In This Issue:
“… They Shall Know That I Am the Lord”
“How Many Do You Count Me?”
The Hand of God Was Against Them
Retaliation?
Volume: 967 July 22, 2024
Theme: No One Gets Away with Sin
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“… They Shall Know That I Am The Lord.”
Bill Brinkworth
While reading the book of Ezekiel, a phrase that occurred 24 times made me curious. It is the phrase “…they shall know that I am the Lord”. Although Ezekiel’s warnings and prophecies were to the Jews before and after the fall and capture of Jerusalem (around 587 BC), today, we can also learn from God’s warnings to those people. What angered God then, if repeated today, will also anger Him now.
My first query when I encountered the phrase was, “How did they know God was judging them?” The context around those phrases revealed what happened to them when the wrath of God was upon them. Here is a summation of how they suffered when God used circumstances to teach them a lesson:
- Their land became unprofitable and a wasteland. In comparing what wayward Israel suffered, I see many similarities in what is happening to America today. Our country is not providing what it once did. Not very long ago, our country provided much for other nations. Today, our country relies on too many things from different countries. It may not be long until God’s wrath makes us more desolate. Lack of jobs and failure of the economy also happened to Israel. (Ez. 6:14, 29:9)
- They reaped what they had sown. (Ez. 7:27) When any country, be it Israel or America, turns against God and does not follow His principles and precepts, they cannot expect God’s hand to bless and protect them.
- God scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in other countries (Ez. 12:15). Today, we also have battles worldwide, and our soldiers are dispersed throughout the lands. Some workforces are dispersing their employees to other countries to work.
- Men and women suffered from the sword (Ez. 26:6).
- God sent pestilences and allowed violence in the streets. (Ez. 28:23) We have helped countries battle pestilences, and now we are fighting them in our land. Growing police forces and overpopulated prisons prove violence is increasing today.
- God enabled an enemy to act against them (Ez. 30:25).
- The enemy would infiltrate their own country (Ez. 30:26).
- A fire was sent to devour them (Ez. 28:18).
- They lost their freedom. Today, our liberties are legislated away, and we, too, are slowly being enslaved by the government.
My next question when encountering the phrase “…They shall know that I am the Lord,” was what was it they were doing that God would not tolerate? Since God has not changed what he would not tolerate then, He will not accept today. Here are some of the things He would not tolerate and judged His people because of their commissions of these violations:
- Idolatry, which is the worshipping of other “Gods”. The “god” of certain religions is not the God of the Bible. The false teaching that there are many ways to get to Heaven is not biblical and encourages many people to allow idolatry, even if the religion is labeled “Christian”.
- They were rebellious against God (Ez. 12:9). They were not obeying His commandments.
- They spoke against God’s people (Ez. 25:8, 26:2). Although these verses were prophetic, lately, we can see governments taking sides against God’s people, Israel, and Christians.
- They defiled His sanctuaries (Ez. 28:18) by not worshipping the way God expected them to worship. Are we not doing similar things by changing His Word, worshipping Him the way we think we should worship Him, mocking and cursing His name, and justifying away His creation and plan?
- They boasted against God (Ez. 35:13) and spoke against Him. This is done by many today, who tell others how to treat God and how to live. Every man is doing what seems right in his own eyes.
- They had evil ways (Ez. 36:31) and personal sins. Our nation can also be judged for our own personal, contagious sins.
Ezekiel certainly cannot be summed up in so few words. However, it does contain warnings. We can learn from these cautions against people who were doing wrong so we do not repeat what they did.
It appears, however, that history is repeating itself. Throughout the world, people are doing the same things that Ezekiel warned ancient Israel of. The people of Ezekiel’s day did not get away with their sins, and we certainly will not. We can stop the vicious cycle by changing our lives and doing what God wants us to do — today.
How Many Do You Count Me?
Author Unknown
When Antigonus was ready to engage in a sea fight with Ptolemy’s armada, the pilot cried out, “How many are they more than we?”
The courageous king replied, “’Tis true, if you count their numbers, they surpass us, but for how many do you value me?”
When our enemies come upon us like a flood, threatening to devour us with rage and fury, let us remember that though we are few, and they are many, our God is the God of salvation. He must be counted far more than all that are against us.
“Man is unjust, but God is just, and finally justice triumphs.”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Hand of God Was Against Them
C. Buck
Many say it is a presumption in pronouncing calamities of sinners are particular judgments from God. A study was made of many cruel persecuting tyrants who delighted in tormenting their fellow creatures.
The study revealed that they died not the common deaths of most men. They suffered plagues and fatalities that were horrible and strange. Even a skeptic would be moved by the evidence and would be apt to suspect that the hand of God was on their demise. Here are some biblical-related examples:
- Herod the Great attempted to destroy the baby Jesus Christ Himself by ordering the deaths of all the male children that were in and near Bethlehem. The historian Josephus reported that Herod had a long and grievous fever, a voracious appetite, difficulty breathing, swelling of his limbs, loathsome ulcers, violent torments, and convulsions, so much that he endeavored to kill himself. The Jews thought his evils to be Divine judgments upon him for his wickedness.
- Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist and treated Christ contemptuously when He was brought before him. Aretas, an Arabian king, defeated Herod, and his dominions were taken from him. He was sent into banishment, along with his infamous wife, Herodias.
- Herod Agrippa killed James, the brother of John, and put Peter in prison. The angel of the Lord soon smote him, and he was eaten of worms and died.
- Judas, who betrayed our Lord, died by his own hands.
- Pontius Pilate, who condemned Jesus to death, was, not long afterward, deposed from his office, banished from his country, and died by his own hand.
- The wicked high priest Caiaphas condemned Christ for fear of disobliging the Romans. He was turned out of his office by the Roman governor, whom he had sought to oblige.
- Ananias was the high priest who persecuted Paul and ordered him to be smitten on the mouth (Acts 23:2, 24:1). He was slain, together with his brother, by his own son.
- Domitian persecuted the Christians and was said to be the one who threw John into a cauldron of boiling oil. He was later banished to the isle of Patmos and murdered by his own people.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:7-8
Seth Joshua, one of the leaders of the great Welsh revival of generations past, once arrived in a town where he was scheduled to preach and found placards everywhere announcing the “Great Seth Joshua”. They told all about him but were advertising a stage imitation of the minister at a local theatre that night. Grotesque drawings promised much fun at the expense of the servant of the Lord.
The theatre was packed that night, and the crowd cheered as the actor came on the stage in perfect imitation of preacher Joshua. The actor raised his arms as he circled the stage, burlesquing the Bible and the evangelist.
The third time around, the actor fell with a thud, and a hushed audience soon discovered that he was dead. God does not hold His wrath forever.
“True justice brings joy to the righteous and fear to the evil.”
—Author Unknown