Ezekiel Chapter 5

Studying and following along the book of Ezekiel has been hard going. Not just because it is a book we seldom referred to and read. Not just because it reflects a period of great pain and difficulty in the chosen race of God. But all the more, it serves as a strong reflection of where we stand today and who we are as God’s chosen people.

Take today’s passage for example, just reading the following verses causes me to pause and take stock:

⁵ “Thus says the Lord God: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. ⁶ She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’ ⁷ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’— ⁸ therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. ⁹ And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. ¹⁰ Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds.

~ Ezekiel 5:5-10 ~

This was the state of Israel:

• She has rebelled against God’s judgments by doing wickedness MORE (emphasis mine) than the nations
• She has rebelled against God’s judgments by going against God’s statues MORE than the countries around her
• She has refused God’s judgments and not walked in God’s statutes
• She has MULTIPLIED disobedience MORE than the nations around her

The people of God were meant to show all the nations around them that they are God’s special people. They were different because they had God on their side. They were special because they were the chosen race.

In the same way, today we are His chosen people. We are meant to be the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth. We are meant to let others see Jesus in us. We are meant to be channels of blessing. We are to trust and obey. We are to be followers in His train. We are meant to sing All of Jesus. We are to be so many things…

We are meant to show the people around us that God’s ways are good and better than anything else in this world.

But are we found wanting?

Just as when God compared the people during the time of Ezekiel against the surrounding nations. Does he find us not having done any of the above? Instead of trusting and obeying, we are faithless and disobedient? Instead of listening to God’s words and following His statutes, we reject His ways and rules and live in greater evil than even the people we are supposed to reach out to?

Let us consider this today and reflect and repent.

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