Reading:   Ezekiel 22-23
Posted:  September 10, 2014


Wow.  this seems like some pretty graphic language to be in the Bible!  I chuckle to myself as I think about the stereotypical church spinster reading this section.   The Lord doesn't spare many details in His description of their lewd acts.

Once I get past my teenage behavior, I see something familiar tucked in amongst the details.  There is a story line that I have seen elsewhere in scripture.    The person desires something they aren't allowed to have, their desire grows and becomes a lust.  They take actions to feed their desire, and after they have done so, they don't care for the object of their affection anymore.    But, by now what they have lusted after has a hold on them and they can't get away.   In the end, they are destroyed by the very thing they wanted but weren't allowed to have, obtained and then didn't want.

It sounds convoluted, I agree.  In 2 Samuel 13 a story is told of a young man named Amnon who wanted to sleep with his sister (Tamar).  She refused, but he pursued her and raped her.   Afterwards, he was disgusted by her and sent her away.   Although he appeared to get away with it, he was later murdered by his half-brother (Tamar's brother).   Absalom, now the murderer, has to flee the country for several years.     All of this because one person took what they weren't supposed to.   That's sin.

Unrighteousness begins with a temptation.  a small fleeting idea that you didn't ask for, or even think about.   But then, we capture that fleeting thought and dwell on it.  After some time, we believe we really have to obtain what we have been thinking about.  Some time after that, we take action.   Somewhere in this process the thought becomes a sin.   Sin occurs before action and after temptation.   It isn't a sin to be tempted, but it is to dwell on the thought.

Then, once we have what we wanted, we often despise it.   We may actually wish we had never been exposed, or acted.   This is often the case with people who step out of the marriage vows,  or experiment with drug use, or who take up gambling as a pass time.   What we tried to obtain has now obtained us.  We have become the captives, and too late we realize that what God was telling us about staying away from it was for our own good.

This is the case for Jerusalem, who has aligned themselves with foreign powers, and has depended on them for protection, goods and services.    And, it is the case for many people here in the United States, and some christians as well.   Captured by our desires.

The pathway out of this mess is straightforward.   Confess your sinful thoughts and behavior to God, and ask him to deliver you from them.   Acknowledge that you have sinned, and that it's beyond your control, and tell Him that you want to stop.

As 23:27 says, He is able to "take away your longing and desire for Egypt".    The truth is, the devil is fairly powerful, and the wire rope that he binds us with can only be broken by Jesus Christ.   We get ourselves into this mess, but Jesus gets us out.    That's why we praise Him.   He is certainly worthy.

Don't wait.  Don't put it off.   Right where you are, no matter what you are doing...tell the Lord in your own words that you're sorry and want Him to take over your life.  Give Him full control, and He will steer you out of the mess you made, and off the path of destruction you are on.

Don't live with regret one more minute.  act now.

Hope to see you heaven.

PR