The Day of the Lord’s Wrath.

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 7

 

Ezekiel 7:8-9

Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. ⁹ And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who strikes.

(ESV)

 

There is a saying in the legal profession that one deciding to represent him or herself in court has a fool for an attorney. Likewise, one choosing to argue with God over what He says in His word is foolish for God wins all arguments. It is also foolish to ignore warnings in the Word of God for the day comes when we exhaust God’s grace and incur His wrath. The warnings issued to Israel and Judah by the prophets found in the Bible, remind us of the consequences of continued ignoring of the warnings of God. I encourage everyone reading this post to heed God’s warnings in scripture to avoid His wrath.

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord declaring that the end has come upon the four corners of the land (Ezekiel 7:1-2). The end is God’s anger at the ways of Israel and their abominations (Ezekiel 7:3). God does not intend to spare Israel or have pity on them but punishment for their abominations so they will know He is the Lord (Ezekiel 7:4).

 

The Lord says that disaster after disaster is coming to Israel, and an end that has awakened against Israel comes (Ezekiel 7:5-6). God declares Israel’s doom has come, a day of tumult without joy (Ezekiel 7:7). God will soon pour out His wrath upon Israel, judging Israel’s ways not sparing them but letting them know He is Lord (Ezekiel 7:8-9).

 

The Lord again warns Israel that their doom has come with the rod of correction blossoming and budding with pride (Ezekiel 7:10). Violence has grown up with none surviving, no abundance or wealth left, and no preeminence left (Ezekiel 7:11). The time of judgment has arrived with neither buyer nor seller rejoicing for Ezekiel’s vision applies to all the multitude and shall not turn back (Ezekiel 7:12-13).

 

The trumpet of warning has sounded but none go to battle so the sword for those outside the city, pestilence and famine for those within the city are coming (Ezekiel 7:14-15). Any survivors who escape will flee to the mountains to moan over their iniquities (Ezekiel 7:16). All survivors are feeble with knees like water, putting on sackcloth in horror, shame, and baldness (Ezekiel 7:17-18). Gold and silver cannot save them for they have used it to forge their idols, the stumbling block of Israel’s iniquity with foreigners taking the idols Israel crafted as spoil (Ezekiel 7:19-21) Robbers shall enter and profane God’s treasured place (Ezekiel 7:22).

 

The land of Israel is full of bloody crimes and violence with God intending to bring the worst of the nations to take possession of the people’s houses, putting an end to the pride of the strong and the holy places (Ezekiel 7:23-24). In anguish, Israel will seek peace, but none will be found (Ezekiel 7:25). Disaster upon disaster and rumor following rumor with no vision from the prophet, the law perishing from the priest, and no counsel from the elders (Ezekiel 7:26). The rulers and people are powerless in the face of God’s wrath with God judging them so they will know He is Lord (Ezekiel 7:27).

 

As a watchman, Ezekiel must deliver the truth as he receives it from the Lord. For this reason, Ezekiel must now deliver the message he receives from the Lord regarding the intention of the Lord to pour out His wrath on the people of Israel. However, the Lord has little choice at this point for He must show His people that He is the Lord and not the false gods they have been worshipping. God’s wrath has come to its fullness after numerous warnings from Ezekiel and Jeremiah (Ezekiel 5:11-12; Jeremiah 14:1-12) bringing death by sword, famine, and pestilence. Any survivors will escape to the mountains to moan over their iniquities (Ezekiel 7:14-16). The only way for Israel to realize the Lord God is the Lord is to experience the wrath of God. However, the destruction is not complete for the Lord’s wrath is not for their destruction but their correction (Jeremiah 29:10-11).

 

In Romans 13:5, Scripture reminds us that one in subjection to the Lord avoids God’s wrath. The message of the prophets to both Israel and Judah is consistent, for they have sinned and worshipped foreign gods in disobedience to God’s command not to worship any other gods (Exodus 20:1-3). Sin has consequences but worse are the consequences of continual rejection of God’s warning to repent of sin in our lives, for Israel and Judah, these consequences were exile from the land God had given them for seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10), leaving the land to the next generation with an opportunity to abandon the worship of idols and worship only God.

 

God has not changed and still commands His people to worship only Him. The way God deals with His people has changed with Him no longer dealing with them through the Levitical law but through grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, the Church must not use God’s grace as an excuse to sin (Romans 6:1-4). Unfortunately, many Churches today preach a health and wealth gospel that teaches those who have faith in Christ will have health and prosperity taking verses out of context like Luke 6:38; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19. This deceptive theology ignores Jesus saying that we will have persecution in this world with a reminder Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33). Jesus promised to meet our needs, not all we want (Philippians 4:19).

 

The greatest need for all humanity is the need for forgiveness from sin and a restored relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you are reading this and never prayed for forgiveness from sin to begin a restored relationship with God, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.