Jerusalem Struck Down

 

Ezekiel 33:21-33

 

January 21, 2024

 

Jerusalem Struck Down

In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.”  Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came, and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’  Therefore, say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land?  You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land?  Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence.  And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through.  Then they will know that I am the Lord when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.

 “As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’  And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.  And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

What happens to a people or a nation when God shuts the mouth of His spokesman? We have not experienced such in the USA, but we do have many who tell the people what they desire to hear. But now God has opened the mouth of Ezekiel, and the bad news is that the people were like many today: They acknowledged God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him.

Like the USA they worship stuff, and themselves, but do not obey the teaching of God.  They enjoyed listening to Ezekiel, even believing he was a prophet of God, but they did as many who heard the message today, left the building and the words they heard had no impact on them.

On this note, I must say what will it take for the Church to awaken to its calling, to by your love they will know you are Jesus' disciples?   What will it take for the Church to love its neighbors as itself, or what will have to happen to love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as you and I were commanded?

What will happen in your life for you to know that God loves you and desires that you obey His teaching? I understand this from my walk, obedience brings blessing, and closeness with the Lord.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice