June 7, 2023
Passage Read: Ezekiel 20-23
Meditation Verse: 20:49
Thought
No matter how clearly Ezekiel preaches, no matter how clearly the Lord prophesies through him, the people have a ready excuse to protect themselves from the Lord's message: He's just speaking parables! That way no one can know for sure what he means! Everyone can obscure the meaning of Ezekiel's message. The Lord's message is not unclear. He speaks clearly, but we deliberately confuse the message so we think we have an excuse for not obeying. But the problem is us, and so we will incur the promised wrath and judgment. We cannot fool the Lord or argue that we didn't understand His warning.
Application
I am my own worst enemy when I think that understanding the Lord is a matter of interpretation. It's the same thing as claiming, "He just speaks in parables." God is not so tricky; He's not trying to make understanding so difficult, except to those who refuse to accept and believe His Word. To the crafty, He shows Himself crafty, but not so to the humble and teachable of heart. There is nothing difficult to understand in these passages: Israel and Judah have sinned against the Lord by following other gods, by living for their lusts, and the Lord will judge and destroy the rebellious among His people. So I don't want to be rebellious and pursue my own pleasures in violation of God's Word.