Thus They Shall Know I am the Lord!

November 9
Wow! I just read the first 19 chapters of Ezekiel. In spite of the countless times I have read this book, it never occurred to me the number of times God told him to say to Israel, “Thus says the Lord.” At least sixty-five times, in one form or another God tells them the reason He is telling them what is coming before it comes is, "Thus they will know that I am the Lord." And the ominous words, “The Lord has spoken,” would be enough to make me tremble in my shoes. I can barely imagine how Zedekiah must have felt when Jeremiah pronounced his demise and the fall of his kingdom. I trust you realize Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries. Jeremiah spoke to those left in Israel and Judah, while Ezekiel spoke to the exiles in Babylon.


The highlight of today’s reading for me was when God brought Ezekiel back to Israel in the spirit and showed him the abominations being done by the priests and prophets who had been left in the land. God showed Ezekiel how the spiritual leadership of Israel (priests and prophets, and prophetesses), were defiling the temple and ignoring all of His warnings against those abominable practices. As a priest turned prophet himself, I can just imagine how devastating the scene was to Ezekiel. As indicated yesterday, prophets often did things at God’s bidding that were to be a sign to Israel. In Ezekiel 4 he was told to lie on his left side for 490 days and on his right side for 40 days. Those two exercises were to be done in public so Israeli citizens and leadership would be curious about what his actions meant. The 490 days represented the 490 years of the rebellion of Israel. The 40 days represented the 40 years the house of Judah had been rebellious. And, lest anyone conclude no one could do that, just remember, it was done at the bequest of the Creator of the Universe. He never asks us to do anything He doesn’t give us the ability to accomplish. Just imagine someone doing that today in this country. After two or three days, every news camera in America would be trained on him.

America is in dire straits. It's churches have become little more than shrines to our pomp and pride. Most have more programs than they have members. Few of those whom I've met lend little more than lip service to our Lord. The thought of studying God's word daily is absurd to most. Some actually laugh in derision. God save their souls. I hear great multitudes who claim citizenship in the kingdom of God telling crude jokes, cursing, blaspheming our Lord, and just generally living like complete heathens. Millions of bibles sit collecting dust in the corners of rooms or on coffee tables throughout this land. I've been told by many I need to get a real life simply because I spend a good portion of my time daily in study of His word and prayer. I've done if for over 30 years and still find I know so very little about the God who gave it to us. I can't imagine the emptiness religion must bring to so many who care more about what their neighbor thinks of them than God.

Our point for today is this. It is clear from Israel’s history that drastic times called for drastic measures. When evil is rampant, the Spirit of God moves mightily. America is experiencing the kind of rampant evil and rebellion against the revealed will of God as was Israel during the time of Ezekiel. We are a nation of over 300 million people. Only an infinitesimal number of those people do anymore than lend lip service to God. According to Ezekiel 18:32 God takes no pleasure in the death of any man, woman, or child, but that they would turn from their wicked ways and live. He is sending those whom He has called to the task of warning the wicked of the impending judgment they will suffer if they don’t turn from their wickedness. His message is not, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” His message is, “Turn from your wicked ways and live.” While the gospel is most certainly not a message of works salvation, no one should, for even the most fleeting moment, think he can follow Jesus and still follow the ways of the devil. When asked what they had to do, Peter told Israel at Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) Without repentance there is no salvation.

America needs radical surgery. The masses need to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. We are a country that is about to be brought so low it will take a million giant earth movers to find us. I pray daily God will bring revival to this country; but it has to begin in the hearts of those who currently claim to be His disciples. Are you spending the overwhelming majority of your day trying to figure out how you can get more for you and your family? Are you so earthly you are of no heavenly good? God is calling his church to repentance first. One cannot be a true soldier until he disencumbers himself from the web of deceit, selfish ambition, and over-zealous attachment to the things of this life (I John 2:16). Only when we detach ourselves emotionally from things will He will it that we be allowed into His army. The battle is raging. The outcome is already written in antimony with a diamond stylus. For which army are you fighting? And that’s God’s question for us today.