A God of Destruction?
I love God. I'm pretty sure you do, or you wouldn't be spending precious time reading scripture "Notes" on YouVersion. What are you looking for? You crave an encounter with God, and you love the "Truth." Yet, we can forget the love of our hearts, and we can be seduced by other small gods to live an unholy life. Everyday, we face a world that invites us to join it in sin. This is what happened to the family of Israel in the time of Ezekiel.
This prophet Ezekiel let's them have it "between the eyes." God, he tells them, will allow their "villages [to be] emptied out and the fields destroyed. Then you'll realize that I am God." [Ez. 12:20] If destruction was God's primary plan and part of his essential character, I'm not sure I could love Him, although I would still honor Him as God. But I love God because I daily experience His overflowing goodness, mercy, kindness, and unfailing love, despite my regular screw-ups.
I point out this essential "goodness" of God's character because reading Ezekiel and the other prophets can create an image of God as continuously angry and vindictive. It is as if God got out of the wrong side of bed during the eons of the "Old Testament" and had a hormonal change with the birth of Christ. But it was not that way! God is unchanging, and His essential character is love! So what's going on?
Well, first, there is the prophetic tradition. Prophets got people's attention with dramatic demonstrations and extreme declarations. Second, the people were ignorant of God, and rebellious against Him. They needed a clear and even frightening "wake up call." [We could use one ourselves in the 21st Century]. Thirdly, the people brought it on themselves. We would be wise to pay attention. If you depart from a godly life, you will reap the consequences. Sin is not a consequence free game. Sin is serious business, with serious consequences: death and misery.
We have to put the railing of the Old Testament prophets in historical, cultural, and religious context for 21 Century nonbelievers, who often get "turned off" by the "angry God" images. The Good News is that we have a "Good God" who gave us the greatest gift, and the highest possible demonstration of His love: Jesus, the Christ. Alleluia. Come again Lord Jesus!
Created 12 months ago
