Ezekiel 28 presents us a rather interesting proclamation against the King of Tyre. If we believe what Georges Santayana, the Harvard philosophy professor, said - "Those who do not know the past will repeat it" - then this passage is highly instructive for us.
Verse 2 reveals the issue that God has against them -- "your heart is lifted up" and they said that they "were a god." The Bible is rather specific about such pride issues -- God hates pride. Proverbs 16:18 reveals that "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." I can share a personal example that proves that to be the case. My senior season, were were playing our final tune-up game before departing to a mid-year tournament. The team we were playing was over-matched by us, and one of their players, whom I was guarding, did a turn-a-round jump shot. Well, I threw this thing about 6 rows up in the stands and had a few words for that person. On the in-bounds play (which was my fault because we were taught not to sling the ball put tap it to another player to begin the fast break), I went up to steal it away and landed on that guy's foot. I broke my ankle and missed most of the season. My pride led to my downfall.
The particularly instructive part of this passage, though, is verse 5 because it reveals the source of their pride -- "your heart is lifted up because of your riches." Think of that!! Prosperity led them to forget who they were (nothing) and who God is (everything). It has been said that no civilized nation has beaten the worst foe known to man, and that foe is prosperity. When we have everything we can imagine, think about it. We really do, as my dad used to say, "get too big for our britches." We think we own the world and them start acting like it.
That was the problem with Tyre - they forgot who they were compared to an Almighty, Sovereign God. You know what? That's the problem with America too. We've become too cozy with our "American dream" of having everything we want, and then demanding more. Even worse, we are raising our children with a sense of entitlement -- "if I don't have a ______, then you don't love me!" You can fill that blank in with any techno-gizmo, a car, or whatever else. We are to blame for that occurrence.
The only time that we invoke the name of God is when we need something of Him -- an accident, sudden health issues, etc. The problem is that God is not a 9-1-1 service, but He must become the object of our worship. Verse 22 shows us what God says about this in that He says that He "will be glorified in your midst." We can either glorify Him willingly with our lives or He will take that glory forcefully (please see my previous blog entry).
In the shadow of the tremendous suffering in Haiti, we have been abundantly blessed. It would do us a great deal of good to live with less and give the rest to those who need it. For an interesting read on this topic, get a copy of Francis Chan's Crazy Love at your local bookstore or purchase it online. He will provoke your thinking and show you that you do not love God as much as you should.
Give your heart to God, and the money will follow to Him as well. He will not let you down because He promises in Matthew 6:33 that keeping Him first will result in Him caring for your needs. Note the key word there -- "needs" not our "wants."
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hey, that's not fair!!
So often in sharing the Gospel with others, the objection in this blog's title is raised. Typically, a person will highlight the love of God at the expense of His holiness and will say: "A true God of love would never condemn someone to an eternity of damnation." As a sound-byte, it is effective; however, if examined philosophically and Scripturally, it falters. The real issue of such a statement is this -- the person using that excuse does not believe that the Bible is truth. Let's examine this idea a little further and see what the Scripture has to say.
Ezekiel 18:19-32 is a wonderful passage to consider with the fairness argument. God, speaking through a prophet, takes on the children of Israel who accuse Him of being unjust. In verse 25, He challenges their thoughts by questioning "is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?" Instead of asking the question and leaving it open to interpretation, He explains exactly what He means -- if a righteous man forsakes his righteous ways for iniquity, then he deserves punishment. Likewise, an unrighteous man that forsakes his iniquity for truth, he deserves mercy. That is God's way and it is more than fair because as verse 20 says "the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."
Israel, and by comparison man's way, is completely opposite. The example in the first half of this chapter is where Israel objects: (1) a just man lives and has a son (v 4-9); (2) that son is an unjust man, therefore suffering punishment, also has a son (v 10-13); (3) this son reviews the sin of his father, chooses to live a just life, and is not punished (v 14-17). Israel claims this son should bear the guilt of the father (v 19), which makes no sense at all.
Clearly, God is fair and man is not. The rationale of saying that God's judgment is unfair resides in the heart of man because we want to do as we please without any repercussions. It is our outrageous claims of selfishness and pride that lead to rebellion against God and then our philosophical assertion that God is being unfair. Verse 30 lends beautifully here in that God says "I will judge you...everyone according to his ways." He has given us warning through His word and offered us the chance to repent (meaning to turn-around and head the other way); however, when we choose to stay on the same path, our ability to question His fairness is completely lost.
God loves us more than we can possibly love. He gave His all (Jesus Christ) for us, but we give so little in return to Him. God is love, but He is also holy. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, God's holiness is recorded first in Scripture and then His love. It is the sacrifice that He made on our behalf that demonstrates His love to us and, simultaneously, satisfies the requirement of holiness. Verse 32 tells us that God has "no pleasure in the death of one who dies" so He tells us "therefore turn and live!" He has given us chance after chance after chance, but we still choose to remain in our unfaithful and rebellious condition.
Quickly, skip a few pages to Ezekiel 20:9, 14, and 22. God tells us exactly why He brings punishment to those that refuse Him -- "I acted for My name's sake." God has told us repeatedly to alter our course and turn to Him else we will suffer punishment. If we refuse to change course and He does not punish, as He said, then His words are not true. God is the only source of Truth, so He must protect "His name" by upholding His statements of warning. If He did not judge as He promised, then we, in essence, telling a lie. If He lies, then He would no longer be qualified to be the only "Righteous Judge" (2 Timothy 4:8). Who would you rather have making a ruling about you -- the One who has never done wrong or the one who does whatever they please? The obvious answer is the righteous One!!
Consider our own legal system. We know the laws; and should we choose to disregard them, we get punished. That is fair. If we are caught speeding numerous times and continue to do so, all the while not paying our tickets, what happens? We eventually lose our car insurance and our license. If we persist in disregarding the law by driving without a license, we go to jail. That is fair!! We were given multiple warnings but made the choice to refuse to listen; therefore, we deserve those consequences.
God, the Righteous Judge, has given us a way to escape punishment. The decision, on whether we get punished or not, depends upon us and our actions. Don't accuse Him of being unfair. Instead, we need to shoulder the blame ourselves because we decided not to listen to Him.
Ezekiel 18:19-32 is a wonderful passage to consider with the fairness argument. God, speaking through a prophet, takes on the children of Israel who accuse Him of being unjust. In verse 25, He challenges their thoughts by questioning "is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?" Instead of asking the question and leaving it open to interpretation, He explains exactly what He means -- if a righteous man forsakes his righteous ways for iniquity, then he deserves punishment. Likewise, an unrighteous man that forsakes his iniquity for truth, he deserves mercy. That is God's way and it is more than fair because as verse 20 says "the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."
Israel, and by comparison man's way, is completely opposite. The example in the first half of this chapter is where Israel objects: (1) a just man lives and has a son (v 4-9); (2) that son is an unjust man, therefore suffering punishment, also has a son (v 10-13); (3) this son reviews the sin of his father, chooses to live a just life, and is not punished (v 14-17). Israel claims this son should bear the guilt of the father (v 19), which makes no sense at all.
Clearly, God is fair and man is not. The rationale of saying that God's judgment is unfair resides in the heart of man because we want to do as we please without any repercussions. It is our outrageous claims of selfishness and pride that lead to rebellion against God and then our philosophical assertion that God is being unfair. Verse 30 lends beautifully here in that God says "I will judge you...everyone according to his ways." He has given us warning through His word and offered us the chance to repent (meaning to turn-around and head the other way); however, when we choose to stay on the same path, our ability to question His fairness is completely lost.
God loves us more than we can possibly love. He gave His all (Jesus Christ) for us, but we give so little in return to Him. God is love, but He is also holy. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, God's holiness is recorded first in Scripture and then His love. It is the sacrifice that He made on our behalf that demonstrates His love to us and, simultaneously, satisfies the requirement of holiness. Verse 32 tells us that God has "no pleasure in the death of one who dies" so He tells us "therefore turn and live!" He has given us chance after chance after chance, but we still choose to remain in our unfaithful and rebellious condition.
Quickly, skip a few pages to Ezekiel 20:9, 14, and 22. God tells us exactly why He brings punishment to those that refuse Him -- "I acted for My name's sake." God has told us repeatedly to alter our course and turn to Him else we will suffer punishment. If we refuse to change course and He does not punish, as He said, then His words are not true. God is the only source of Truth, so He must protect "His name" by upholding His statements of warning. If He did not judge as He promised, then we, in essence, telling a lie. If He lies, then He would no longer be qualified to be the only "Righteous Judge" (2 Timothy 4:8). Who would you rather have making a ruling about you -- the One who has never done wrong or the one who does whatever they please? The obvious answer is the righteous One!!
Consider our own legal system. We know the laws; and should we choose to disregard them, we get punished. That is fair. If we are caught speeding numerous times and continue to do so, all the while not paying our tickets, what happens? We eventually lose our car insurance and our license. If we persist in disregarding the law by driving without a license, we go to jail. That is fair!! We were given multiple warnings but made the choice to refuse to listen; therefore, we deserve those consequences.
God, the Righteous Judge, has given us a way to escape punishment. The decision, on whether we get punished or not, depends upon us and our actions. Don't accuse Him of being unfair. Instead, we need to shoulder the blame ourselves because we decided not to listen to Him.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Are You for Real?
Have you ever listened to a conversation where something amazing was said and the listener asked "are you for REAL?" Well, I want to take that statement and use it as the title of this blog, which perfectly fits what is taking place in Ezekiel 14.
The chapter opens with the elders, or those having great authority, came and "sat before" the prophet Ezekiel. The word "sat" is referencing a longer meeting as if they are awaiting something and not just a brief visit. Ezekiel garnered the reputation as having the words of the Lord, so these folks wanted to see what God would tell them through him.
We should ask these elders -- "are you for REAL" -- because they certainly were not. Verse 3 says that "these men have set up their idols in their hearts." So, these elders came before the prophet of God awaiting some word from the Lord; however, they were not serious. Instead of loving God with all of their hearts, they had created idols that suited their fancies. Their presence with the prophet was a farce, and God knew that as indicated by the close of verse 3 when God asks "Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?"
Psalm 66:18 says: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." By having idols in their heart, these elders violated the first two of the Ten Commandments as stated in Exodus 20:3-4 -- "You shall have no others gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image." Once again, verse 3 reveals the fact that God knew their sin when He said that these idols "cause them to stumble into iniquity." While we may believe that we can hide our sin from friends, family, or others, never forget that God knows the heart!
So, why pick these 3 verses to examine? Simply put, this exact situation repeats itself in Christianity today. People are not "for real" in that they are hiding sin in their lives but still expect God to hear them. We, myself included, rationalize that a small sin, like a little white lie, is really of no consequence; so we approach God boldly and not humbly. The issue with this rationalization is found in Psalm 66:18 -- it says "iniquity" not big iniquity. The fact that we try to rationalize the presence of sin in our heart as we approach the Almighty reveals a serious flaw in our knowledge of God. We must view Him as a holy God first that abhors sin of any kind and He does not discriminate whether it is big or small.
As a question for you -- are you "for real" when it comes to God? Do you try to rationalize your standing before Him or fall in humility at His majesty? God must be the most important part of your life.
The chapter opens with the elders, or those having great authority, came and "sat before" the prophet Ezekiel. The word "sat" is referencing a longer meeting as if they are awaiting something and not just a brief visit. Ezekiel garnered the reputation as having the words of the Lord, so these folks wanted to see what God would tell them through him.
We should ask these elders -- "are you for REAL" -- because they certainly were not. Verse 3 says that "these men have set up their idols in their hearts." So, these elders came before the prophet of God awaiting some word from the Lord; however, they were not serious. Instead of loving God with all of their hearts, they had created idols that suited their fancies. Their presence with the prophet was a farce, and God knew that as indicated by the close of verse 3 when God asks "Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?"
Psalm 66:18 says: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." By having idols in their heart, these elders violated the first two of the Ten Commandments as stated in Exodus 20:3-4 -- "You shall have no others gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image." Once again, verse 3 reveals the fact that God knew their sin when He said that these idols "cause them to stumble into iniquity." While we may believe that we can hide our sin from friends, family, or others, never forget that God knows the heart!
So, why pick these 3 verses to examine? Simply put, this exact situation repeats itself in Christianity today. People are not "for real" in that they are hiding sin in their lives but still expect God to hear them. We, myself included, rationalize that a small sin, like a little white lie, is really of no consequence; so we approach God boldly and not humbly. The issue with this rationalization is found in Psalm 66:18 -- it says "iniquity" not big iniquity. The fact that we try to rationalize the presence of sin in our heart as we approach the Almighty reveals a serious flaw in our knowledge of God. We must view Him as a holy God first that abhors sin of any kind and He does not discriminate whether it is big or small.
As a question for you -- are you "for real" when it comes to God? Do you try to rationalize your standing before Him or fall in humility at His majesty? God must be the most important part of your life.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A Gradual Explosion....
Ezekiel 12 begins by God telling His prophet that he [Ezekiel] lives in the "midst of a rebellious house." The heartbreaking part of the opening is where God says they have "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" but they use neither. This group of individuals have decided to enjoy their time of doing as they wish and really have not given any thought about future implications.
That lack of seriousness is exposed, specifically, in verse 22. The people of Judah had created a proverb within which to couch their complacency -- "The days are prolonged and every vision fails." This short quip would have been a slang one-liner that would have produced laughter for those that heard it because it was an inside joke. In essence, they are saying something like this -- "Okay, God. We've heard all about this judgment that's coming because you've given visions to some people. It's not happened as they said and it's not going to happen as they've said."
God responds to this in verse 23 by changing their proverb into something a bit more ominous -- "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision." He is telling those whom He chose as His own people that His time-table is not like theirs, but the day of reckoning has come. When Judah was finally over-run by the Chaldeans, they came to realize, as it says in verse 20, "that I am the LORD."
You are probably wondering what nugget of truth is buried in this dark talk of destruction for rebellion. Well, there are several; and I will highlight a few below:
(1) Rebellion does not happen suddenly but is a myriad of "graduallys" that are ignored until they rise up as a great suddenly. Susan Scott in her books Fierce Conversations and Fierce Leadership hammer this theme, and she is right. Think about it -- did scientists know that Mt. St. Helens was going to erupt? Yes, small indications were noticed and warning was given; however, some folks heard these for years and had become calloused to them. So, when the eruption actually happened, the survivors that did not listen stated they had no clue the eruption was coming. It was a string of gradual signs that were ignored which led to a "sudden" eruption. Rebellion is the same way -- one step at a time until the slide is so large that you cannot believe it has happened.
(2) Our view of God is not a proper one. We have a view that God is powerful and not the Almighty, Sovereign of the universe. We want Him to bow and bend to our every whim instead of realizing that He is the Creator. Do you disagree? Okay, answer this question -- "when do you pray?" If we are honest, we pray when we want something; and that is not the Biblical view of prayer. I will paraphrase something I read the other day -- "when you create your own universe, you get to call the shots. Until that happens, you don't." How true! We, will say that we do not believe this, but every person, as their actions and attitudes demonstrate, believe the world revolves around them. My two-year old boy certainly believes that and he is in for a shock when his sister is born in 7 weeks. We need to exhibit the love of Christ into this world instead of existing to love ourselves.
(3) Living life God's way is not as hard as we make it out to be. While the Christian life is a constant struggle of giving up our way to live as He prescribes, it is filled with joy and peace that nobody can understand. Matthew 11:28-30 tell us that through Christ we can "find rest for your souls," and that "His burden is light." We are the ones that complicate things by trying to rationalize our wants and desires instead of yielding to His wants and desires for our life.
In summary, rebellion is a heart issue because either your heart is set on you or it is set on Him. Your choice makes all the difference. Be looking for all the "graduallys" that appear in your life to prevent them from becoming a "suddenly." Pray and ask God to show you what aspects of your life need modification so that you can be a beneficial representative of Him in this world today.
That lack of seriousness is exposed, specifically, in verse 22. The people of Judah had created a proverb within which to couch their complacency -- "The days are prolonged and every vision fails." This short quip would have been a slang one-liner that would have produced laughter for those that heard it because it was an inside joke. In essence, they are saying something like this -- "Okay, God. We've heard all about this judgment that's coming because you've given visions to some people. It's not happened as they said and it's not going to happen as they've said."
God responds to this in verse 23 by changing their proverb into something a bit more ominous -- "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision." He is telling those whom He chose as His own people that His time-table is not like theirs, but the day of reckoning has come. When Judah was finally over-run by the Chaldeans, they came to realize, as it says in verse 20, "that I am the LORD."
You are probably wondering what nugget of truth is buried in this dark talk of destruction for rebellion. Well, there are several; and I will highlight a few below:
(1) Rebellion does not happen suddenly but is a myriad of "graduallys" that are ignored until they rise up as a great suddenly. Susan Scott in her books Fierce Conversations and Fierce Leadership hammer this theme, and she is right. Think about it -- did scientists know that Mt. St. Helens was going to erupt? Yes, small indications were noticed and warning was given; however, some folks heard these for years and had become calloused to them. So, when the eruption actually happened, the survivors that did not listen stated they had no clue the eruption was coming. It was a string of gradual signs that were ignored which led to a "sudden" eruption. Rebellion is the same way -- one step at a time until the slide is so large that you cannot believe it has happened.
(2) Our view of God is not a proper one. We have a view that God is powerful and not the Almighty, Sovereign of the universe. We want Him to bow and bend to our every whim instead of realizing that He is the Creator. Do you disagree? Okay, answer this question -- "when do you pray?" If we are honest, we pray when we want something; and that is not the Biblical view of prayer. I will paraphrase something I read the other day -- "when you create your own universe, you get to call the shots. Until that happens, you don't." How true! We, will say that we do not believe this, but every person, as their actions and attitudes demonstrate, believe the world revolves around them. My two-year old boy certainly believes that and he is in for a shock when his sister is born in 7 weeks. We need to exhibit the love of Christ into this world instead of existing to love ourselves.
(3) Living life God's way is not as hard as we make it out to be. While the Christian life is a constant struggle of giving up our way to live as He prescribes, it is filled with joy and peace that nobody can understand. Matthew 11:28-30 tell us that through Christ we can "find rest for your souls," and that "His burden is light." We are the ones that complicate things by trying to rationalize our wants and desires instead of yielding to His wants and desires for our life.
In summary, rebellion is a heart issue because either your heart is set on you or it is set on Him. Your choice makes all the difference. Be looking for all the "graduallys" that appear in your life to prevent them from becoming a "suddenly." Pray and ask God to show you what aspects of your life need modification so that you can be a beneficial representative of Him in this world today.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Who I Am...
Ezekiel 6 details judgment on Israel, and more importantly, verse 6 names the reason for that judgment -- that "you idols may be broken and made to cease." No less than 4 times in this passage, the prophet says "and you shall know that I am the Lord" (see verses 7, 10, 13, and 14). Let's dig a little deeper.
Shortly following the Israelite exodus from Egypt, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The first two commandments say that there is to be no other gods before Him. In other words, we are to love Him more than anything else in this world (see Luke 10:27 where the religious rulers of Jesus' day correctly identified this truth). Israel, instead of following the commands of God, chose to love other things more than the One that delivered them time after time. They had short memories of God's blessings and selfishly chose to do was they desired, when they desired, and how they desired.
The reason for the judgment of God can be found in Exodus 24:7 because the people said "all that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient." They promised to follow God and nothing else. When they went back on that promise, the Lord had to act to protect His name. God told Israel in Exodus 20:5 that He was a "jealous God." The Hebrew word for jealous here does not bear the same meaning as our modern version. It poignantly refers to "not bearing any rival" and that He would "avenge any departure from Him." With that fact known, Ezekiel 6:9 makes perfect sense for us in that God had to crush their "adulterous heart which had departed from Me."
Passages like these are difficult to handle by those that claim atheistic beliefs. If you do not acknowledge God as the One, True God, then you are exalting yourself, pridefully, as god in His place. By saying they do not believe in a god, they are defeating their own atheistic philosophy. We either love God our self more, because it is impossible to love both (Matthew 6:24). Think about your eyes - you cannot focus on two objects simultaneously. If you focus on the object in the foreground, then the background will become slightly blurry; and vice-versa. Our hearts are tuned to have a singular focus as well -- beat or not. In deciding what to do with God, we either love Him or self supremely.
So, you must stand before God right now and answer His inquiry: "Tell me who I am." Is He God or nothing. Your answer makes all the difference for the remainder of your life. If a professing Christian, your answer to that question is revealed by daily actions. Examine your life and honestly tell God who you believe He is.
Shortly following the Israelite exodus from Egypt, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The first two commandments say that there is to be no other gods before Him. In other words, we are to love Him more than anything else in this world (see Luke 10:27 where the religious rulers of Jesus' day correctly identified this truth). Israel, instead of following the commands of God, chose to love other things more than the One that delivered them time after time. They had short memories of God's blessings and selfishly chose to do was they desired, when they desired, and how they desired.
The reason for the judgment of God can be found in Exodus 24:7 because the people said "all that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient." They promised to follow God and nothing else. When they went back on that promise, the Lord had to act to protect His name. God told Israel in Exodus 20:5 that He was a "jealous God." The Hebrew word for jealous here does not bear the same meaning as our modern version. It poignantly refers to "not bearing any rival" and that He would "avenge any departure from Him." With that fact known, Ezekiel 6:9 makes perfect sense for us in that God had to crush their "adulterous heart which had departed from Me."
Passages like these are difficult to handle by those that claim atheistic beliefs. If you do not acknowledge God as the One, True God, then you are exalting yourself, pridefully, as god in His place. By saying they do not believe in a god, they are defeating their own atheistic philosophy. We either love God our self more, because it is impossible to love both (Matthew 6:24). Think about your eyes - you cannot focus on two objects simultaneously. If you focus on the object in the foreground, then the background will become slightly blurry; and vice-versa. Our hearts are tuned to have a singular focus as well -- beat or not. In deciding what to do with God, we either love Him or self supremely.
So, you must stand before God right now and answer His inquiry: "Tell me who I am." Is He God or nothing. Your answer makes all the difference for the remainder of your life. If a professing Christian, your answer to that question is revealed by daily actions. Examine your life and honestly tell God who you believe He is.
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