[Anglican Devotional 18 July 2022] Topic: God Is Mindful Of The Righteous
TOPIC: God Is Mindful Of The Righteous
READ: Ezekiel 14:12-23 (NKJV)
The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:
“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.
Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.
“If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,
even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it,
even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
“Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast,
even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
For thus says the Lord God: “How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?
Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it.
And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord God.
THE MESSAGE:
God, in our passage today, makes it clear that there are four severe judgments He sends to any land that persists in unfaithfulness. These instruments of judgement are the sword (that is, war, unrest, conflicts), famine (scarcity of food), wild beasts (devourers) and pestilence (pandemics or plagues). All these He unleashes on nations who persist in their sins.
However, while executing judgments upon such sinful lands, God is usually mindful of the fact that there are righteous men and women who live in the land. Men like Noah, Daniel and Job. God remembers them in such situations and singles them out for safety and eternal salvation because they are different. They have found grace to separate themselves from defilements and embrace uprightness.
These are the basic features of the lives of Noah, Job and Daniel. Dearly beloved, it is true that judgment is coming upon all lands in this world because of persistent unfaithfulness to God. The signals are already with us. The chaos and instability across the nations are indices. But like Noah, Daniel and Job stood for God in their generations, let us also stand in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Surely, God will not forget those who stand for His truth and righteousness. He will surely save you!
PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to stand continually in the righteousness that is of Christ Jesus in this unfaithful generation.
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