Wednesday, 17 March 2010

• Sin: Our Nasty Little Secret, and What to Do With It (Part Two)

  I have always considered the book of Ezekiel to be a 'hard' book for me. The very first chapter beginning with Ezekiel’s vision of celestial creatures riding "wheels within a wheel" has always confused me and messed with my mind -- I mean, what's that about? UFO's? (I still have a problem with the wheels). And yet in the last year or so, I have come to a much greater appreciation of Ezekiel. His message from Yahweh has so much to say about humanity’s sinfulness and God's attitude -- and actions toward it. [If you can, take the time to read through the first 44 verses of Ezekiel 20:]

  Ezekiel 20: is the cyclical -- recurring history of the people of Israel from the beginning of their fledgling nation in Egypt to the Babylonian exile, and it's not at all a pretty picture. It is enough to make us sick -- even disgusted until we allow ourselves to be confronted with the ugly truth that it is our story as well! But how is it possible that we should be identified with Israel and her sins? The Israelite people seemed so incurably sinful, repeating their idolatries and failing to walk after God’s ordinances. This is an outrage to us until we are forced to concede that we like Israel, all have sins that "so easily entangle[s] us" and which we so readily recycle in our own lives! (Hebrews 12:1).

  As Yahweh God addressed the leaders of the exiles along the Kebar River in Ezekiel 20:1-44, He recounted their sordid history. God had promised to take their parents by the hand and lead them safely from Egypt into a land "flowing with milk and honey." But they had become so addicted to the vile things of Egypt that they rebelled and refused to listen or relinquish the "no god-idols" of that country. So it was that even before Yahweh God had the chance to rescue them from their miseries in Egypt, they had so sinned that God declared:

  "I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt [emphasis mine]. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor ... And then I did it. I led them out of Egypt into the desert." (Ezekiel 20:8-9 [MSG]).

  But things were no better in the desert/wilderness. Yahweh God brought the people safely into the desert showing them how to live, giving them His laws through Moses and providing food and water to sustain them. He magnificently showed Himself to be God -- their God alone, but in all of this, the cycle repeated itself -- Israel rebelled, refusing to follow His laws as they desecrated Yahweh's holy Sabbaths. Again, through Ezekiel, God spoke of their fathers;

  "I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt,[e.m.] so that I might be honored and not blasphemed..." (v.14 [MSG]).

  Yahweh God charged the children of these obstinate and stubborn people that they avoid the fatal mistakes of their parents--that they keep His laws and Sabbaths as holy rest days, refraining from filthy and vile practices with their "no-god idols". But even as their parents' carcasses were scattered and rotting on the desert floor as a result of their gross sinfulness, the children copied their ways in the land God gave them. Their children bought into "the whole pagan system", burning their own innocent children as sacrifices--becoming "as filthy as [their] no-god idols" (vs.27-31 [MSG])! Sadly they faired no better. And Yahweh, their God, cast them out of the land. Jerusalem was devastated and they found themselves in exile.

  After almost seventy years of captivity, the light eventually 'switched on' for the people of Israel. Many of them finally 'got it' and through Yahweh's efforts to purge out the "rebels and traitors" from among their ranks, the people learned to worship Him, bringing their best gifts and offerings along with all their holy sacrifices. He returned them to the land because they had come to understand how very filthy they had been before Him. It was a very tough lesson for them to learn, but the realization had at last hit them. It was something they should have always known: Yahweh God is Yahweh God! -- and He addressed them;

  "...Dear Israel, you'll also realize that I am God when I respond to you out of who I am , not by what I feel about [e.m.] the evil lives you've lived, the corrupt history you've compiled. Decree of God, the Master." (V.44 [MSG]).

  Despite their continual stubbornness and rejection of Him, how did Yahweh God respond to Israel’s persistent rebellion toward Him? Was God saddened? Was He distressed by their wickedness? Was He angry because of their provocative behavior? Yes to all of this! And yet He declared to them; "I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will ... I devastate Ephraim. And why? Because I am God and not a man -- the Holy One among you" (Hosea 11:9 [NIV & MSG]).

  If God had operated from our perspective, the people of Israel probably would have been 'toast' before they left Egypt. For you see, more often than not, we function on the basis of emotion. We become angry and act upon the way we feel. But Yahweh God doesn't. Thank God He acts out of Who He is or we would all of us be 'toast'.

  How does all of this help with the dilemma of our own sinfulness? Let me suggest that though the Lord God expects us to be deeply distressed, even broken by our sin -- our total inability to "hit the mark" of His perfection -- He also wants us to act out of who we are and not by what we feel about the evil lives we have lived. He wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness. He wants us to do the very best we can to turn from that sin. But He does not want us to emotionally beat ourselves up over and over again. Instead, He desires that our minds (who we are) should instruct our hearts and emotions (see Proverbs 23:27). He says;

  "What marvelous love the Father has expressed to us! Just look at it -- we're called children of God! That's exactly who we really are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him -- and in seeing him, become like him" (I John 3:1-3 [MSG])

  As believers, it is so important -- in fact vital that we train our hearts and emotions to wholeheartedly embrace and live out of what has been revealed to our minds -- that indeed, we have been "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:7 [KJV]). And succeeding in that, we experience the joy, peace and rest that our Lord fully intends that should be ours in Him!

  How hard is it to not beat ourselves up over our sin?  What do you do to try to get past the sin in your life? 

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