EZEKIEL

It is Friday morning, and I have finished reading in Ezekiel for today.  I have my coffee at hand, and here are a few thoughts: 1) YE SHALL KNOW- In Ezekiel, this phrase:  "ye shall know that I am the LORD" is mentioned 29 times.  God does what He does to show the nations that He and He alone is God.  Every atheist will one day know.  Every agnostic will know for sure, but then... it will be too late for them.  Until then, let us rest assured that God in His own right timing will make sure that all "shall know" who He is! 2) A LITTLE SANCTUARY- Ezekiel 11:16, says:  "Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."  Wherever we are, God Himself shall become to us as a little sanctuary.  God had scattered His people throughout the world, but He would become to them "a little sanctuary".  I like the fact that when the people could no longer come and worship in Jerusalem, God met them in their lands to fellowship with them.  Each day, God wants to have "a little sanctuary" for you and I.... let us decide to take advantage of that! 3) WHEN GOD HAS HAD ENOUGH- One day our world will reach that point and God will bring the end to pass.  Israel had reached that stage in the Babylonian captivity.  God told his prophets that nothing could change it know.  Here are a few verses that show us that even great men of God could not change the outcome:   Ezekiel 14:14  "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.";   Ezekiel 14:16  "Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.";    Ezekiel 14:20  "Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness." ;  Jeremiah 15:1  "Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth."    Notice these great men:  Noah, Daniel, Job, Moses, and Samuel.  These five great men of God could not persuade God to do otherwise if they had asked in person.  Only they would be spared!  It just goes to show that we can ask God, but we cannot alter what His mind has already established.  4) A PARADOX AT BEST- We just looked at the fact that five famous righteous men could not have altered the outcome of Israel, and yet.... in Ezekiel 22:30, it reads:  "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it:  but I found none."  God was looking for a man!  I believe today, He still is.  Let us decide to be godly men and women so that God can use us to make up the gap in the hedge that He has put around our nation, our homes, our churches, our lives.  Let God find us! Well, so much for today.  May God richly bless you and yours!  Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor