Author: arevans

Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I  am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against Me and would not obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, I will pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for My names sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were,  in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.   Ezekiel 20:7-9

It appears the Israelites embraced the idols of Egypt while they were its slaves.  The Lord, for His own names sake, delivered them, not because they had been looking to God for deliverance.

She had strong branches for scepters of rulers. She towered in stature above the thick branches, and was seen in her height amid the dense foliage…. And now she  is  planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.   Ezekiel 19:11, 13

In a dry and thirsty land.  What a metaphor for the “land” through which our earthly journey takes us.  Yet He promises streams in the desert, and water gushing—gushing from the Rock!

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself….For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn and live!   Ezekiel 18:20, 32

God desires life, and not death.  He would much rather bless than curse. He pleads with us to turn, and provides even the grace to do it, but the turning is on us.

On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.   Ezekiel 17:23-24

Christ is the low tree which is now exalted above all.  He is the One who makes the dry tree (a sinful man who puts his trust in Him) to flourish.

Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you….Then you shall know that I  am  the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done.   Ezekiel 16:60, 62-63

This atonement was made by Jesus Christ, concerning whose Incarnation Proclus of Constantinople, a fifth-century archbishop, writes:

“For even though it was the beginning of His humanity, His divinity remained beginningless; one form assumed another form, but the Trinity did not increase to a quaternity, for this was a union of two natures, the birth of one Son, and the unconfused union of the Word with the flesh.  He who was born according to the flesh is God from the Father, and man from me. O awesome and wondrous mystery! Who ever saw a king take on the appearance of a condemned man? Or when did the eye ever take in the sight of the entire sun? And when was human flesh ever essentially united without change to God, if not yesterday? When the Virgin was heavy with child, when the Word entered in through her sense of hearing, when the Holy Spirit fashioned the living temple of the body, when the Most High emptied Himself into the form of a servant, when the womb of a virgin contained within herself the mystery of the divine dispensation. O womb wider than the heavens! O birth that bears salvation! O womb of clay and bridal chamber of the Creator! O birth, a ransom for the sin of the world! O mystery, the manner of which I am unable to explain! O birth, not the beginning of God’s existence, not a change of nature, nor a diminishing of power, neither a separation from the beginningless progenitor, but the essential union of God and flesh; the blessing of birth; the advent of God; the wonder hidden by God from the ages; the indivisible mystery of (divine and human) natures; the abolition of the curse; the overturning of the sentence which stood against us; the birth of the one and only Son, His beginningless existence, His birth in the flesh from the Virgin and veneration by all creation, joyfully announced and freely given to all!”

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them.  Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness”, says the Lord God.   Ezekiel 15:7-8

This is surely something that the Lord God takes no delight in.  He is gracious by nature, yet very zealous to accomplish His purpose.  His purpose is to save the world through the sacrifice of the suffering, faithful servant of Israel.

Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it. I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.   Ezekiel 14:13-14

Noah, Daniel and Job were godly men whose ways pleased the Lord.  He refers to them by name.  He knows each of us by name.  Do our ways please Him?  Are we faithful in this faithless generation?

For I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.  Ezekiel 13:23

The Lord God is hidden, as it were, behind the scenes, in a mysterious way that gives space to His creation.  But it won’t always be that way…

For I am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass.  Ezekiel 12:25

The word of God is true.  His promises are sure.  Unfailing.  You can (and better) bet your life on it.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.  And the government will be upon his shoulder.”  Justin Martyr writes that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose government was upon his shoulder, symbolizing the cross by which He would redeem the world, conquer all His enemies, and usher in a new everlasting government of peace.

Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.  And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads.”   Ezekiel 11:17-21

Faithful.  Zealous.  Intentional.  True.  Merciful.  Just.  Loving.  Mighty.  Praise Him!