Topic: Wrath Against Sin [Wednesday February 22, 2017]
Text: Ezekiel 22:13-22
Key Verse: “Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it” (Ezekiel 22:14).
Though Israel enjoyed a covenant relationship of being God’s own nation, she could be described as a grievous, prodigal nation. Despite God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, Israel often grieved the Lord and provoked Him to anger. Many times, the Israelites were “unstable as water” in their relationship with God. This has been a recurrent trend and a major object of reproach.
The Lord laments before Ezekiel in the following: “Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver” (Ezekiel 22:18). They were involved in some of the most shocking sins that could not be imagined of a nation whose God was the holy and mighty God.
They were involved in such sins as shedding of blood (Ezekiel 22:3); oppression of strangers, the fatherless and widows (Ezekiel 22:7); idolatry and fornication (Ezekiel 22:9); sodomy with their biological fathers and sleeping with women with blood (Ezekiel 22:10); adultery and incest (Ezekiel 22:11); hired assassination, usury and extortion (Ezekiel 22:12) and making dishonest gain. God’s response was consequently direct and clear. As a holy and righteous God, he was going to punish them according to their abominations: “As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it; so will I gather you in my anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you” (Ezekiel 22:20). As God’s people today, where do we stand? Are we indulging in some or all these evils and expecting God’s grace to abound? God forbid. God has not changed.
He won’t spare anyone found wanting. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). There must be repentance, restitution and restoration before we can escape His wrath. “Today if ye hear his voice, harden not your heart”.
Thought for the day: Sin is just a little poison; if embraced, it kills even giants.
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalm 119:1-56
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
