Imagine
if God called you to a calling in the Church and told you your calling will
yield no success in any way. The people will be not be interested in what you
do, they will not listen to you and your efforts will be wasted. Yet He told
you He wanted you to do it and if you didn’t do it, He would make you accountable
on Judgment Day for their sins. Would you do it?
This
was Ezekiel’s life in exile. Having been appointed as a ‘watchman unto the
house of Israel’ in Babylonia, God made it clear to Ezekiel that if he didn’t step
up to this responsibility, He would hold him responsible for Israel’s sins
(Ezekiel 3:17-21).
And
this is an interesting thing….Ezekiel was instructed of God to stage the
predictions of the fall of Kingdom of Judah which one could say were nothing
short of theatrics (see chapters 4 and 5). He wanted the exiles to know of the
fate of the rebellious house of Israel and thus call them to repentance. With
every instruction the Lord gave Ezekiel, He told him the people will not
believe him because ‘the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted’ (Ezekiel
2:7).
Six
times He called the Israelites ‘a rebellious house’ (Ezekiel 2:5,6,7,9,26,27). And
not only would they not believe him but they would gather to listen to him and consider
him as entertainment (Ezekiel 33:30-33). Imagine an ancient amphitheatre with
eager Jews clutching buckets of popcorn in anticipation to hear ‘the latest
crazy thing’ Ezekiel had to tell them and
show them. My heart bleeds when I read about this man…..
I
am amazed that Jehovah would even waste His time with those He knows would not
repent. Because of His foreknowledge, He knew which one of us would be saved
and which would be lost. You would think because of this foreknowledge the
Saviour didn’t have to atone for everyone. It would certainly lessen the pain
of Gethsemane. Yet He hung on the cross despite His power to end it, until
every soul was accounted and atoned for, until He could say: “It is finished”
(John 19:30).
Most
of us would say it is because of His love and mercy. We seem to focus on these
two attributes the most these days but the Saviour is a God with the full
spectrum of emotions and a perfect balance of attributes. I have been
collecting evidence of this through the scriptures for years. I have come
across numerous scriptures too lengthy to list here where He speaks of His
fury, anger and even hatred when He deals with unrepentant people and nations.
I will mention a couple in Ezekiel: “I have
spoken in my jealousy and in my fury…” (35:5,6); “I will send mine anger upon
thee…mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity, but I will
recompense thy ways upon thee….and all thine abominations” (7:3). In fact, the
exact phrase “neither will I have pity” shows up three more times in Ezekiel –
7:9; 8:18 and 9:10. In the last three scriptures the Lord pairs it with “mine
eye shall not spare”, as part of a warning of judgment on persistent
wickedness.
We
can be assured that God’s mercy and love has a different side to it than we think.
It also manifests itself as chastisement. If we need correction and misfortune
to bring us back to Him, He will bring such upon us without hesitation. I have
an inactive daughter who no longer lives the Gospel. I have done everything
possible for her over the years. When I came to the end of my self-sacrificial
road for her and could do no more, I left her in God’s hands. I no longer even
pray for her because I am aware that she might have to be brought down to her
knees to repent and return. If I prayed for her protection, ease and comfort in
her current state, these blessings might just be the worse thing for her so I
refrain not wanting to sabotage her progress and trust God to know best what
she needs for her repentance.
Why
would the Lord be so steadfast in doing whatever is necessary to ensure our
return? Because He is where the salvation lies. He didn’t climb up onto that
cross at Calvary for fun. If he was willing to save us back then, He is willing
still. And thank goodness for that because without chastening some of would
never reach the heights of salvation but would end up like spoilt, insufferable
children not capable of much in this life or the next. And that is just not
acceptable.
I
stood on holy ground of your fragile heart
And
saw your tender moments
Bathed
in hurtful tears.
I
saw your sins that you tried in vain to hide,
And
the years you lived with futile pride.
I
bore your life with crimson drops
And
sought forgiveness on your behalf;
To
pay the price of justice
And
mend your broken heart.
I
wait for you to come
Into
the shadow of my wings;
I
have paid the price: come unto Me,
Your
God and Your King.
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