S) " 11 'therefore as I live,' declares the Lord God, 'I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your envy which you showed because of your hatred against them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.'"
Ezekiel 35:11 (NASB)
O) Ezekiel was given a prophecy against Mount Seir, because of their ill treatment of God's people during their persecution, war, and exile. The prophecy contains a lot of details, but the cause and effect are almost summed up in this one verse, in the middle of the chapter. This verse reminded me of the words of Jesus, centuries later, when He said the way we judge is the way we will be judged (see Matthew 7:2). Even amid the judgment of Israel, and the subsequent judgment of Edom (who was inhabiting Mount Seir), we catch a glimpse of what all this is about, at the very end of this verse. God declared that He would make Himself known among Israel, when He judged Mount Seir. Make Himself known. He would reveal His glory to them, by His righteous judgment. He would reveal His glory by their vindication. God's judgment is about revealing Himself, showing His righteous character. This is not simply about punishment, it is about discipline. His people had abandoned their God. They had broken their covenant with the Almighty, in large part, because they no longer acknowledged Him as the only true, living God. They did not believe that He existed in power. They did not believe that He was sovereign. So, God corrected His people directly, by executing their judgment and exile. He also corrected their misunderstanding about who He was, by making Himself known in the judgment of others because of their mistreatment of His people.
A) First and foremost, this verse is a reminder that my whole life should be about glorifying my Lord. That should be my number one priority as a redeemed citizen of the Kingdom of God. Along with that, this verse reminded me that grace is often reciprocated. Sometimes, I am gracious to others, so I expect them to be gracious to me. I see it as an investment of grace, somehow. I think that, on a very shallow level, almost like a beginners understanding of the dynamics of grace, that is what Jesus was saying. It's like, at the very least, I should be gracious if I ever want others to be gracious with me. This is in line with the "golden rule" and the verse from Matthew that I mentioned above. In the devotional verse above, God declared that He would judge Edom according to their anger and envy and hatred. It is clear they should have had more grace toward Israel and Judah. Still, I don't think it's as simple, or shallow, as a sewing and reaping principle. Jesus also taught that we are to be merciful because God has been merciful to us. The deeper level, the next step of maturity, is to be gracious to others with no expectations from them at all. I should be gracious as a reflection of the grace I have already received from God. Furthermore, I should not be concerned with how man views me. If others want to judge me, they will, independent of my efforts. No, it should only concern me what my Father God thinks. I should only ever be concerned with His judgment of my life. The ideal is that I am gracious as a reflection of His grace, and that I rest in His judgment alone, all to His glory alone.
P) Father, Your judgments are righteous and true. You are great in lovingkindness, slow to anger, full of compassion. You extended an offering of grace to all of mankind. You created the means for righteous mercy for any who would believe. That is enough for me to be merciful and gracious to others. Help me to remember the gospel, as I endure injustice or bigotry or prejudice. Let my life glorify Your redemptive work. Let my life reflect the gospel. Help me to be gracious and merciful to others, with no expectations of reciprocation. Let me rejoice in my sufferings, because my Lord and Savior also suffered. When people hurl insults, or attack me, or persecute me, even unto death, give me the mind of Christ, that I may thank You when I am driven to the cross once again. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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