Why Will You Die, Israel?

 

Ezekiel 33:10-20

 

January 20, 2024

 

Why Will You Die, Israel?

“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’  Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

“And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.  Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die.  Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.

“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just.  When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it.  And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this.  Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

 

A verse most of us who attended Church services learned as a child was John 3:16, “For God so love the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  A wonderful truth, but without an understanding of the heart of our Father we will live in confusion.  In Psalm 145, we get insight into our Father in heaven’s heart, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.  Our unsearchable God has through His Son given us understanding of His heart for each of us.  John 3:17-20, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”  

 

Only a purpose-driven life, centered on God understands, that it is all about God and an understanding that He the Master, your Created, your Redeemer. You are His servant that seeking to serve Him only, will you find the live in the full Jesus is talking about in John 10:10.

 

My pastor Ray Still, often reminds us we are all messes and need to keep our eyes on Jesus.  I am one of those big messes, and I have sins in my past that often the enemy brings to my attention, and tells me I am unworthy of God’s love.  I bet that the old serpent is doing this to others, and it is time to see the Father’s thoughts on this in Ezekiel 33, None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.  And that was the heart of God under Law, but now look at Grace.  ^“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Note: Confession is a total agreement with God.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice