“And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.” (Ezekiel 16:6)
Ezekiel is prophesying to Israel. God has commanded him to show Israel her abominations. (Ezekiel 16:1-2) In the following verses of this chapter Ezekiel tells the most pathetic picture of Israel’s birth as God saw it. “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.” (Ezekiel 16:3-5) Israel was like an unwanted baby tossed out to die. But it was God who gave life to Israel. His Word of creation raised up Israel, honored her and prospered her. (Ezekiel 16:7-14)
This sad picture of the hated and unwanted baby brought to life by God’s mercy and love is not only the picture of Israel’s birth, but the picture of our salvation. There is nothing so sad and miserable than our story before God’s merciful Word said “Live.” We were as that tossed out baby, death surrounding us and unable to help ourselves. The undeserved love and mercy’s creative touch of God, gave us life, cleaned us up and dressed us in His glory.
Jesus prophesied this early in His ministry. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (John 5:24-25) At first read one thinks of the physically dead. But in studying it we realize Jesus is talking about the coming salvation of the walking dead. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:4-6) We were given undeserved mercy and lifted to a position of a son; a child of God.
This is a true love story. The hated and unwanted baby tossed out to die, rescued and cared for by the Heavenly Father. And ultimately given the position of kings and priests in His kingdom. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1Peter 2:9-10)
There is nothing more wretched than a picture of a royal living like a commoner, squandering their riches and behaving like one who has nothing and is in despair. We have the examples of the royals in countries across Europe. We shake our heads in disbelief and pity. This is also the picture of God’s royal children living like the dead in this perishing world. The pleasures of sin are for a fleeting moment. Whatever enjoyment we may have is not eternal. (Hebrews 11:25) It’s temporal. It’s of this world and will perish with this world. It’s death. It’s the prodigal son living with the pigs. When we live like the pigs, we will have the pigs’ provision; filthiness and slop to eat. “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Genesis 4:6-7) This tells us that we know what we should do but prefer to sin. Then death with all its consequences will surely rule in our lives.
The Lord has given us holiness to live holy lives, pure and rich. It is common to see children of God living like the world today because such things that are an abomination to our Lord are accepted by the general public today. They are seen as normal, but they are not. They are not acceptable to the Lord. Paul warned the Thessalonians about sin in their lives: “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit.” (1Thessalonians 4:1-8) But our Father has commanded us not to live like the world. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
This lesson took a sharp turn. God only knows why. Let’s review everything in our lives by the standard God has laid up for us. Let’s refuse any thought, word or deed that goes against God’s standard. By the power of the Holy Spirit we can live pure and holy lives befitting a royal child of the kingdom of God.
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