This morning I felt like I should read from Ezekiel 19 and 20. Chapter 19 is an interesting lament about Israel's princes. What was more interesting to me was the theme of Chapter 20, which is God's purging of Israel. There is a very repetitive theme as Ezekiel recounts the history of Israel. Here is one section and God's statement about His actions towards Israel - Ezekiel 20:21-22, 44 NIV
[21] “ 'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. [22] But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
[44] 'You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. ' ”
The repeating theme is God warning them, but then relenting and treating them in such a way that His name would not be profaned. In other words, He treated Israel in such a way that people would not ascribe characteristics to God that were not true. In verse 44 God says He would deal with them for His names sake, NOT according to their evil ways.
Here is how the Lord described Himself to Moses - Exodus 34:6-7 NIV:
[6] "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, [7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
So many want to ascribe to God punishment for guilt as His primary characteristic, yet God describes Himself very differently. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, abounding in faithfulness, maintaining Love, forgiving wickedness, forgiving rebellion, forgiving sin. Those are the characteristics that we should be focused on, way before the punishment of guilt, for they give us a reference point and define what the last statement means. If God forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin, what is left to be guilty of?
When Jesus came to earth, He came to represent the Father, and show us exactly what the Father was like. Hebrews 1:3 says that He was the exact representation of the Father. John says it this way, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John 1:18)
Jesus described His mission a bit later in John's Gospel - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)
Rather than focusing on the coming judgment of God, His punishment, His warnings, let us focus on His whole character, and His specific statements regarding His love as His compelling characteristic. God is so much more than just a judge, waiting to judge. He is first of all loving, compassionate, merciful, gracious and slow to anger. In John's later letter he simply sates, "God is Love". (1 John 4:8) So, I am not sure why we, as members of His church, continue to present Him as first of all judging and angry, and only happy with a few of us pure and righteous followers.
Lord, we pray that You would deal with us mercifully for the sake of Your name, and NOT for our wicked and sinful ways. Help us to share with the world who you really are, not some judgmental God waiting to destroy us for our sin, but rather as one who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Amen!
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