Willful Disobedience

TEXT: Ezekiel 22:1-12

Key Verse: “In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 22:12).

A watchful, dutiful mother looked out of the window on the snow covered driveway. She saw her seven year old son Danny sled into the street. She called him into the house and reprimanded him, saying, “I’ve told you never to sled into the street! You will have to stay in the house for the rest of the day!” Throughout the day, Danny heard the laughter of happy neighbourhood children as they romped and sledded on the snow. When the day was almost gone, Danny pleaded, “Can’t I go out now mum?” Mother relented. She bundled him up warmly. As Danny dashed toward the door, mother warned, “Remember what I told you about going into the street, stay in the yard”. These were the last words Danny ever heard his mother speak. Five minutes later Danny was dead. He was crushed by a car when he sledded into the street. Obedience could have saved Danny’s life.

The children of Israel were like this defiant child who eventually strayed into his destruction. Sundry acts of rebellion which include immoral lifestyle, idol worship, shedding of innocent blood, greed and extortion from the less privileged, and catalogue of many other crimes as were mentioned in the text are dangerous to a believer’s spiritual health! The day of forsaking God can be very devastating. Departure from God will lead men into defilement, as the case is in the passage of today.

Israel became a laughing stock because of sin. Unfortunately for them, they ran from security into insecurity. They had no understanding to discern the danger that is imminent. The world is in darkness today because of departure from God’s standard of holiness.

God is gracious however to those who come into His redemption plan through the death and vicarious sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. The solution to the problem of the world is in returning to God sincerely through repentance. The word of God says “If thou will return, return unto me: if thou shalt put away thine abomination out of my sight, then shalt thou not be removed” (Jeremiah 4:1).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Repentance is the key to restoration.