Ezekiel 11:17
Therefore say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will father you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land again.”
Lately I’ve been reading through Ezekiel, and it’s not one of the more motivating or encouraging books in the Bible. It’s probably fair to say that if it was on the shelf at your local Christian bookstore, there wouldn’t be a picture of a preacher with a big smile on the cover. This book – at least to the point I’ve gotten to – is more of a dark cover with a hint of blood. God is not happy with His people, and He’s driving the point home through the prophet. You think your boss is crazy? Ezekiel has already been told to eat a scroll, shut up, build and destroy a model of Jerusalem, lie on his left side for 390 days and then flip to his right for 40, and bake bread over a fire fueled by cow manure. All that’s just through chapter four, and he had to eat the bread!
Hardcore is the word that comes to mind, and yet, the promise of God is still not forgotten. Even though they’ve been scattered, He has preserved them in different countries and promised to bring them back together to receive what has always been theirs. It’s the Jerusalem Exiled Class Reunion, and knowing it’s coming gave the people of God the same hope reunions give us. We get a little excited about seeing old friends. We brush up on the old stories and yet can’t wait to hear new ones from old friends. In the same way, God’s promise of a future reunion gave the exiles something to hold onto while they waited for the day they’d be together again.
I remember walking on the beach once with my mother, sisters, and brother. As mom told us later, she saw all of us kind of wander in different areas – I was in ankle deep water, one sister was up in the softer sand, another was 10-20 steps in front, and so on. At some point during the midnight walk, we all ended up back with her as we returned to the hotel. As mom watched us, she felt like the Lord told her that during our lives, we might appear to separate, but eventually God would bring us back together again. Another reunion. More hope, more joy. More examples of the faithfulness of our God to bring His people together around a promise.
Maybe you’re still walking far from your family. You might be kickin’ around in ankle deep water, but your Father sees you and knows that there is a day in the future when you’ll be back. He’s reserved your place and won’t start the party until you get there. There will be old stories and new ones, and you’ve got one to share, too. Food and drink abounds, and laughter fills the air.
So does the smell of Ezekiel’s bread. Ugh.
I think I’ll pass on that.
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