Friday, January 22, 2010

Blood on your Hands?

I like Ezekiel - I must have read it sometime recently because in my reading today I found a verse underlined- I read it again and am just as in awe as the first time. The verse is found in Ezekiel 33 (which has a lot of good things to say); I'll highlight a few of them.
1.) God isn't happy when the wicked die- what gives him true pleasure is
when the wicked person completely turns from his wicked ways- because,
in doing that, he will live.
2.) Some people are so consumed by wickedness that they would rather die than turn from their ways. I think this includes some "christians" who are "saved" but living for the world and not turning from wickedness at all.

God has given Ezekiel an analogy of what his role is like: a watchmen. If this person on the wall (someone positioned to look for invaders or approaching disaster) sees the danger they are looking for and don't warn people- if they just skedaddle without telling anyone they will be responsible when that disaster hits the people, who had no warning. Their blood will be on the irresponsible watchman's hands. God is reminding Ezekiel that he will be responsible for the Israelite's if he chooses to ignore God's word, or just to hold it in. This is the tough message God wants Ezekiel to give to his people...

12And you, son of man, say to your people, The uprightness and justice of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wicked lawlessness of the wicked lawless, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, neither shall the rigidly upright and just be able to live because of his past righteousness in the day that he sins and misses the mark [in keeping in harmony and right standing with God].

13When I shall say to the [uncompromisingly] righteous that he shall surely live, and he trusts to his own righteousness [to save him] and commits iniquity (heinous sin), all his righteous deeds shall not be [seriously] remembered; but for his perversity and iniquity that he has committed he shall die.


You can probably imagine what I was going to say about these verses, and why they stuck out in the first place. So use your own brain and think about them. I think it's a trap we often fall into as Christians

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