Ezekiel 6 -- God's Ultimate Purpose

You can feel God’s heart wreaking in this chapter, like that of a parent mourning the tragic disobedience of a wayward child and the effect that has had on their relationship.  Again God describes the methods He will use to rid the Promised Land of His people who could no longer be called His people.  But yet again God lets hope peek through – “But I will leave some people alive …” and He rehearses their path back to Him:  “Then those who have escaped will remember Me … They will remember how I was hurt because they were unfaithful to Me and turned away from Me and desired to worship their idols.  They will hate themselves because of the evil things they did that I hate.  Then they will know that I am the Lord.  I did not bring this terrible thing on them for no reason.”

There was something deeper here, too, that God seems to be signaling by shear repetition:

“Then you will know that I am the Lord (v7)…

Then they will know that I am the Lord (v 10) …

Then you will know that I am the Lord (v 13) …

Then they will know that I am the Lord (v 14) …”

That seems to be something that we as humans either fail to see or do not desire to admit – that God Himself is the Boss of our lives!  And is there significance in the change from “you” to “they”?  “You” seems to mean those already in captivity in Babylon, watching as Jerusalem is invaded, while “they” seems to indicate those in Jerusalem who are about to either die or become part of the faithful remnant, depending on whether they know God and recognize Him as Lord.  It could perhaps even mean the Babylonian invaders, who will see God’s power in their conquest.  God’s desire is for all the world to know Him fully.  And because the Bible says, “One day every knee shall bow,” I suppose that everyone WILL know Him – some unfortunately from the lake of fire as they realize how wrong they were in their assessment of Him when He triumphs over Satan, and the rest who came to know Him and trust Him, who yielded their lives to him and will one day share heaven with Him.  Regardless of future position, every person will know God.  How crazy to end up on the wrong side!

Father, sin blinds, and just as Your own people failed utterly to recognize You and submit themselves to You in these chapters, people today face the same dilemma.  They worship self instead of You.  Please help me to wake up those You place before me.  Give me a mission and a ministry now.  Point me to those You are wanting to show Yourself to.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford