I like happy stories. I’m drawn to comedy over drama, delight in an afternoon spent wrapped up in a blanket watching a late nineties romantic comedy (ideally starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan). I avoid movies, shows, and books with the following: suspense, tragedy, gore of any kind, car wrecks, deadly diseases, dying, and unhappy endings. Blame my anxiety, some unresolved childhood trauma, or just a buoyant outlook on life, but hard and sad stories are not for me.
So I’m not naturally drawn to books like Ezekiel, at least certainly not the first few dozen chapters. It’s hard to sit and read about the myriad ways Judah has failed and to see those failures reflected back in my own heart. Chapters 22 and 23 cut to the chase, and as I read them during this Lenten season, I flinch and squirm, unsettled by the harsh but true language. Because I’m reading not just about the long-ago Israelites, I’m reading about the depth of sin that is possible in me.
But to grasp the implications of the true ugliness of sin in my own heart, it’s helpful to understand how and why Ezekiel structures these chapters. Chapter 22 gives us three oracles about their destructive behavior. A cue for seeing when each starts is the phrase, “the word of the LORD came to me,” and they begin at verses 1, 17, and 23.
In the first oracle, Ezekiel gives the people a list. It’s not just a list of things they’ve done wrong. He uses language and references from Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy to show specifically the laws of God that they have broken. This isn’t a wild deviation from culture and norms; rather, these are things that God told them not to do. If my kids break a rule they don’t know about, like saying a bad word they had never heard before, well, that’s one thing. It’s on me to disciple them in that moment, to teach them right from wrong. But the people weren’t stumbling onto a new way of sinfulness, they were explicitly breaking God’s laws. We see echoes of the Ten Commandments in Ezekiel 22:4, 7, and 8. Ezekiel references specific Levitical laws throughout this oracle as well, specifically from Leviticus 18–20.
In the second oracle, Ezekiel tells them that there is no good left. The city will be burned, but nothing will be refined: no silver purified from dross. This is a stark, shocking, sad image. He starts with “this is what you have done,” and the second oracle describes “this is what will happen to you.”
The third oracle, beginning with verse 22, reminds the people of Judah that none of them—not one—is righteous. None have obeyed the law. Romans 3:23 reiterates this truth: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Ezekiel’s words sting all the way through, each of the three oracles wielding a particular perspective. But they lead us to this: not one of us can follow the law. And so God must do what He has spoken; He must act. The Lord’s wrath was not poured out on us, but on His own son, Jesus—who, on the cross, bore the crushing weight of all our sin, and who made a way for us to be clean and righteous. What a weight we bear, but what a gift we have been given. Praise be to God.
Good evening sisters! I am so behind in reading and comments but had a few moments to read today’s reading and devotional and some comments. Thank you again for everyone who prayed for us! We are tired but thankful. I am recovering well but having some difficulty with breastfeeding and having some anxious thoughts from the enemy. If I may ask for continued prayers for recovery, peace of mind and wisdom. Thank you dear sisters !
What a weight we bear, but what a gift we have been given — this is so true. Reading Ezekiel has been difficult for me, too, and I think portions of scripture that speak about how the nations prostituted themselves and the language used makes me feel so sad to read as a woman. I’m doing the study together with my boyfriend and the same sentences that prick my soul and make me feel uncomfortable don’t impact him the same way. I must say today’s passages were doubly difficult to digest. Thank you SRT for bringing us through the book of Ezekiel as a whole community. Let’s reflect on this together and support one another in our journey with Christ.
We have to be careful in our how we engage in our hobbies and pleasures. We can have them, of course, but we must NOT put them above God. When we put things above God, we end up miserable. Then we sometimes blame God for when we feel that way.. but its not His fault.. it’s ours.
We must always remember that our actions have good/ bad consequences. I hope we can choose good actions all the time, and that we can put God first above everything else.. even our own hobbies that we like to engage in from time to time.
This might be a little off topic, but I read an incredible story today. You might know her. Her name is Ingrid Betancourt. She was kidnapped for six years by FARC in Colombia. Before she was kidnapped she was a indifferent Catholic but she did an interview and said that her captivity led to a spiritual awakening and she is now devout. WOW! God works in very mysterious ways, our faith grows in times when we least expect it to. But we must not forget that God always hears us.. even if we don’t think He does. I’m always so amazed and inspired at how much Faith and God can change a person. There really is no life without God!
Forgive my sin against you, O LORD.
Thank you for your forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You are worthy of all praise and glory. You alone are God. Amen.
Forgive my sin against you, O LORD. You are worthy of all praise and
Such explicit language and descriptions in today’s reading (agreeing with Angie all the way -how disgusting the sins are). Sometimes we forget that God sees all things, every detail of how gross of things we might be doing, even the thoughts of our mind He hears. It is so hard being GOD. I wouldn’t want to be the one who knows every gross detail, it would hurt me badly. The verse that touched me the most is, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none” KJV Ezekiel 22:30. Since there was none, God provided His own perfect man Jesus. Sobbing at this truth. God is truly love. Love spares not his own son but sacrifices him, to make up for us. Thank you Lord for Jesus. May we live for Him who died for us.
@Jasmine: praying for you and your husband on wise decisions ahead.
@Jennifer Barkley: praying for your husband’s knee surgery. May all go well.
@Victoria E: hope you’re doing well and recovering. Congrats on baby Elijah. Wonderful name choice. He will bear the spirit of the mighty prophet for God’s glory.
@Sissy: praying for your marriage and reconciliation.
@Heidi: amazing testimony, how mighty God moves through the littlest details. Will continue to pray.
Have an amazing weekend everyone.
As I read Ezekiel, sometimes it is hard for me to see myself in the Israelites. Not because I haven’t sinned, but because I haven’t committed the specific sins they have. But I have has idols in my life and things that I have chased after instead of God. I pray I would replace those idols with God. He alone can satisfy. ❤️
Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I am reminded just how much we, as humans, want to go our own way; Do our ‘own thing’ and be our own people. How ridiculous are we?
God created a perfect world for us – with every provision in place before he made us. Every good thing comes from His hand. Sin brought/brings destruction! He even had a plan in place for that, because he knew we would sin. What a huge price was paid for our salvation. And we don’t always even appreciate that. We cannot fully comprehend just how big that price was.
I am in awe of Him. His majesty, His power, His love, His mercy, His justice. This time of reading and study in preparation of celebration of His resurrection is so good. It gives us another look at the deepness and darkness of sin and also reminds us of the deliverance He has prepared if we are ready to accept it.