“After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures” (Ezekiel 40:24).
TEXT — Ezekiel 40:20-31
Message
Imagine a group of lost seamen in a vast, tempestuous ocean sailing for months without sighting land. This group of weary seamen would erupt in joy if they suddenly saw a cluster of shoreline houses on the horizon. This would bring hope that they were, at last, close to where they could anchor and get replenishments for depleted victuals. Indeed, their excitement and gratitude to God would know no bounds.
The descendants of Jacob had a more incredible experience of joy when, fourteen years after Jerusalem had been razed and the temple destroyed, Prophet Ezekiel brought them a vision of a future of hope and restoration. God revealed to His servant that there was yet a grand tomorrow for His people despite them despair in captivity. Ezekiel was shown the spectacular details of the coming post-exilic temple complex in the Holy Land, utterly different from what they had known in the past. This gave those in bondage hope that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had not forsaken them despite His judgment through the Babylonian invasion.
God’s position is that when His people err, He will not leave them unpunished. Nevertheless, He would not abandon them in that state. If they repent, they will receive mercy to resume a healthy relationship with Him. This promise applies to the sinner also. If he hears the gospel of Christ, turns away from his old vices, and embraces a new life, forgiveness awaits him along with power over sinful inclinations.
Although there is always hope and room for pardon for transgressors, we must be careful not to abuse this grace. The sinner and backslider must not hesitate to turn away from their evil ways before it is too late. Death or the rapture may come suddenly, with no opportunity for repentance. As for believers, they must be watchful and not toy with sin. God is not a partial Judge. He will judge sin whether it is found in people who were hitherto His children or those who rejected Him outright.
Thought for the day
When despair and distress seem to envelop you, look up for God’s vision of hope.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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