justice

Ezekiel 25 and Psalm 73

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25-32 begins Ezekiel’s pronouncement of God’s judgment against surrounding nations. God holds each nation accountable for its national sins against Him. It reminds me of Proverbs 14:34:

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people

Psalms

The tenor of Psalm 73 is very interesting. The psalmist finds himself believing that though he is trying to do what is right, it seems like the arrogant and wicked prosper and excel up to the time of death (Ps. 73:3-4).

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.

It wasn’t until Ps. 73:16-17 that the psalmist realized that God’s sovereignty was over all of this,

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Often, I ponder the seeming success of those who turn their backs on God yet appear to prosper in almost everything they do. I contrast this with those who are attempting to do their best to please God, yet suffer in many different ways. “Why?” is the question that comes to my mind. I feel like I can only leave the question open to God. His ways are sometimes a mystery to me and I am left to simply trust His goodness as my only answer.

I love the closing part of this psalm. It reminds me of the song that takes its lyrics from Ps. 73:25-26: 

Whom have I in heaven but you?
  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
  but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Ezekiel 16 and Psalm 58-59

It seems to be God’s mysterious way that the morningss when I seemly have the least amount of time, he directs me to readings that are the longest. Ezekiel 16 is a longer chapter of 63 verses. While Ezekiel 15 compared the people of Jerusalem to the dead vine that was profitable for nothing but the fire, Ezekiel 16 compares them to the woman who has fallen to adultery and prostitution. Carson give a thoughtful description,

The language is shocking, horrible—and it is meant to be. The long analogy begins as a rather extreme version of My Fair Lady: absolutely everything this woman enjoys, not least life itself, is the direct result of God’s gracious intervention. But quite unlike My Fair Lady, in which the man proves to be an unthinking and self-centered manipulator until the “lady” he has created out of a street urchin rebukes him, here God is the One who proves indomitably faithful. Moreover, he is hurt by the ingratitude and betrayal implicit in this lady’s constant pursuit of other lovers—i.e., other gods. She proves to be not only “weak-willed” but “brazen” (Ezekiel 16:30). Worse, while prostitutes receive a fee for their services, this woman pays others so that she can sleep with them. Israel has not so much been seduced by idolatry or somehow been paid to engage in idolatry, as she has taken the active role and has paid quite a bit so that she can indulge in idolatry, precisely because that is what she wants to do.1

One of the ideas that I thought about this morning while reading Ezekiel 16 was the critical importance of convenant keeping both for myself and for the character of God. There are several verses in this chapter that are important to re-read:

  • Ezekiel 16:43
  • Ezekiel 16:60
  • Ezekiel 16:61
  • Ezekiel 16:63

While reading each of the above verses, reflect on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. One of the key words in each of these passages is remember. When the temptation to sin presents itself, do I pause to remember? Do the promises of God come to mind? Do I recall the “red letter” words of Jesus?

Years back, the organization Promise Keepers was started. There was much emphasis placed on being a man who kept his promises to his wife, his children, his employer, etc. These are critical steps of being a good man, but the most important promise or covenant that a man or woman must keep is the convenant with God! Promise Keepers likely addressed that point also, I don’t recall, but regardless, it is one of if not the most important actions that I must purpose to take.

In Psalm 58, David cries out to God to curse and punish his enemies. We have a strong desire for justice. When wicked men attack us or the people and ideas we care about, we long for God to step in anc deal with the “bad guys”! But what about when I am the bad guy? Do I still desire God’s justice when I am the offending one? It seems like we are pleased with God’s justice when it concerns others and God’s mercy when it concerns us. I am thankful for the mercy of God, but I hope it compels me to judge my own sin and bring it before the cross.

Psalm 59 continues the plea of the psalmist for God to rise up against his enemies. It adds an additional aspect of his cry for protection from God. My favorite verses from this psalm are found near the end. Psalm 59:16 describes God as a fortress and a refuge. David praise God for His “steadfast love”, a phrase describing God that I have observed in many of the psalms that I have read recently.

1 D. A. Carson, For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word., vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 25.