{"id":1032,"date":"2023-08-15T01:08:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T01:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deadmannotwalking.org\/?p=1032"},"modified":"2023-08-15T01:08:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T01:08:06","slug":"consequences-xi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deadmannotwalking.org\/?p=1032","title":{"rendered":"Consequences XI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

And the word of the Lord\u00a0came to me, saying,\u00a0\u201cSon of man, say to her, \u2018You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.\u2019\u00a0There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.\u00a0Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.\u00a0Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood\u00a0and\u00a0destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain.\u00a0Her\u00a0prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, \u2018Thus says the Lord God,\u2019 when the Lord\u00a0has not spoken.\u00a0The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.\u00a0I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.\u00a0Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads,\u201d declares the Lord God.\u00a0 (Ezekiel 22:23-31, NASB)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Bible passage above, Prophet Ezekiel reports on a conversation with God.  God has apparently had it with the Kingdom of Judah, and He’s preparing to execute His long-promised judgment on them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God leaves no one out of His fury.\u00a0 He blames the corrupt prophets who speak for God without His prompting; the lawless priests, who ignore God’s laws; the princes and kings who have led their people astray; and the people themselves, who have not treated the poor and needy as they should.\u00a0 In fact, God “searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”\u00a0 There was “no one who does good, not even one!”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Russian icon of the Prophet Ezekiel holding a scroll with his prophecy and pointing to the “closed gate” (18th century, Iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Russia).\u00a0 Found at Wikipedia,\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ezekiel<\/a>.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sounds familiar!  The news is full of reports of corruption in all levels of society.  We’d do well to take a lesson from Judah.  God would soon destroy her, using Babylon to utterly destroy Jerusalem and carry its people into exile.  “Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads.”  Could we be next? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the personal level, we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.\u00a0 But God has a plan of salvation.\u00a0 He sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die for us.\u00a0 If we would repent of our sins and accept Jesus’ sacrifice, then we’ll spend eternity with Him in heaven!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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