Friday, March 27, 2020
“Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
“Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live. Ezekiel 33:10-16
The prophet
Ezekiel’s clear watchman message on the absence of a neutral position on sin is
that, it matters what you do with what’s in front of you, much more so than
what you did yesterday.
Some of the
conversations I’ve had with people since the onslaught of the newest plague, Covid-19,
have turned to whether or not this is the beginning of the End-Time judgment of
God. Is the blood of past sins calling
down the wrath of God on humankind? There’s
a case to be made for that; some would say a strong case! After all, God does not wink at sin. All the way through Scripture it is presented
clearly that sin’s penalty is death.
From the very first warning of God to Adam and Eve, that, in the day
they sinned their souls would experience death’s sting…through the cursing of
the ground, decline of health and life’s longevity, and the displays of God’s
willingness to save from sin, this has been the human story: we sin, experience a little more hell until
we repent; God forgives and covers the sin with His righteousness. And we hardly learn the lesson. It’s like the shampoo bottle instructions – lather,
rinse, repeat.
So, is Covid-19
God’s judgment gavel about to hit the bench?
Are we toast? The answer is threefold,
yes, no, and I really don’t know.
Yes …is the sense that God always judges humankind’s sin.
No …is the sense that we humans were created in the image of God, but that image is dimmed so much by our wickedness, we hardly can understand the concept of God’s will and righteousness, much less know what God is up to.
I Really Don’t Know …is my final answer – God has reserved the timing of his judgment to himself. As Jesus told his followers…no one but the Father knows that day
For You Today
Considering we
cannot know, when judgment will come, or even if Covid-19 is part of it, it is
much smarter to do what Ezekiel suggested…turn…turn! The Bible word for turning is repent;
to repent is to turn away from sin and turn to
God.
Remember, Ezekiel
said that God said your past wickedness can’t destroy you if you turn to
Him. So…are you waiting for a particular
reason other than unbelief?
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