QT 7/4/2023 Ezek 14:12-23, Getting serious before it is too late

 

Ezekiel 14:12–23 (ESV) —

12 And the word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, 14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.

15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even if these three men were in it, . . .

17 “Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, 18 though these three men were in it, . . .

19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, 20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, . . .

21 “For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22 But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23 They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God.”

 

NOTE: "These three men" -- what a wonderful commendation for Noah, Daniel, and Job. None of these men served the Jewish nation, per se. Although, Daniel, was a Jew, but his ministry seemed to be for the sake of the Babylonians, such as Nebuchadnezzar.  Job is an example of wild beasts, sword, and a pestilence. His righteousness could not stop the effect either (this leads to a much longer discussion on the real reason for Job's suffering, although Heb 12:5-6 addresses it). Noah lived in a time of great unrighteousness. He lost almost everything but his family even though he was righteous. The real point is there are these times in history, where God's judgment cannot be postponed or forgiven. There are irrevocable decisions and, after a time, irrevocable behavior that carries judgment -- which is why we must never give up in our battle against sin. The writer of Hebrews seems to have the same thought:

 

Hebrews 12:3–6 (ESV) — 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

 

Sin is as dangerous to our lives as it is to our soul, even as a believer, because it destroys our effectiveness. And if we cannot be effective as a witness for Jesus in this life, why are we here?

 

PONDER:

1. Am I serious about my walk with God, my witness, and my pursuit of holiness?

 

PRAYER: Father, I need your mercy but I also must be faithful. I know I will fail, but I must never accept failure. Therefore I pray,

 

Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV) —

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

 

Yes, Lord, every morning is a new morning to serve you in holiness and righteousness.