The Example
Ezekiel 36:22-27
The Lord said He would make an example of these rebellious people so the world would know Him.
Photo by Jorge Simmons-Valenzuela on Unsplash
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. - Ezekiel 36:22-27
Imagine a parent who tells her children that they don’t deserve her love and support, but she will bestow it on them anyway to set an example of motherhood.
That sounds odd, doesn’t it?
It also sounds self-righteous, to say the least.
You, children, have said horrible things about me, and I am going to set the record straight.
So, the children who had been bad suddenly became good. They praise Mom for being so forgiving and loving. Her image in the neighborhood is restored.
This, I think, is where the term “Fear of God” comes from. God is showing His people that they should fear Him as well as love Him.
The relationship is just like that of a parent. Only, would a parent care about what others think when it comes to reprimanding her children?
God is not rewarding bad behavior, though. He is telling them they will have a new spirit, a new soul, a new heart. They will learn what it means to be children of God.
God first makes Himself look good for all the world to see, then when all eyes are on Him, He changes the behavior of those who turned away from Him, so they become truly devoted.
The world sees many gods, not just one. The people of the world fear their gods.
The one true God shows the world that God is not to be feared the way their gods are feared. God redeems and forgives. God makes us new.
See the example I have given you, and come to me.
What a marvelous strategy for the renewal of the world.
I wonder if the people of Israel saw it that way.