Ezekiel 5 -- The Hope

God gave Ezekiel another action sermon.  In something totally out of character for a Jewish man and particularly a priest, Ezekiel obeyed by shaving his head and his beard with a sword.  The people watching him would have been shocked.  And he was to illustrate what God would be doing with the inhabitants of Jerusalem by what he did with the hair clippings.  One-third would die of famine and disease inside Jerusalem.  One-third would be killed by Babylonian soldiers.  The remaining third would be scattered to the winds or taken as exiles to Babylon. 

God cited His reasons for doing this and no one could dare challenge Him.  He wasn’t withholding punishment because they were His people, but instead they were being punished above and beyond what any others had ever endured because they WERE His people and should have been a witness to others!  He said, “I will have no pity, and will show no mercy.”  They had presumed on His grace and mercy and would now pay for it. 

But there was hope:  “Then My anger will come to an end.  I will use it up against them, and then I will be satisfied … After I have carried out my anger against them, they will know how strongly I felt.”

My commentary mentioned, “God’s anger against sin is a holy anger, not a temper tantrum, for He is a holy God.”  There’s absolutely no room for anyone to get mad at God for doing this, because He was absolutely right in doing it.  They absolutely deserved everything that would happen to them.  Period.

Father, it’s often tough for us to see this side of You, because our focus so much of the time is Your love, but Your holiness is just as important and it demands much from us.  We too are privileged to be called Your people, and “privilege involves responsibility and accountability,” my commentary says.  You always leave hope, and tucked into this story were the few hair clippings You directed Ezekiel to tie into the folds of his clothes, representing the faithful remnant.  Help me to be part of that faithful remnant, Father, even as I go through so much right now.  Don’t let me fail to honor You in all that I do.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford