I know – it’s a commentary. You feel like yawning. But, wow! The book of Ezekiel has arrested me! Warren Wiersbe’s commentary has been great to help me get my arms around this book about our Dazzling God!
“People who forget God gradually become their own god and begin to disobey God’s Word, mistreat other people, and take God’s gifts for granted.” Wiersbe – P 107
The people of Israel in Ezekiel’s day had forgotten God. They called on other nations to help them survive, instead of trusting God. They worshipped the same idols as the pagan nations around them. They divorced. The committed adultery. They winked their eyes at others who did the same. They sacrificed their children to the fiery mouths of the idols.
Israel wanted their cake and eat it, too. They wanted to have the God of Israel blessing them and dwelling with them, but they wanted to worship idols, too. So God removed Himself, allowing them to see what life was really like without Him. (church discipline). No blessings. No temple. No worship traditions. No fellowship with Him. No word from Him. Those things were the fabric of life, and the people of Israel would find that out as captives in Babylon for 70 years.
The American church today is eerily in the same place. We love the world. We skip church for sporting events, for family get-togethers, for good weather, for bad weather, and for our children’s travelling basketball teams. We are no longer sharing the Good News of Jesus because we want to wait until we are sure we won’t offend. We depend on our jobs, our checking accounts, and our insurance to keep us safe. We leave our churches when we find another church with more of what we want. We divorce. We commit adultery. We openly hate any who tell us the truth about all of this. We accept sinful lifestyles as normal and say nothing. And we teach our children to do the same. We sacrifice our children.
We want our cake and eat it, too.
Lord, is it time for no comfortable church buildings. No fellowship. No worship experiences. No Bible teaching. No Christian friends. No blessings? Do we need the Lord to remove Himself so that we will remember He is the fabric of life? Do we need to remember God?
Ezekiel saw God. He was Dazzling! He could not be forgotten!. He will not be forgotten.
Bible Studies by Kathleen Dalton 