Scripture:
Ezekiel 6:9 "Then when they are exiled among the nations they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. They will know that I alone am the Lord".
Observation:
God is speaking through Ezekiel all the punishments He is bringing on the people of Israel. He says some extremely devastating things that He is going to do to them. This makes God look like a really unloving God. His heart in punishment and discipline is seen in this verse. He wants them to see how hurt He is, feel bad about it, and repent so that they will know that He is the Lord. He brings judgment hoping it will turn the hearts of His people to Him. All He really wanted was to walk and talk with Him people, but they kept worshiping and serving idols instead of Him.
Application:
Hebrews tells us that whoever the Lord loves, He will chastise. We don't like verses like this in our New Testament. We want to see only the scriptures that tell us how good He is to us. He is good to us in His discipline. A father disciplines his son because he loves him and wants him to become the best he can be. Our heavenly father loves us enough to chastise us at times, which never feels good. We must see God's heart and respond quickly. His heart in discipline is for us to return quickly to Him in repentance so that we can walk closer with Him.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for letting me see your heart in Your punishment of Israel. You just wanted a people that would love You and not run after other gods. You want your people to be completely yours. You do deserve our utmost dedication and we should never place anything above you. Keep me away from idols and the things that drain my time from You.
Yours,
Jeff
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