Let's be reasonable with one another, shall we?

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Who stands in the gap?

Nothing new.
I read Ezekiel 22 today. I was amazed at how, when God describes to the prophet, all the things that he disdains about the practices of Jerusalem, how much it sounds like what is going on in our “modern” society.

He says that this is what was going on in Jerusalem:
They treat father and mother with contempt (v. 7)
They mistreat the fatherless and the widow (v. 7)
They despise my holy things and desecrate my Sabbaths (v. 8)
They are slanderous men bent on shedding blood (v. 9)
They commit lewd acts (v. 9)
They dishonor their fathers' bed (v. 10)
They violate women (v. 10)
In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife
another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,
and another violates his sister, his own father's daughter (v. 11)
They accept bribes to shed blood (v. 12)
They take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain from their neighbors by extortion (v. 12)
They devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows (v. 25)
The priests do violence to my law (v. 26)
The officials are like wolves tearing their prey (v.27)
They shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain (v. 27)
The prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. (v. 28)
They say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says'-when the LORD has not spoken. (v. 28)
The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery (v. 29)
They oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice (v. 29)

Something new.
The Lord says a lot of interesting things in this chapter. I love the following verse:

When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the LORD (v. 16)

It seems that He is saying that after all the abuse that Jerusalem takes, then, they will finally “know that I am the Lord.” It made me think of the fountain of Zechariah 13:1 and the looking and mourning of Revelation 1:7.

The chapter ends this way:

I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 22:29-31)

Isn’t that sad that there was no one to “stand in the gap?” The ultimate gap filler is the Messiah. Some day they will see who He really is. I am so excited for this. But for now …

… you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD. (v. 12)

the END

11 Comments:

  • Really good post Rose. Your right it does sound like what goes on right now. It is very sad, but thankfully the Lord will overcome it all!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2/07/2006 11:50 AM  

  • The verse about looking for a man to stand in th egap is interesting. It shows that God's purposes and plans can often be contingent upon human action or lack of it.

    If a man had preented himself, then God's response to the situation would presumably have been different.

    Every Blessing in Christ

    Matthew

    By Blogger Matthew Celestine, at 2/07/2006 1:39 PM  

  • Hi Rose

    What Df was saying also points to me to Job when God says .. Have you seen my servant Job

    God is watching
    Good Post Rose

    Thank you

    By Blogger forgiven, at 2/07/2006 6:10 PM  

  • Hi Dorothy. Thanks for visiting. It just sounded so familair as I read it, especially all the inappropriate relationships.

    Matthew,
    Interesting observation abou the contingency.

    Hi forgiven!
    God is watching, His eyes search. Good to see you.

    By Blogger Rose~, at 2/08/2006 7:58 AM  

  • Good post. I especially like the fact that you pointed to Christ and the Messiah rather than some guilt-ridden nonsense about how if only God's people did this or that we could restore the land. As much as God allows us to be part of His plan, It's still His plan and I am comforted by that. No man could bridge the gap that only God can fill.

    By Blogger jeff, at 2/08/2006 9:13 AM  

  • Jeff, does not the text imply the possiblity of the land being restored?

    Are you reading NT theology into this text?

    By Blogger Matthew Celestine, at 2/08/2006 12:37 PM  

  • Great post. I want to look up your references about the fountain etc!

    Thanks Rose!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2/08/2006 5:26 PM  

  • Thanks Jeff, for reading my post. I take your encouragement well coming from such an accomplished writer! :~)

    H.K.
    Thanks for coming over. I should've linked to those passages John tells me.
    Every Blessing ...

    By Blogger Rose~, at 2/09/2006 7:08 AM  

  • Sure looks contemporary to me.

    BTW: Your last post on J.V. McGee hit home. He was my favorite radio preacher.

    I have a complete set of his 5 year Thru the Bible program.

    By Blogger Joe, at 2/09/2006 8:56 AM  

  • Here's Zech. 13:1 where he speaks of a fountain and Rev. 1:7 with its see(ing) and wail(ing).

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2/09/2006 11:12 AM  

  • DF--Of course the text says the land will be restored, God will do it not you or me.

    By Blogger jeff, at 2/11/2006 11:59 AM  

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