Daily Bread for Sep 11, Eze 31-33

Today’s readings are Eze 31-33.

In Eze 31, Pride is punished once again, this time in Assyria, once one of the most beautiful places on earth. Assyria is compared to a tree that is mighty but comes crashing down. The same fate awaits Pharaoh and Egypt.

In Eze 31:9-11, we see a sobering reminder of how Assyria ascended to greatness and why she fell,

9 I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height,
11 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out.

Pharaoh is lamented in Eze 32 which ends with a description of the destruction of Egypt's armies. All those nations who have rejected God oppressed His people and influenced them to follow worldly ways will pay a similar price (Eze 32:22-31).

Just before delivering these devastating prophecies, Ezekiel's hears of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Eze 33). His prophetic gift is reaffirmed, and he receives a promise. Soon, his ministry, which has been one of foretelling pain and suffering, will transform into one of encouragement. But, there are still some warnings he must deliver.

Eze 33:10-20 gives us a glimpse of God’s perfect justice. He takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. Yet, His holiness demands payment for sin. Those who repent can be delivered from His wrath. But those who obstinately reject Him will suffer the consequences of their actions. It is not God who brings this judgment upon them, but their own hearts and behavior.

The few survivors of the massacre in Jerusalem mistakenly believe the land now belongs to them (Eze 33:23-24). Ezekiel tells them their idolatry and hypocrisy disqualify them from being blessed by the land. This unfaithful remnant, who rejected Ezekiel's warnings, will be judged as the other unfaithful were. On that day, they would know Ezekiel was a true prophet.

God's abhorrence of pride and His resolve to punish it among the ungodly and eliminate it from among His people is breath-taking in these chapters. He uses the pride of the evil nations to expunge the pride from among His own people, then punishes the evil nations for coming against His people.

The reason pride is such a serious matter is that it displaces God in the heart of the prideful person. Pride centers on self, longs to satisfy self, boasts about self and leaves no room for God. It is a direct contradiction to the commandment to "love God with all your heart." Rather than loving and worshiping God, the prideful man loves and worships himself. His heart is bent on fulfilling his own desires.

This should give us pause to consider how a prideful man gets this way. It’s easy to see this shortcoming in people like the ancient Egyptians. Still, we would do well to examine our own hearts and ask whether our worship of God is entirely focused on Him, or is there any inkling in us that would urge us to use God to meet our own desires.

A good indicator of whether we struggle in this area can be our level of disappointment when things don’t go our way. Do tough times drive us to our knees and into a deeper relationship with Him? Or, do they cause to get angry or suffer a crisis in faith?

Another way to gauge our own heart motivations can be our reasons for attending church. Do we choose a church based on how faithful it is to the word of God? Or do we choose one that suits our needs and desires? Are we there to be fulfilled, to have our needs met? Or, are we there to collectively worship what God has done/is doing?

These are all good questions. Some self-examination can be beneficial. It can lead to healing and a deeper walk. This level of introspection should never result in guilt or despondency, but to greater dependence and intimacy with the Lord. The history of the Jews is our guideline in self-examination. Their trials were always designed to bring them closer to the Father, never to punish them. God’s goal for each of us as believers is always to draw us closer to Him.