Sovereign

One Year Bible: November 10

Ezekiel 21:1-22:31

Sovereign

“Sovereign in the mountain air. Sovereign on the ocean floor. With me in the calm. With me in the storm. Sovereign in my greatest joy. Sovereign in my deepest cry. With me in the dark. With me at the dawn. In your everlasting arms, all the pieces of my life from beginning to the end, I can trust You.” (Sovereign, Chris Tomlin)

Do you trust God with your entire life?

Does reading about his anger and judgment in the Old Testament give you pause or wonder if you can really trust Him?

It is a lot to take in, and that has prompted me to read about His anger and how it relates to our anger. God does not hide at all the fact that He is over the brim with anger at His people.

First, let’s look at what He reveals about their present state of being, and then let’s look at how that relates to God’s anger, and how His anger is different than human anger.

God speaks to Ezekiel who he calls “son of man”, which I find to be such an interesting term, as it just directs our thoughts to “The Son of Man” who will come down in perfection to live among men bringing us parables, signs, and wonders.

The difference is that He will not just tell the people of their sins; He will bring them the way out of their sins.

Ezekiel is to do another “Show & Tell” on the people’s behalf. This one involves GROANING with a BITTER and BROKEN HEART. He is to make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow and put a signpost coming out of Babylon where the road forks into two. (Ch. 21)

Meanwhile back at the ‘Not Okay Corral” the Babylonians are casting lots and following “Omens”, but then their time of judgment is coming next. God is going to allow His unfaithful people to all be destroyed or captured by the immoral people that they have sold themselves to join through idol worship. Their gods have become their god, and now their evil will become Jerusalem’s evil. They are ALL going down, and here is why…

“You are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.” (22:4-5)

As the judge takes the bench and they refuse to take allegiance to swear “to tell the absolute truth so help me God” there is a long dirty list against them…

“Every leader who lives within their walls is bent on murder. Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women…” (27: 6-11)

It goes on to describe rape, hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners. In the midst of the long list of evils, it says that the priests have violated my instructions, and defiled my holy things and that they make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. That is why people don’t know. They are not being taught. (22:26)

Here is the saddest of all commentaries, “They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD.” (22:12)

In the midst of this mess, can you hear the anguish of God?

There are four things that we need to be mindful of as we process the anger of God upon His people in the Old Testament.

First, God’s wrath is PROVOKED. “Do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness.” (Deut. 9:7) The Bible tells us that God’s nature is LOVE.

Secondly, God is SLOW to ANGER. Psalm 103:8 tells us, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That is WHO HE IS!

Thirdly, God’s Wrath is RELATED to His UNMUTABLE JUSTICE. Holiness can not be connected with utter unholiness. It is contrary to His being and nature.

Romans 1:18 tells us, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Do we recall when the people touched the ark or tried to look at the Lord’s blinding brightness?

They would die! Unholiness can not look upon complete pure perfection. We can not begin to fathom this, and perhaps that is why we do not understand His anger and judgment, but it is part of His sinless nature.

Does anyone stick their finger in a light socket and boast about that? Well, God is hotter than the hottest circuit. He is the origin of light and light itself.

Lastly, God’s wrath is stored up and will be poured out on all sinners. His timing is different than our timing. His ways are higher, and His plan is His plan. It is bound in His nature and perfect order.

Why didn’t He just send Jesus the day after Adam and Eve sinned?

Satan lived in a perfect heaven and that did not stop him from pride and rebellion against God. Part of the plan of God bringing His people back to him is the struggle and desperation to want Him and honor Him as their God.

The Old Testament is the suffering and the rebellion. Jesus is the Way and the Life, and the Holy Spirit is the Down Payment placed in our hearts to want to reside with our God and let Him be God.

And so I ask you, do you trust the Sovereign God to be the Sovereign God in your life?

His words are your ways. His Will is your direction. His path is your mission.

“In Your never failing love, You work everything for good. God, whatever comes my way, I will trust you.” (Sovereign, Chris Tomlin)