October 31st | Ezekiel 20

Having children will test your patience, especially toddlers. I remember my daughter was around 4 years old, and she had a small Lego piece in her nose. I saw it and told her to freeze. Then very slowly and clearly, I said, “Sweetie, gently blow out your nose.” She locked eyes with me, nodded her head, then promptly sucked the Lego up deep into her nasal cavity! After 5 hours, one ER visit, and an urgent care visit, we made it back home, nose clear of all Lego debris. Small children test your patience, but also teenagers, and I’m sure even adult children do as well!  In Ezekiel, the Lord recounted His relationship thus far with Israel. It was very much like that of a parent and a wayward child. 

Ezekiel 20:6-8 “On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. 7 And I said to them, ‘Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.” 

If I were the Lord, I would have been done with Israel. To pull them out of Egypt just for them to ignore you? I would not tolerate that! And that is why I am not God. God didn’t jump ship or start over; He had made a covenant promise to rescue these people and be their God, and He would not break that covenant. 

Ezekiel 20:40-44 “For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. 41 As a pleasing aroma, I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. 43 And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. 44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”

Did you notice that God said He would deal with them for His name’s sake, not according to their evil ways? Our God is merciful! He doesn’t treat them with the just wrath they deserve, but based upon His promise to rescue and love them. 

Praise God that today we rest under the mercy of God. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we are not judged by our sin but by the sinless one, Christ. We are measured not by our works but by the work of Jesus on the cross. Rejoice today, Christian, because even though we sin, we are judged on the covenant faithfulness of Christ. Let that truth propel you to love and serve your Savior.