Ezekiel 9:1-11 Marked for Life
God shows Ezekiel how He is going to punish Judah through “six men” He called. But before their death, another marked for life ALL those who “sigh” over the behavior of the people.
It’s time. God has had enough. The people will fall. In verse 2 we are told that “six men” came and stood before God with their weapons in hand. These would be His instruments of judgment. But they were not simply turned loose on the city. God had ONE man who marked all those who were disturbed by the people’s sins.
I have a feeling that the “six men” were either symbolic of those God would bring against Judah or angels. They were the “executioners of the city” and each had a “destroying weapon in his hand” (verse 1b). God had already named the way the people would die. Famine, pestilence, sword, and chased by the sword for those who ran to other countries to hide. This group of six men were commissioned to kill EVERYONE. Old men, young men, maidens, little children and women. They were to show NO pity and to spare no one, EXCEPT the ones who were marked by the man clothed in linen.
God chose His Temple as the starting place for this cleansing. The first to go were the elders who were there worshiping the sun. I thing the ones hiding in the rooms, the weeping women, and those messing with the spirit of jealousy were among the first to fall too.
The “executioners” waited until the one marking those who still feared God and followed Him was finished. God made sure that not a single soul, who was distressed by what was going on in the city, died at the hands of the “executioners.” Once the man with the writing box announced he was finished, judgment fell swiftly.
Ezekiel was distraught over all the death. He was afraid that there wouldn’t be ANYONE left alive when all was complete. He must have believed that there weren’t any who still clung to God’s Laws and statutes. Is it possible that this vision happened before the one where he cut off all his hair. In the hair instructions, God showed Ezekiel that there would be a remnant, but that even some of that remnant would be “cast into the fire.” This is exactly what God was doing by sending the one out to mark them. He was ‘holding back’ the portion that would NOT be destroyed. This would be the final remnant.
This isn’t the only time man will be “marked” by God. The first time was when Cain killed Abel. God marked Cain so that no one would kill him. Cain would live a long life, KNOWING what he had done and what it cost him. This mark spared his life but it was not actually for his benefit. It was to protect those who would kill him from receiving God’s punishment.
The second mark that we see is that of circumcision. This was a mark that was in the flesh but not visible to anyone who wasn’t ‘intimately’ familiar with the men of Israel. This mark would become a ‘bone of contention’ with the new believers when the church began to grow.
Another mark or “seal” given when we receive the Holy Spirit as a promise of eternity with Him as His children. This is at salvation and is irrevocable. It is God’s promise to be with us in His Spirit and teach us as we continue on in this journey of life. He brings us ever closer to Himself through this sealing and NOTHING can pry us from His hands!
The last mark (that I know of) happens in Revelation. It is the mark applied to the 144,000 Jews. 12,000 from each tribe. These are those who have turned to the Lord during the Tribulation. This 144,000 aren’t the ONLY ones who will turn to the Lord. Right after they are named, we are told that there will be “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9b). These will be the gentiles who will come to salvation during the Tribulation and whom God will also watch over during that time. They will be with Him, forever in His presence, and sheltered by His hand.
God seals ALL of His children through Jesus’ blood. Man may not always “see” our ‘mark’ but God does. He KNOWS who His children are. I will wear His mark with MUCH gratitude and honor.
Father God, I’m glad YOU know who all Your children are. Sometimes I’m afraid I don’t act like one but I KNOW You have my heart anyway. You always manage to bring me back to where I belong. Your ‘name’ is on me EVERYWHERE like a child going off to school with her name written on all her belongings. And like a child who wears her parent’s last name as CLEAR and PERMANENT identification as to who her family is.
