It’s Not About You Israel …
When the nation of Israel lived in the land God gave them, they defiled it by their idol worship and bloodshed. So God judged Israel by removing them from His land and scattering them among the nations. (Assyrian and Babylonian captivities) When they were among the nations God’s name was profaned by the nations, as they said, ‘These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.’ In essence the nations were saying this about them, they are the people of the Lord yet He can’t even protect them and keep them in their land.
Ezekiel is told to prophesy the restoration of Israel. But first God wants Israel to understand that it is not about them, it is all about Him. This is what God wanted Israel to know “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.” Ezekiel 36:22-23
Israel showed great disrespect for God by not being obedient to His commandments, laws and statutes. The result was that even the nations noticed. Israel had the opportunity to show the glory of God to those around them, however,their disobedience gave the nations a poor opinion of God.. But God, bigger than Israel’s disobedience, proved to the nations that He alone was God. That has been God’s heart all along, that everyone will know that He alone is Lord.
How about you? Are you living in a way that you are making God known to those around you? In every aspect of your life, private and personal? Or are you profaning His name? Don’t answer too quickly, in fact why don’t you ask the Lord to show you the answer to that question today.
