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Devotional thoughts (Monday through Thursday mornings) from the pastor of Exeter Presbyterian Church in Exeter, NH // Sunday Worship 10:30am // 73 Winter Street

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Ezekiel 5

In the prior chapter of this book, the prophet Ezekiel was instructed by God to act out certain judgment pictures. This continued in the fifth chapter with another display, which was then explained through the Word of the Lord. The picture was not a happy one, but a further confirmation of the trouble that would come upon the people of Jerusalem.

The Lord had his prophet act as both the barber and the one getting the haircut. He was to cut his hair and his beard, and then divide the hair into three equal groups. This was to be done with precision, measuring out the hair by weight using a scale. This was a puzzling detail that should cause us to consider that the Lord’s ways with men are not haphazard, but very deliberate.

We know that the Lord was not ultimately saying something about hair in this chapter, but about people. Our Savior would eventually make a similar point many years later in Matthew 10:28-31, when He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” The illustration of hair is used in the Bible to identify a large number of particulars that are beyond our counting, but are well known to God. There were many people in Jerusalem. Their destiny was not a matter of chance, but a fact that was settled in the will of God.

One third of the hair would burn in the fire in the city at the end of the siege. Another third would die by the sword in the city. The final third would flee from the city at the end, but they would not escape disaster. They would also die by the sword, since they would be pursued and captured. There would be just a few people that would not have this end. They were represented symbolically by a small number of strands of hair that would be bound up in the skirts of the prophet’s robe. Even some of these would end up in the fire. Some would survive, all of this according to the Lord’s particular plan. (One thinks of the baptized church, and then within that number the elect church, that will one day be revealed as the true sons of God.)

God had set Jerusalem as the showcase of His Law and of His covenant faithfulness in front of the entire world. All the nations should have been able to come to this great city and admire the beauty of following the Lord God Almighty. Many should have seen the order and truth of the people of God, her kings and her priests, and should have asked for the reason that this city was so greatly blessed above all the other centers of influence throughout the world. The answer would have been obvious; because the God of Jerusalem was the real God, and He loved His people, and gave them great laws, and they were only too happy to delight in Him and to follow Him.

This was not what happened. God’s people not only rebelled against Him, they did it by committing more wickedness than the surrounding nations. They refused to follow His commandments and to walk in His love. What possible good news did the people of Jerusalem have for the rest of the world? They would not believe the Lord’s Word. Why would anyone else have been moved to follow the Lord by their example?

God would not bless this city. He would bring His judgments against her. That would be His testimony to the nations. They had chosen to rebel against Him more than those who did not have His Law. He would punish them with horrible things that even the other nations had not faced. They had the tremendous blessing of a sanctuary where God promised to be present with them. They had neglected this gift and had filled the temple with abominations. Consequently God announced that He would withdraw from them, and that He would have no pity on them.

What He had promised with Ezekiel’s razor, He now confirmed with His Word. Fire, the sword in the city, and the sword outside of the city would consume the people. Beyond these three, famine would destroy many, and even wild beats would come against them, taking away their young ones. This was God’s settled will against Jerusalem. He concluded His message with these solemn words: “I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

When the wrath of the Lord came upon Christ on the cross, it came upon Him definitively. The punishment was weighed out carefully. It was for His remnant, for those loved ones who were kept safe in the fold of His garments and not surrendered to the fire. For those beloved children the devastating horrors of hell came upon the perfect soul of Jesus of Nazareth. This great judgment is a source of some consolation to us now, for we know that the justice of God must have been fully satisfied. We clearly could not take God’s fury against us, which we deserved because of our sin.

Now the Lord’s church has a blessed opportunity to live by faith in Christ. We still may face trouble, but our debt has been fully paid. We need to follow Him faithfully, always being ready to give a reason for the hope that lies within us. We are more precious to Him than many sparrows. Even the hairs of our heads are numbered. Christ the Lord has died for us.

posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM

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