Ezekiel is to preach and prophesy against Jerusalem and the sanctuary and the land. It is difficult for us to appreciate how shocking this would be for his hearers. This was their homeland he was preaching against, and Jerusalem the city of God, and within that the very sanctuary of God. The Lord will unsheath His sword and unleash it against them, both the righteous and unrighteous would be cut off from Jerusalem.
Furthermore, Ezekiel is to groan in agony at the terrible things that are about to befall Judah. Imagine how strange this would appear to the people in exile.
Now what are we to learn from this? The first is that it is the heart of people that concerns God above all else. Israel, Jerusalem and the temple were what the people were attached to, but because of the wickedness of the people, because of their idolatrous hearts, God held these places to be of no value and would attack them. We need to be very careful what we attach ourselves to, and to ensure that God is first above all else.
In God's dealing s in our lives it is always the heart that He is concerned with. We focus on practicalities, but God focuses on the heart.
Both the wicked and the righteous would be affected. Things had reached such a depth that even a few righteous people would not save the nation.
Furthermore, Ezekiel is to groan in agony at the terrible things that are about to befall Judah. Imagine how strange this would appear to the people in exile.
Now what are we to learn from this? The first is that it is the heart of people that concerns God above all else. Israel, Jerusalem and the temple were what the people were attached to, but because of the wickedness of the people, because of their idolatrous hearts, God held these places to be of no value and would attack them. We need to be very careful what we attach ourselves to, and to ensure that God is first above all else.
In God's dealing s in our lives it is always the heart that He is concerned with. We focus on practicalities, but God focuses on the heart.
Both the wicked and the righteous would be affected. Things had reached such a depth that even a few righteous people would not save the nation.
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