God Loves Me
Read Ezekiel 33:1–39:29
Advertisement
2. “Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman.
3. When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.
4. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die.
5. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives.
6. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’
7. Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.” Ezekiel 33:1-7
Suppose you really blow it. You feel quite certain that God could never forgive you or use you or care whether you get up the next morning. Where do you go from here?
This portion of Ezekiel has the answer. As you read, notice the Jews’ change in attitude toward God. Once they were hardened—now they’re repentant. The tone of Ezekiel’s prophecies changes to match. The people begin to listen, and God responds. Here is the turning point: God’s enemies will be wiped out and good times will return. Restoration and new life lie ahead.
Thirty-two chapters of Ezekiel record how Judah, and many of the surrounding nations, would be punished for their sins. At first none of the people listened to these divine rebukes. Finally God’s people admitted their guilt and set aside their stubborn rebellion. But then they felt overwhelmed by their sorrow: “Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away!” (Ezekiel 33:10). God responded by saying that he would not punish those who repented (33:10-12).
God doesn’t enjoy punishing people, nor does he abandon us when we stray from him. In every warning he calls us back. He prefers that we turn from our sins, seek his forgiveness, and begin to follow him again. No matter how far we’ve gone astray, we can always come back to God, because he wants us back.
When you sin, don’t resign yourself to a pitiless fate of isolation from God. Simply confess your sins and acknowledge his right to guide you. Don’t let past disobedience ever keep you from returning to God.
