The days of Ezekiel were not pleasant days for God’s people, for God Himself was bringing judgment upon them. We are going to look at two verses of Scripture in Ezekiel. The first one is Ezekiel 12:2 and the second is 11:12.
Ezekiel 12:2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
Judah had been God’s praise people. The name Judah means “praise.” Thus, Judah’s prescribed appointment was to be the channel through which praise ascended unto the Lord. They had been given eyes to see and ears to hear the will of the Lord. A willing heart to be and to do the will of God is given the capacity to see and hear. Judah, though, had become a rebellious people and their hearts had become dull to the will of God. They could no longer see and hear because they were no longer willing to do His will.
You will notice that Judah is called a house. They are called a house because they were supposed to be the place where God dwelt. God has always desired to dwell in the midst of His people. That was the picture we saw of the Tabernacle in the wilderness with the tribes of Israel camped around it. Now Judah had allowed so many other interests and loyalties to creep in among them that they were now a rebellious house. They were serving other gods.
The same is true for many Christians. It isn’t that they don’t love the Lord or serve Him at all, but they have put other interests first. They have their lives mapped out and planned the way they want them. They have decided what will make their lives enjoyable. Then they try to fit God into their lives where they can, convinced that God wants them to be happy in their pursuits instead of forsaking their worldly desires and moving into God’s plan for them. You might say, God has their Sundays but the rest of the week is theirs. They have become a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 11:12 And you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.
You shall know that I am the Lord: God is going to be Lord! The time comes when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). When He breaks into your life and casts down all your idols that have made your life so pleasant, then you will know that He is Lord.
For you have not walked in My statutes: This doesn’t mean you haven’t kept His ten commandments. You could do that and still not have walked in His statutes. We need to now what His statutes are and, as we shall soon see, they may not be the same for all Christians. His statutes are not merely laws He has placed in the Scriptures, but are even more defining. The Hebrew word for “statutes” is choq. Strong’s Concordance defines it as “an appointment of time, space, quantity, labor or usage.” The Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says that is “an appointment” or “something prescribed.” In other words, His statutes for you are what He has appointed and prescribed for your life – not what you have planned but what He has planned for you.
Suppose you were looking for a job that would pay more than what you are now making. That would make your life a little easier and would be less stressful. Besides that, you would have more tithes and offerings to give God for His Kingdom. Surely, that would be the will of God for your life. But suppose the will of God was for you to accept a particular job where you would actually make less money than you are now. You turn down that one, though, because it doesn’t meet the criteria you feel is right for you. However, what you didn’t know was that God had a ministry there for you and by taking the job with higher wages you missed His appointment prescribed for you. You did not walk in His statutes.
Nor executed My judgments: Executing the judgments of God is our responsibility, and it is an honor to do so. Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment. This honor have all His saints. Psalm 149:5-9.
Do you understand that God works His will through His people? His holy ones are the channel through which God ministers His will. Judah did not walk in His statutes – His prescribed appointment for them. Therefore, God’s judgments could not be ministered through them. They blocked His will; therefore, God could say, “You didn’t execute My judgments.” They had done according to the worldly people about them. In doing so, they had rejected God’s prescribed appointment for them.
People of the world have their own prescribed life-style and most of those things are not bad in themselves. For example, money is not the root of all evil but the love of it is (I Timothy 6:10). The same can be said for education, career, and any other worldly pursuit. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. I John 2:15-17.
God’s prescribed appointment for you is to be the channel He needs so He can minister through you at any time and any place He chooses. We must make our lives according to His prescribed will for us instead of making our lives what we want them to be and then trying to fit God in where we can.
Copyright © 2004 by Henry DuBose