Earnestly Request Mercy

How we should be ashamed and repent! Do we see our ugliness? Are we begging for mercy? We should seek forgiveness with a strong passion, because our sins are being spelled out to us letter by letter and verse by verse.

If we study Ezekiel 36 in order to comprehend what is actually taking place, we notice evidence of God’s grace. In verse 32 God says that He is not showing mercy for their sake. This is a clear picture of a loving God. All throughout this book, the Sovereign Lord calls the children of Israel to listen to His Words. The phrase often repeated is: “Hear the word of the Lord.” This is a command.

Time after time they were given the opportunity to heed the warning. However, Israel sinned over and over again, and God continually called for them to repent just as He calls for us to turn from our sinful—fleshly—ways. He wants to cleanse us from our ugliness (verse 25). He will give us a “new heart” and a “new spirit” (verse 26). God will take away our hard, unclean, dirty, black, sinful nature and bring us into a “land” where He will be our God (verse 28). By His grace we are called His own.

We have seen God’s wrath and judgment throughout the entire book. God provides a summary for us in this section. Multiple times He has spoken of His intent, fiery and jealous anger, but now He had pity on the children of Israel yet again. They are reminded, though, in verse 32 to “be ashamed” and sorrowful for their actions.

All we have to do is a complete turn around entrusting ourselves to Him. Fear God, repent, submit to His Sovereignty, experience His love and receive His blessings. It is that easy. With a repentant heart, we see our filthiness before Him just as the children of Israel did.

After reading this chapter, I was convinced even more than before that God’s love is only understood after we comprehend His wrath and vice verse. They must be explained together. Interestingly it may be wiser not to use the phrase “we must have a balance” in teaching these two attributes; we must simply teach both, not one without the other. If our true desire is to know Him, we cannot pick and choose what we want to accept. That is why often these days the Word is being “adapted” to fit a way of lifestyle to make everyone feel comfortable (See earlier post, 5-13-09).

And I realize once again that we must watch out, because dangers are present yet hidden all around us. Be careful for there are false prophets in disguise everywhere (Matthew 7:15). Buck and I were discussing Romans 3:10-18. He said that we see the “ultimate end of a group of people who have replaced the righteousness of God with their own creation”. Unfortunately there is no fear of God. They do not know peace and their mouths utter words of death (verses 14; 17-18). The sad part is Satan is slowly luring people into a level of comfort unaware. Subtle untrue, negative lies and statements have briefly been fed from some media savvy government officials, “pastors”, writers of “fiction”, family and friends to diminish our levels of tolerance for the Truth. Just as with the children of Israel, we have allowed other beliefs, bad theology and idols in our midst.

What can we do? Pay attention and do not let anything be a substitute for God’s Word. And may we not be guilty of the same sins as Israel! God please have mercy on us for we are sinners. Save us from our sins. We ask for forgiveness. God promises that He will “save you from all your uncleannesses” (verse 29). And He will pour out His blessings (verses 29-30; 37-38). Praise God because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, we are cleansed as “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).
-The Chosen Path, L. Burch, 2009