S) "14 But I said, 'Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth.'"
Ezekiel 4:14 (NASB)
O) This has a complexity to it that was a little bit hard, at first. So, Ezekiel was told by the LORD, to eat bread that was baked over human dung. The above verse was his response. Then, following this, God tells him to instead use cow dung. That still seems gross, but at least manure actually has other applications in today's society (a la fertilizer). Using it for fuel is certainly... less revolting... than human excrement. My first thought, based on Ezekiel's plea, was concern that God had actually asked him to sin. However, when I read back through the Pentateuch (albeit brief), I couldn't find anything that mentioned this was against the Law. Granted, I don't need anyone to tell me that eating something cooked over burning human poop is going to be unclean, I think that part is actually cleared, by the letter of the Law. Although, I will concede that I could be wrong. In which case, this becomes an issue more along the lines of Abraham and Isaac. In either case, Ezekiel's concern is addressed and the LORD gives him some relief.
A) The plain nastiness of this verse certainly stood out to me, but also the principle of it. The LORD asked lots of people, in lots of places, to do lots of hard things. It's not often, though, that the Bible shows us an example of one of His servants questioning His command this way. I think in our culture, we sometimes think that if God wants us to do something, and we don't immediately jump to do it, then we lack faith. Or, if God wants us to do something, we should not be allowed to wonder about it. To be clear, I do not, at all, believe that the commands we are given in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, are open to debate. However, this verse makes it pretty clear, that God does not want us to sin, and if we are questioning what God might be answering through prayer, because we're concerned that it could be sin, then that is an absolutely biblical process of consideration. The Bible is the final authority on God's will for our lives (see 2 Peter 1:3), so I should always come back to the Word, to verify, clarify, validate, and authenticate anything I think God is telling me (in prayer) to do.
P) Father, I want to be used however You want to use me. I am committed to Your sovereign will, LORD. Open my eyes to see, and my ears to hear, so that I know Your answer when You give it. Help me to be disciplined through prayer, to ask and await Your answer, God. I humbly confess that I am fallible, and unable to perfectly hear Your words. In every response I perceive in my prayers, Father, let me take them back to Your written Word. Give me the courage and perseverance to study Scripture thoroughly, to honestly seek validation and truth, and not what I myself want to hear. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
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