“Go through the city and put a mark on the foreheads of all who sigh and GROAN”
While Ezekiel was in Babylon with other exiled Jews, the Lord gave him a vision of the terrible things happening in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The people – and above all, the leaders, were totally corrupt: sexual immorality; self-gratification, even placing such idols inside the house of God.
Their sins had become a stench to God.
The leaders were telling the people ‘We can do what we like’ ‘It doesn’t matter’ ‘The Lord doesn’t see’ ‘Everyone is doing it.’
Spiritual leaders are especially accountable, as they can be leading many away from God, “Let not many become teachers knowing that we will incur greater condemnation” (James 3:1).
God called six angels of wrath to slaughter the wicked – and to begin with the leaders.
The temple was now defiled. God had to destroy what they had perverted. God’s glory departed from it, and His presence was never the same until Christ visited it in the New Testament.
Today, many churches would be better closed than what is being done and preached in them.
While the six angels of wrath were carrying out God’s orders, Ezekiel fell facedown, crying out…
“Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel!?”
God said, “I will not spare them. The land is full of perversion“.
But God told the person with the writing kit to put a mark on those who were faithful to God, “Put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and groan about the detestable things done.”
He said, “Do not touch any who bear the mark”.
Those with the mark were spared.
Their faithfulness was determined by their grief and ‘groaning‘ about the gross sins of the people.
If you are not ‘groaning’ then the world is your friend, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4).
If you are ‘groaning‘ – you have something in common with Lot who grieved and ‘groaned’ .
Don’t ‘hide’ or be ‘ashamed’ of your ‘mark!‘ Let it be well visible to God! He does see!
The ‘mark’ of a Christian in these disturbing present times… ‘groaning’
“Blessed are those who mourn (Lit, grieve, groan) for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).
(scriptures from Ezekiel chapters 8 and 9 which is a foretelling of God’s coming judgement).
God bless, Christine.
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