Ezekiel 22:1-31 Bloody Mess
God tells Ezekiel that Jerusalem is a bloody mess from all her sins. Physical and metaphorical blood has been shed in her streets. Her time has come to pay for it.
I’m going to admit right away to not following all the bits and pieces of this prophecy God gives Ezekiel. There are parts where the words don’t ‘paint a picture’ for me. Some of the offenses are clear and easy to recognize. Examples of the easily understandable are the lying with a woman during her menstrual cycle, the fatherless and widow are wronged, and people who eat on the mountains.
Parts I really don’t understand but probably have heard at one point in time are, men who uncover their father’s nakedness, men who slander to shed blood, and sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and makes idols to defile herself. I have some idea what they mean. I should probably be thankful that the words don’t evoke a picture in me because then that would mean that I have seen this type of sin before.
I’m thinking that A LOT of the blood God is referring to happened in the time of Manasseh as king. He wasn’t the only king to shed blood but he did more than ‘shed it”, he practically bathed in it. God said the streets ran with the blood of the slain. The blood of the children sacrificed to the false gods for whatever reason was mixed in thoroughly in Manasseh’s sins. God despised these practices. He spoke of making the “children pass through the fire” several times in reference to this sin. God NEVER approved of child sacrifice in ANY context.
All three times that God speaks to Ezekiel in our reading describe Jerusalem as a city beyond hope. A city that is so far from the line God made in His Law that their conduct condemns them to death. God has attempted, over the years, to bring the people back to Himself. Sometimes they would return with varying degrees of success only to fall farther away next time. The ‘good’ is gone and all that remains is “the dross.” And no matter how hot you heat dross, it will NEVER be free of impurities. It has to be scrapped and new brought in to replace it.
God also tells Ezekiel that He looked high and low for ONE man who would “stand in the gap” for Jerusalem. One who was righteous and would bring the people back to Him. I think that is what kings like Josiah did, but their changes didn’t survive them. The people rebounded back to what they had just left. They loved their idols more than God.
I think the hardest part to ‘sit still for’ would be the false prophecies that were being fed to the leaders and even the people. God gave His TRUE word to His chosen men. They shared what God had given them, but the people wanted to believe the false prophets more. Honestly, who would want to hear that they were going to be in trouble when someone else is promising prosperity? And the people ‘swallowed the hype’ instead.
It’s too late. No amount of ‘soap and water’ will wash the city clean. God is going to clean the land through fire, sword, and pestilence. Those who do not love Him will NOT return when all is said and done. He will save this land for those who do love Him and will follow His laws.
Father God, You have not given up on this world yet. You know that the time is coming when our world will suffer as deeply as Jerusalem did. You will cerate a new place for us to stand and follow You. Only those who truly love You will be there. And in this place there will be NO sin.
Until that day arrives, I want to live for You. No matter how ‘bloody’ the world is around me, I want to still walk in Your ways. I do NOT want to join in just to get along. There are places where I think I’m in danger of doing that. Or at least, not standing against it. How do I show love to my wandering children and grandchildren who are TOTALLY confused by this world while still maintaining standards? Show me the path to take and the places where I need to ‘take a stand’ or more appropriately, fall to my knees. THAT is the place of TRUE warfare against the direction this world is heading!
