Repent
A passage in the book of Ezekiel refers to actions taken by the people of God, in direct contradictions to the way God would have them conduct themselves. His response is to refuse to answer their cries for an explanation and to remove the people from their positions and land.
Ezekiel 20:27-31 (NLT) “Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, 28 for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them. 29 I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)
30 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshipping vile images? 31 For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.
Through his prophet, Ezekiel, judgement was being called. Those taken in captivity in Babylon were given time (70 years) to dwell on the state of affairs of the nation they had become and to repent. To turn from one thing, and to turn towards another. Only when this process had taken place did God relent and place the people back in the land he had promised them.
Vs 31 is very confronting, "child sacrifice" is mentioned. The lowest point in the people's lives, to kill their own offspring in the misguided desire to get "better things" for themselves. to put their trust in a false deity who they thought would respond to this bargaining as opposed to the true God who specifically told them not to copy the behaviours of the other nations.
Even with this abhorrent behaviour God does not abandon and give up. He puts a remnant through purifying circumstances, which will allow them the time and wisdom to repent. To turn from false idols to that of trusting in God's promises.
We need to be careful Dear Reader. Sometimes circumstances are just because we live "in a fallen world", not everything bad that happens is a result of our fault. Others, we bring on our selves.
The solution, to repent, to run from behaviours which God has deemed unacceptable, and to move towards the actions He says He uses to bring blessing into our lives.
Sometime we can't do anything about things, but often we will find we can repent and see our circumstances change.
May we have the wisdom to discern the difference
Ezekiel 20:27-31 (NLT) “Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, 28 for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them. 29 I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)
30 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshipping vile images? 31 For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.
Through his prophet, Ezekiel, judgement was being called. Those taken in captivity in Babylon were given time (70 years) to dwell on the state of affairs of the nation they had become and to repent. To turn from one thing, and to turn towards another. Only when this process had taken place did God relent and place the people back in the land he had promised them.
Vs 31 is very confronting, "child sacrifice" is mentioned. The lowest point in the people's lives, to kill their own offspring in the misguided desire to get "better things" for themselves. to put their trust in a false deity who they thought would respond to this bargaining as opposed to the true God who specifically told them not to copy the behaviours of the other nations.
Even with this abhorrent behaviour God does not abandon and give up. He puts a remnant through purifying circumstances, which will allow them the time and wisdom to repent. To turn from false idols to that of trusting in God's promises.
We need to be careful Dear Reader. Sometimes circumstances are just because we live "in a fallen world", not everything bad that happens is a result of our fault. Others, we bring on our selves.
The solution, to repent, to run from behaviours which God has deemed unacceptable, and to move towards the actions He says He uses to bring blessing into our lives.
Sometime we can't do anything about things, but often we will find we can repent and see our circumstances change.
May we have the wisdom to discern the difference
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