Ezekiel 20 offers insight into the state of the world today. Starting in verse 6, God is saying…
In the day I lifted up my hand unto them (the Old Testament church), to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: Then I said to them, ‘Cast away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God’. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me…
Verse 13… But the house of Israel (the Old Testament church) rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments… then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them.
Verse 16… Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless my eye spared them from destroying them; neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
The Bible documents how God has been longsuffering with mankind from the very beginning – Adam & Eve, the tower of Babel, Noah and the flood; the list goes on and on.
1 Samuel 8 records Israel asking for a king to judge us like all the nations (do). Verse 7 records… And the LORD said unto Samuel, ‘Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say to you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’
One can only imagine how many times God has seen mankind turn their back on him, his will, his desire, his plan – only to go a different way – and he has responded with, ‘Nevertheless, I will spare them.’
Psalm 86:15 reads…
But thou, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
So why is the world in such a mess? Is anything that is happening in the world actually God’s design? Why did…?
2Peter 3: 9 says:
The Lord is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Do you want to understand the world around you, and how you fit in? Dig into the Bible, pray for wisdom, pray for understanding. As you listen to preachers (and there are countless preachers!), make sure what they are saying lines-up with the Bible – and if it doesn’t look for another.
And always remember… God is faithful, God is true, and God is for you!
Read it for yourself. 