WHAT GETS YOU IN TROUBLE WITH GOD (PART 1)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

 “See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.”

Ezekiel 22:6

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

What happens when a city allows itself to be defined by its immorality and vice?

It gets a bad reputation in the eyes of the public and the sight of God.

Take the city of Las Vegas for example. The city almost prides itself on its nickname, “Sin City”, advertising openly that “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”, an allusion that people will engage in wicked behaviors in Las Vegas that no one else should know about. It’s amazing that we have a place like this that wants to glorify transgressions and vice but we do.

Go back to Old Testament days and you would say that the city of Jerusalem was the anti-Las Vegas, renowned for its holiness and righteousness, for being a city favored so much by God that His presence dwelt in the city’s holy temple. Where Las Vegas has a reputation for iniquity, Jerusalem’s reputation was laid on a foundation of divinity.

The two municipalities could not have been more different at first. But then something happened in Ezekiel’s day, the prophet whose book we have been studying from. For the people of Jerusalem, following the lead of their evil leadership, allowed the once hallowed and sanctified city to fall out of God’s favor and into His judgment, disgraced and disavowed by the God who had always watched over them and kept them in His care.

So what got the people of Jerusalem in trouble with God?

Well, today we will begin a nine part devotional series focused on the specific crimes God convicted His people of committing in Jerusalem, crimes which led to Him imparting His punishment upon them.

You see, almost unbelievably, Jerusalem had changed, becoming an Old Testament version of “Sin City”, unashamedly sinning against God in many different ways as we will see in this series. Let’s look at the Lord’s first indictment against His people here:

 “See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.” Ezekiel 22:6 (NIV)

To get a better feel for what God is saying here, let’s look at this verse from several other Bible translations:

“Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.” NLT

“The princes of Israel in you, everyone according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.” NRSV

“Your own leaders use their power to murder.” CEV

“All Israel's leaders trust in their own strength and commit murder.” GNT

As we look at these four interpretations of the same verse, we learn a lot more than we would by simply looking at one. For example:

1. It wasn’t just the princes of Israel but all its leaders who were guilty of shedding the blood of others.

2. This shedding of blood by Israel’s leaders was not justified but rather sinful. God had commanded His people to not murder and yet here were His people’s leaders doing just that.

3. These leaders were not acting in accordance with God’s guidance and direction but rather by their own strength. They were following their own will and way, not His, and this leads to the final point.

4. The leaders of Israel were essentially abusing their power and authority. They murdered because they could. After all, who was going to challenge their decisions? They were ruling and reigning over the people.

In the end translation, the sanctified and purified city of Jerusalem turned into the bloody city, defiled and tainted by the iniquities of its leaders and the people they led. Israel’s leaders, tasked by God to be facilitators of justice and His righteousness, were anything but just and righteous. They perpetrated violence, murdering whoever they wanted to get rid of. Such was their disregard for humanity that they felt their clout authorized them to do whatever they wanted to do. Ultimately, their blatant disobedience and disrespect toward God set the tone that the people they led adopted for themselves.

And so God did what He had to do. He took action against the “sin city” of Jerusalem and when the Babylonians were finished, the city was left demolished and in ruins. Even God’s temple was laid to waste after God’s presence departed.   

As I read current events today, I can’t help but think that another city is going to face the same judgment from God as its leaders lead the people down the road of sinfulness. So many corrupt governments exist that sanction and bless the shedding of blood, feeling they have the authority to authorize such action. They would be well served to pay attention to the history of God’s people as found in the scriptures.

For Sodom and Gomorrah fell and fell hard.

As we have seen today, Jerusalem sinned and fell at the hands of God.

Further, every major empire that has ever stood against God has collapsed under the weight of His punishment.

It’s what happens when a collective group of people behave in a way that gets them in trouble with God and it should make us ask the question:

Who’s next?

Tomorrow, we’ll look at Part 2.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
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