The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 22:30-31,
"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord."
After enumerating the many sins of Israel, some of them quite horrific, the Lord tells Israel he looked for someone to "build up the wall", to "stand in the gap" to protect Israel by preventing the Lord's wrath in his destruction of them. Finding no one, he informs them of his coming judgment.
I take this to mean that the Lord could find no one that could lead Israel into repentance, someone to lead them in a return to the Lord, to draw them away from their detestable practices and receive his blessing rather than his judgment.
No one capable, no one qualified, no one willing: whatever the case, here is a statement that brings two things to my mind, one horrible, the other wonderful. First is the obvious decline into the ungodliness that Israel had sunk to. But the second is a wonderful statement about the Lord who eventually destroyed Jerusalem. He looked! He looked to see if there was anyone who could lead Israel into a path that would spare them his judgment. Someone he could work with to draw Israel to himself! It speaks to me of his enduring patience, his desire to build up, not to tear down; it speaks of his love of man in spite of man's rebellion and rejection of him.
As we will read in Ezekiel 33:11, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live."
After enumerating the many sins of Israel, some of them quite horrific, the Lord tells Israel he looked for someone to "build up the wall", to "stand in the gap" to protect Israel by preventing the Lord's wrath in his destruction of them. Finding no one, he informs them of his coming judgment.
I take this to mean that the Lord could find no one that could lead Israel into repentance, someone to lead them in a return to the Lord, to draw them away from their detestable practices and receive his blessing rather than his judgment.
No one capable, no one qualified, no one willing: whatever the case, here is a statement that brings two things to my mind, one horrible, the other wonderful. First is the obvious decline into the ungodliness that Israel had sunk to. But the second is a wonderful statement about the Lord who eventually destroyed Jerusalem. He looked! He looked to see if there was anyone who could lead Israel into a path that would spare them his judgment. Someone he could work with to draw Israel to himself! It speaks to me of his enduring patience, his desire to build up, not to tear down; it speaks of his love of man in spite of man's rebellion and rejection of him.
As we will read in Ezekiel 33:11, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live."
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment