God is looking for a people who will be faithful to Him and His Word. In this faithfulness God seeks to create that people to be participants in what God is doing in the world. His kingdom is about truth and justice, about peace and joy, about life and thriving in the grace and mercy of God. To that end, God will judge anything or anyone that stands in opposition to His will, because they are not about truth and justice, peace and joy, life and thriving in His grace and mercy. They are about themselves. They live by their ego and make decisions based on their greed. They want power and they want money. Collateral damage means nothing to them, as long as they get what they want when they want it.
Ancient Judah, though saying they were the people of God, did not live as God’s people. Injustice, lies, greed, evil penetrated their society. In an effort to draw them back to Himself, God provided for them to be taken into exile in Babylon, where they would stay for about 400 years or so. Yet, God would not leave them alone and without hope. Through His prophet, God spoke of how He would take their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh (see vs. 19). God’s promise was, “that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God” (vs. 20).
There is a very insightful thought in Ezekiel 11:5 where God says, “I know your thoughts.” God knows the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and will not be hoodwinked, duped, conned, fooled, or tricked. He knows our thoughts. He also knows how to work in the human situation, and is always seeking to soften our hearts, and make them pliable in His grace-filled hands. So, it is, in the midst of thoughts about judging sin, God establishes again the reality of His amazing grace.
There are people and institutions and businesses all around us that do not have our best interests in their game plan. God does have our best interest in His game plan, however. The writer of Hebrews renews this ancient thought when he quotes Deuteronomy 31:6, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 15:5). God is present in the midst of a world gone wrong. Evil exists all around us, but in a world gone wrong, God is raising up a people who have tasted His goodness and grace, and know that their best life is in Him. We are invited to be one of those people. Perhaps this is why Jesus called people to Himself when He said,
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)
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