Ezekiel 33 - "You, son of man, are the watchman. I've made you a watchman for Israel. The minute you hear a message from me, warn them. Tell your people, 'A good person's good life won't save him when he decides to rebel...
Ezekiel 33:20 "'Still, you keep on saying, "The Master's way isn't fair." We'll see, Israel. I'll decide on each of you exactly according to how you live.'" And, they'll realize that I am God when I devastate the country because of all the obscenities they've practiced.
30 -32 "As for you, son of man, you've become quite the talk of the town. Your people meet on street corners and in front of their houses and say, 'Let's go hear the latest news from God.' They show up and sit in your company. They listen to you speak, but don't do a thing you say. They flatter you with compliments, but all they care about is making money and getting ahead. To them you're merely entertainment—a country singer of sad love songs, playing a guitar. They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it.
Ezekiel 33:33 When all this happens—things like God calling Pharaoh a pompous old goat and reducing him to an unhallowed grave, crashing the city to smithereens —they'll realize that a prophet was among them."
I'm so taken with Ezekiel's humble calling. "To this one I look, he who is humble and contrite and trembles at His Word." Isaiah 66:2 Here's a man who does all three even in the midst of his own tragedy, losing the love of his life.
Do I realize there is prophet among us? Another day dawns and a little more fresh hope. Who is like Ezekiel speaking God's Words to us today? Do I realize that HE is God this moment, this week, this life?
These chapters made me think about how I live my life. Am I trusting in the fact that I'm a so-called good person? Don't we all think that of ourselves??
ReplyDeleteYet I know that my pride is an affront to God. Even today, in my heart, I was secretly happy when I heard of another's misfortune - someone who did me wrong. Yet God promises Pharoah that He's going to lay his pride low. Yikes - what a warning.
Thankfully, God says he takes no pleasure from the death of the wicked. He wants the wicked to change their ways and live. I'm so thankful that, through Christ, I have access to God and a full measure of His grace and forgiveness. I know my behavior and right living will never get me to God. I'm especially grateful for His kindness and for the conviction of sin in my life.
I wondered the same thing you did, Bev. Who is the Ezekiel in my life that I should be listening to? I pray that God will give me eyes to see and ears to hear.