Ezekiel 19 & 20 -- What God Will Do For His Name's Sake

In one of the previous times I’d read chapter 20, I’d noted that God had said three different times that He’d done what He’d done “for the sake of My Name so it would not be dishonored.”  The last thing God wanted to happen was for the people of other nations to laugh at the Israelites’ reliance on Him because it might appear that He couldn’t fulfill His promises.

God’s name is everything.  It speaks of His power and His character, His holiness and His uniqueness.  It was so sacred that the Jewish people would not even speak it out loud, and to prevent that from happening, they removed all of the vowels when they wrote it down, lest they be inadvertently pronounced by someone who didn’t know what they were reading.

In Biblical times, a name described the person, telling one much about him or her.  What could possibly describe our God?  How could one name thoroughly represent all that He is?  We are limited in our understanding of Him by the very limits of our languages here on earth.

One thing is certain – God was willing to deal with even idolaters to cause them to turn back to Himself.  No one was beyond grace.  That condition in and of itself would seem to be putting a limit on what God was willing or able to do.  He wanted none to perish, lest the rest of the world say He failed.  Yet He also had to balance that against His holiness.  A holy God cannot tolerate sin in His presence.

Father, I’m so thrilled that You so zealously guarded Your name and Your reputation.  With the same care that You took back then, You pursued me and brought me back to You – all for the sake of Your name!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford