Day 242 - Ezekiel 1-10

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 242 - Ezekiel 1-10 (What Will Happen to Us if God Were to Judge the Church Today?)
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"Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.  And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." 
To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.  Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary."  (Ezekiel 9:3-6)

I believe that today's Scripture reading is intended by God to convict those who belong to the household of God.  In our text above, God commands an angel holding a pen to write a mark on the foreheads of all those who grieve over the sins of the people and the abominations done within the temple of God and in the homes of the leaders of the people for they were worshipping idols which God commanded them not to do. 

After the angel with the heavenly pen finished marking all who grieved over the sins of the nation of Israel, five other angels who had charge over the city of Jerusalem were dispatched by God to kill all those who did not have the mark on their foreheads.  We are not told by Ezekiel how many people were killed that day or how many survived who had the mark on their foreheads but Ezekiel apparently thought that none of the remnants in Jerusalem will survive: "Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:8b)?"  

It is interesting tat God gave very specific instructions to the angels of destruction to start the judgment with the people who were supposedly serving in the sanctuary: "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.  Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary (Exekiel 9:5,6)." 

The apostle Peter wrote, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17)."  I think that it is reasonable to conclude that if God became very angry with those who were supposed to grieve over the sins of idolatry committed by the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the extent of killing all except the few who sighed and cried over all the abominations done within the walls of the city, that God must also be angry with His people today who are supposed to not only participate in the sins of the wicked but to grieve over it.

I could not help but wonder, if God were to judge His household of faith today which is the Church of Christ, how many will He find faithful in grieving over the sins of our nation of America such as the sin of abortion and of sexual immorality and of blasphemy?  Will He find me and you sighing and crying over these horrible sins today?  I am afraid I may not be included in the few who would be spared if God were to command His angels of destruction to kill all those who do not grieve over those sins beginning with the Church.

I am convicted.  I repent of my sin of apathy over the sins of this nation in which my family calls home.  "O God, forgive me that I am not grieved as I should over the sins of this nation.  Please give me a burden to sigh and cry over the abominations done in this country and even within your Body, the Church.  I ask that you grant the same burden as well to all your children, especially those who act as shepherds over your flock.  Have mercy on us O God and spare us from judgment which we deserve."