Bible Reading: Ezekiel 8,9,10: Hebrews 13
“And the Lord said unto him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof.” Ezekiel 9:4 (KJV)
The children of Israel had done grievously against the Lord. He was not happy with them and had decided to bring disaster on them as a people. But, just as He had done when He passed through the Land of Egypt to kill her first born, He also had decided to spare those whose hearts hated iniquity. The question of this topic is clear and should resound in our hearts, “Am I grieved by sin?” Are we comfortable with the gross wickedness against God that prevails in our family, our place of work, our society, etc?
The scriptures speak of Lot, “…that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds” 2 Peter 2:8 (KJV). Lot and his household were delivered from the destruction, not just by Abraham’s petition, but because he too was daily grieved by the sin of Sodom. That is not all, the scriptures also speak of Jesus who “Loved righteousness and hated wickedness…” Psalm 45:7a (KJV). The heart of a true child of God is always grieved by sin. Is your heart still grieved by sin or have you become comfortable with wickedness? In the text we are considering, we see clearly the Lord instructed the man clothed in white to mark the foreheads of those who “cry for all the abominations that are in the midst thereof.” If we go further, we see the Lord command destruction on both the young and the old but on those whose foreheads he had placed a mark, He said “come not near any man upon whom is the mark…” Ezekiel 9:6b (KJV) that instruction still goes out today, and so I ask you, is the mark of the Lord upon you?
Our hearts must be grieved by our own sin and the sins of those around us. We must cry out for our own salvation and the salvation of those around us.
My dear reader, Christ came also to save humanity and set a seal on those who accepted Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. His blood speaks for us better things than the blood of vengeance. He has also sealed us with the Holy Spirit. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” Ephesians 1:3 (KJV). Consequently, the scripture admonishes us saying, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” Ephesians 4:30(KJV). It is on this premise the bible instructs us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12). Just as the Lord instructed in Ezekiel for the judgment to start from His sanctuary so the bible also said in 1 Peter 4:7a(KJV), “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:…..”
Prayer: Dear Lord, let not my heart become numb to sin in Jesus name.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo