In a recent reading through the Ezekiel – a book with many rich gleanings of wisdom for living today as well as prophecy concerning the last days – chapter 33 was made particularly striking to me, giving rise to repeated reading. It was not a new thought which struck me but rather the intensity of something well known being made to sink deeper still within: It matters to God and before God how we live. It is beneficial to ponder that for a while, and let it have its work in us, our hearts, our consciences, our desires, our motives, our intentions and our wills. It is not a matter for joke or to be skipped over glibly – for God will deal with us according to our ways. Yes, including His beloved children!
As I read Scripture at Ezekiel 33:20 concerning that generation of His people Israel, which says, “O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his ways,”, the words of Lord Yeshua to His church recorded at Revelation 2:23 came to mind. There, speaking concerning the sins of a so-called prophetess in ‘the church in Thyatira’ and concerning those who followed her in those sins – her spiritual children – the Lord after laying out her sins, the fact that He had given time for her to repent and that she did not do this, says this:
Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works (Revelation 2:22-23).
Sobering truth – but made clear for us all! The passage speaks of taking note to the warnings of God to turn from wickedness while you can, and to remain in righteousness, without trusting in your own righteousness (note e.g. Luke 18:9-14), but in God through heart-obedience to Him. That generation of Israel for the most part did not listen and there was no hope of escape from the judgment that came, because not only was it so bad but, despite repeated opportunities given to them, they did not change their ways.
There is a key lesson for us all in reading this chapter of Ezekiel (and others like it) and that is to be on guard against self-deception and delusion, self-righteousness, arrogant self-reliance and rank hypocrisy, especially by claiming to love God and His word, but in actuality, only paying lip service to this. How could this be possible among believers in Messiah today? Through our hearts being lured to pursue other things, inadvertently as well as blatantly!
We do, after all, live in the days of deception, as God through the Scriptures warns us of (see e.g. Matthew 24:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Timothy 4:1-2 etc) – can anyone of us say with full confidence, ‘I have never been self-deceived or otherwise, and never will be’? We are all to be watchful, including about slipping into merely paying lip service to the word of God but in actuality, pursuing our own things, ways and agendas. There is a need to guard against the deception that is “churchianity” – i.e. enjoying hearing (some) of the teachings of Lord Jesus in a church setting, singing songs that appeal to the emotions rather then true worship of Almighty God and His greatness, the cliques and friendships and benefits of being with those who only want to do good for others – all the time not really heeding the commands of the Lord, the work and cause of the Lord and not discerning His presence in the midst. If indeed, the Lord is really in the midst of some congregations today! And after a pleasant hour or two, each one departs into their compartmentalised lives, which may or may not touch the lives of other congregants during the week, until the next Sunday. Consider the word of God concerning His people Judah to His prophet Ezekiel:
“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. (Ezekiel 33:30-33).
Seen and received in the right light, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the applications of this passage after the primary one, are various – and they are instructive for us all who live in these days of ‘perilous times’ (2 Timothy 3:1). Consider reading the whole of Ezekiel 33 again. May the Spirit of the Lord enable us to be watchful of ourselves and over one another as the word of God exhorts, that we may not drift from The Word of God, Lord Yeshua, and actual obedience to Him in the way we live out our lives. The Lord is coming soon – beware of snares and the ‘wiles of the devil’ seeking to trick us into believing it doesn’t matter how we live. The word of God at 2 Peter 3:8-18 comes to mind just now:
Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they wilfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
It really does matter to God how we as His people live.
Until He calls or comes, Shalom and God bless you.
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