Repent and Live

Ezekiel is one crazy book of the Bible. I've avoided it most of my life because of its bizarre imagery, most of which I never truly could understand. I mean he shaves his head and beard with a sword, lays on his side for 390 days, cooks food over excrement and sees wheels covered in eyeballs. Weird stuff. But I'm reading through the Bible chronologically this year, so I'm diving in headfirst with Ezekiel. And I've learned so much from it. Wish I'd have done this sooner.

Ezekiel prophesied at the tail end of the reign of Israel's kings (the Judah/Southern Kingdom). These kings were continuing the years and years of disobedience, breaking God's laws, worshipping idols and performing all kinds of heinous acts. The Lord sent messenger after messenger to warn His children to obey, but they refused. Repent and live, is His constant plea. He pursued them. They turned away.

I've come to the conclusion that Ezekiel is all about how God had had enough. He sends Ezekiel to his children in Jerusalem to tell them the jig is up. He's done and they are about to be conquered by the Babylonians. And He repeats over and over again, "Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord." Ez. 23:49b.

Of course Judah is conquered by the Babylonians, and the Israelites are in exile for 70 years. After that period of time, the Jews are never again in history accused of idolatry. They learned their lesson ... the hard way.

It made me think of God's children who are refusing Him today. The Ricky Gervaises and Richard Dawkins of the worlds. There will come a day when the Almighty has had enough. And woe to those, truly. What the Israelites received in the form of punishment from this holy, just, loving God - famine, plague, war, captivity, death - is nothing compared to what those who refuse His Son will reap in the end.

Ezekiel chapter 18 is all about how each soul is responsible for their own sin and their own repentence ... and ultimately their own eternity. And He promised in 16:63 that when He makes atonement for us in Christ Jesus, that we will be ashamed. God says to the Israelites in 22:14 "Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you?" Woe to those who think that time will not come.

I prayed today for those who are so arrogant to proclaim there is no God. Psalm 14:1 says "A fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" I am praying these children will turn back to our Father who loves them so much and promises such an abundant life in Him. The message is clear. The message is love, mercy and grace. The requirement is repentance and obedience.

Christians, we need to be praying relentlessly for our lost brothers and sisters. We need to speak to them about Jesus, as Ez. 2:7 says, "whether they listen or fail to listen." When God says in Ez. 22:30 "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not destroy it, but I found none," my heart sank a bit in me. How many of us do not stand in the gap? We live in a country so blessed by God, yet our culture is slipping into the same detestable practices as the Israelites. We need to be courageous, bold and persistant in Christ's commission to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

Ezekiel 36 promises hope when we've repented: "I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you" (verse 26); "I will save you from all your uncleanness" (verse 29); "You will be my people and I will be your God" (verse 28). What peace! What joy! Glory to Him!

For those reading this today who have turned away from the One who created and loves you, I share in Ezekiel's message ... repent and live.