the Sabbath to a day that was again honored and kept holy?

Let’s look at our scripture passage again for the answers:

“But the children rebelled against Me: They did not follow My decrees, they were not careful to keep My laws, of which I said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them,’ and they desecrated My Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out My wrath on them and spend My anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld My hand, and for the sake of My name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed My laws but had rejected My decrees and desecrated My Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.”

“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.”

“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will take note of you as you pass under My rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against Me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

“As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to Me and no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and idols. For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘there in the land all the people of Israel will serve Me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for My name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

As we see, the children didn’t do any better than their forefathers and foremothers did.

God tells us they:

1. rebelled against Him.

2. failed to follow His decrees.

3. were not careful to keep His laws.

4. desecrated His Sabbaths.

5. defiled themselves by lusting after vile images and idols, a practice deemed detestable by God.

6. stubbornly insisted in worshiping idols of wood and stone like the other nations of the world.

Not exactly actions that are going to put you on God’s good behavior list. We know so because of His response to His people’s wicked behavior. They decided to disregard and disrespect God and so He promised them the following in response to their sin:

1. He would pour out His wrath on them.

2. He would pour out His anger on them in the wilderness.

3. He would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

4. He gave them statutes that weren’t good and laws they couldn’t live under.

5. He defiled them through their own gifts so they would be filled with horror from their actions.

6. He refused to allow them to inquire of Him. If they wanted to shun Him, they would see what being shunned felt like.

Ultimately, the people thought they were going to get their way but they were dead wrong in that assumption. After all, they were up against the Lord God Almighty, the Maker of all things, their Master who assured them that the sinful things they had in mind were not going to take place under His reign. For He would summon His people before Him and they would answer for their rebellion and wickedness just as their ancestors had. Those who still chose to revolt and rebel against God would be purged and He would begin anew with people who wished to repent and live, those who desired to turn away from sin and toward His righteousness. God would bring these recommitted Israelites back into the “bond of the covenant with Him” and usher them into the land of Israel where they all would serve Him and Him alone, listening to Him and no longer profaning His name. At home in the Promised Land, God would require His people to return to the worship practices He prescribed, bringing offerings, choice gifts and holy sacrifices to Him. And once back in the fold with God and devoted to Him fully, the Israelites would remember their sinful conduct and loathe how they had rebelled against the very God who had showed them redemption and mercy.

As we close this series, the word of God is asking us to self examine where we are in our relationship with the Lord, our Maker and Master, the One who reigns over us.

Are we openly sinning and rebelling against Him without reservation regarding our actions?

Are we disrespecting and dishonoring Him without regard for who He is and who we are before Him?

Are we intentionally forcing the hand of a God who despises sin and will send punishment upon anyone who decides to willfully and willingly commit evil in His sight?

If we are answering “yes” to any of these questions, then we are no better than the Old Testament Israelites God is discussing in Ezekiel, Chapter 20. Like them, we are repeating the mistakes of the past and it’s time to wake up before it’s too late.

For rest assured of two things:

First, God is not going to allow sin to go unchecked. He will send consequences on those who stubbornly rebel against Him and opt for their will and way over His.

But be equally sure that God will again show mercy and grace and forgiveness and love to His people who turn away from their wickedness and recommit themselves to Him. He will bring redemption to His rebellious ones today just as He has done for the ages.

It’s little wonder why they refer to His forgiveness and pardon as “amazing grace”.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark

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