TEXT: EZEKIEL 20:27-38
Key verse: “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you” (Ezekiel 20:33).
Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers, was said to be a cigarette addict. One day, when he was a young teen, he went behind the family barn, as he was raised from the farm, to satisfy himself with a cigarette, but his father caught him. Spurgeon attempted to diffuse the situation by using an approach, which many youths use when caught doing something wrong, and said to his father: “Dad, the circus is in town. Do you think we can go?” But his father looked at him pitifully and said: “Son, don’t ask your old man for something with a smoldering disobedience in your hand. If you want to go to the circus, drop the smoldering disobedience.”
Israel had broken His precept by their abominable idolatries. God had commanded them to destroy all the monuments of idolatry so that they might not be tempted to desert His sanctuary. Instead of destroying them, they fell in love with them. They offered sacrifices and made their sweet savour, which ought to have been given to God’s altar only.
Judah was equally in that situation. God asked them if they were better than their ancestors. Of course, they were just as bad as their ancestors; they were not only disloyal to God, they went after other gods as prostitutes go with men.
Yet, God would not let them be like the other nations, or be slaves to false gods. He still acknowledged them as His people because He had a covenant with them. But He was angry with them because they turned away from Him. By His great power, He would scatter them across the nations and He would still bring them back.
There is no questioning of God’s dominion: those who will not yield to the power of His grace, shall sink under the power of His wrath. Those who remain unaffected by the power of grace and live without Christ may be sure it is the way to destruction.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It takes a fully surrendered life to closely walk with God.
Be blessed!
-Charity
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