Passage Read: Ezekiel 20-23
Meditation Verse: 22:30
Thought
How can God say this when He Himself had appointed and sent Jeremiah to call the people to repentance and righteousness? Ezekiel was among the exiles in Babylon, but Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem at this time. Wasn't he standing before the Lord on behalf of the land? But the Lord forewarned Jeremiah that no one would listen to him. The man God was looking for wasn't a prophet, but a ruler, someone with authority to command the people and enforce his commands, or a popular hero who could rally the people to the Lord's cause. He was looking for a Josiah or even a David. A judge who would rally the people and lead them in victory and rule in righteousness. No one listens to a prophet. They listen to a warrior, a mighty man, but there were none left in Jeremiah's day. Everyone just cared for himself and his own safety and security. No one wanted to stand up to Zedekiah, the wishy-washy King of Judah, or his godless advisors. No one wanted to rock the boat or risk their lives. Instead, they hoped somehow everything would just work out.
Application
We need the same today: a strong leader with clear vision of who God is and what He desires. But the masses will only accept him up to a point. As long as he's only "speaking truth to power," they'll cheer him on. But as soon as he calls all to repentance, then he loses his popularity. As soon as he calls all to action, then he's asking too much. There needs to be a rallying point, but there also needs to be those who are willing to risk everything--give up everything--and rally to him. That's what Jesus was and still is, but today we have so diluted and blurred His teachings and His likeness as to render Him unidentifiable. "He is just speaking parables," and so anything He says can be turned to mean anything people want. The army of the Church of Jesus Christ is scattered, divided, confused and demoralized. Every man's own interpretation becomes his truth and God is dethroned in His own house. If God is knowable, then the Scriptures are the key. We call God's Word the standard of life and doctrine, so either we're not fully submitting ourselves to it, or too many people are sowing confusion and taking advantage of it for their own gain. Or both. I want to get away in quiet, off the beaten path, away from the noise of the "experts," with a handful of others likewise determined to see and hear and wrestle with what the Scriptures actually say and teach, so as to know clearly what I need to do, and to be held accountable to do it.