August 19th 2012

August 19^th 2012

Ezekiel chapters 19-22

There were a lot of interesting things in our reading today! I'd like to focus on two of these interesting things that stuck out to me. They are not exactly the most important parts of this reading, but I found them interesting all the same. The very first thing I want to focus on, though, is how many times Ezekiel says "Sovereign LORD." Not just Lord, Sovereign Lord. Ezekiel was a very wise man, and as seen just in all of chapter 19, he had a way with words. He uses relevant symbolism and beautiful language to get his meaning across, so I highly doubt he unknowingly over-used the word "sovereign." He meant to keep saying this. One of the first things I learned when learning how to remember things is that repetition is a powerful tool. Ezekiel knew this, so he reminded people as much as he could that the Sovereign Lord, that God, is the ultimate ruler. He knew that kings and princes come and go, and that the only constant Lord in anyone's life is God. We've seen plenty of kingdoms and rulers rise and fall over the course of our reading this year. I think Ezekiel wanted to point out how flimsy even the toughest ruler could be if he were not with God.

The second thing I want to focus on is rebellion. Not only have we seen kingdoms rise and fall during our readings this year, but we have also seen many forms of rebellion. It's natural to want to rebel, to push the walls of the boundaries set up by someone wiser than yourself. People want to make their own way. But there are two things to think about before you rebel. Number 1: think about who set up those boundaries in the first place. These people are wiser, and have seen more in their lifetime than you have. While it's true that some parents can be a little strict, it's always in the interest of the child's well being to put up boundaries and guide lines. Number 2: the possible outcomes of rebelling. People who rebel need to remember that they are not infinte. Like the famous quote from a great movie, "Shit happens." So, what if something happens to you? Say an underage drinker got in his car, slammed into a pole, and broke some ribs. The kid is probably bummed at first because he wrecked his car, and also broke some ribs. That sucks, right? Then his parents show up at the hospital. They're angry, but underneath that they're also upset. How many times had they warned him not to drink underage? How many more times did they tell him to never, ever drive while under the influecnce? Didn't the mom tell the son before he went out that if he got too drunk she'd come pick him up? These parents did what they could, and still the son rebelled. Now he's realizing that not only is he bummed about his car and his ribs, but he's also bummed about not listening to his parents in the first place. And the parents are upset that their son didn't listen. They really did try to keep him safe. Using this example, it's easy to understand why God gets so emotional when His people rebel. He's seen it over and over, for years and years, and after years of it I know I would just give up and let the people have at it. But this is also why I am not God, lucky for you all.

Some things to things to think about after today's reading:

1. In what ways have you rebelled, recently or in the past? Was it really worth it? (Be honest with yourself!)

2. Think about Ezekiel's "Sovereign Lord." Does He rule above all other things in your life? Or do you let idols rule you?

3. Think of someone you know who maybe is rebelling without cause, or putting idols in front of their faith. Make a point to gently help them realize what they're doing, because often when we help others we end up helping ourselves more.

Hope you all had a lovely Sunday!

Gina :)