“… They Shall Know That I Am The Lord.”

While reading the book of Ezekiel, a phrase that occurred 24 times made me curious. It is the phrase “…they shall know that I am the Lord.” Although Ezekiel’s warnings and prophecies were to the Jews before and after the fall and capture of Jerusalem (around 587 BC), today we can also learn from God’s warnings to those people. What angered God then, if repeated today, will also anger Him now.

My first query when I encountered the phrase was, “How did they know God was judging them?”  The context around those phrases revealed what happened to them when the wrath of God was upon them. Here is a summation of how they suffered when God used circumstances to teach them a lesson:

• Their land became unprofitable and a waste land.  In comparing what wayward Israel suffered, I see many similarities in what is happening to America today.  Our country is not providing what it once did.  Not very long ago, our country provided much for other nations.  Today our country relies on too many things from other countries.  It may not be long until God’s wrath allows us to be more desolate. Lack of jobs and failure of the economy also happened to Israel. (Ez. 6:14, 29:9)
• They reaped what they had sown. (Ez. 7:27) When any country, be it Israel or America, turns against God and does not follow His principles and precepts they cannot expect God’s hand to bless and protect them.
• God scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in other countries (Ez. 12:15).  Today we also have battles all over the world and have our soldiers dispersed throughout the lands.  Some work forces are dispersing their employees to other countries to work.
• Men and women suffered from the sword (Ez. 26:6).
• God sent pestilences and allowed violence in the streets. (Ez. 28:23)  We have helped countries battle pestilences, and now we are fighting them in our own land.  Growing police forces and overpopulated prisons prove violence is increasing today.
• God enabled an enemy to act against them (Ez. 30:25).
• The enemy will infiltrate their own country (Ez. 30:26).
• A fire was sent to devour them (Ez. 28:18).
• They lost their freedom.  Today our freedom is legislated away, and we too are slowly being enslaved by the government.

My next question when encountering the phrase “…They shall know that I am the Lord,” was what was it they were doing that God would not tolerate? Since God has not changed, what he would not tolerate then, He will not tolerate today.  Here are some of the things He would not tolerate and judged His people because of their commissions of these violations:

• Idolatry, which is the worshipping of other “Gods”.  The “god” of certain religions is not the God of the Bible.  The false teaching that there are many ways to get to the same Heaven is not biblical and encourages many people to allow idolatry, even if the religion is labeled “Christian”.
• They were rebellious against God (Ez. 12:9). They were not obeying His commands.
• They spoke against God’s people (Ez. 25:8, 26:2).  Although these verses were prophetic, lately we can see governments taking sides against God’s people, Israel, and Christians.
• They defiled His sanctuaries (Ez. 28:18) by not worshipping the way God expected them to worship.  Are we not doing similar things by changing His Word, worshipping Him the way we think we should worship Him, mocking and cursing His name, and justifying away His creation and plan?
• They boasted against God (Ez. 35:13) and spoke against Him.  This is done by many today telling others how to treat God, and how to live.  Every man is doing what seems right in his own eyes.
• They had evil ways (Ez. 36:31) and personal sins.  Our nation can also be judged for our own personal, contagious sins.

The book of Ezekiel certainly cannot be summed up in so few words. However, it does contain warnings.  We can learn from these warnings to people that were doing wrong, so we do not repeat what they did.

It appears, however, that history is repeating itself, and all through the world people are doing very much the same things of which Ezekiel warned ancient Israel not to do.  The people of Ezekiel’s day did not get away with their sins, and we certainly will not.  We can, however, stop the vicious cycle by changing our lives, and doing what God wants us to do — today.