Even though you may feel alone. God does not abandon his people. He knows what you are going through and He will restore.
The second exile of Jerusalem was another demoralizing wound to the Israelites. Jerusalem would not fall yet. But Nebuchadnezzar’s siege in 597 B.C. would be a harbinger of the final disaster upon Jerusalem to come.
This new group of exiles.
To live in an unknown land. To face an unknown future. Disheartened, discouraged, dispirited.
Out of this landscape and one of the approximately 10,000 exiles, God would raise up a prophet from a family of priests, Ezekiel. This prophet-priest would admonish them of the catastrophic consequences of idolatry, turning away from God, yet of God’s plan to restore them despite their rebellion.
To the exiles, God wanted Ezekiel to give this message:
I am still at work, even though you feel like I have abandoned you.
I have not forgotten you.
I have a message of hope.
“When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols.
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them.
I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart.” —Ezekiel 11:18-19
What did God desire? He wanted them to remove the idols in their lives that had destroyed their relationship with Him.
What would God offer instead? He wanted to give them a new spirit and a new heart of complete devotion to Him.
Today, we don’t have idols made of wood or stone that we worship. But if there are goals, things, or relationships that we value more than God, than His desire is for us to reset our priorities and place Him first.
History repeats itself. But it doesn’t have to. We can learn from our past and the mistakes we made. We can see how destructive idolatry is and choose better.
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to help us choose better.
God’s message to us, just like His words of encouragement to the Israelites in exile:
I am still at work even though you may not see it.
I have not forgotten you.
I have a message of hope…….My Son, Jesus Christ.
Choose better. Choose Jesus. Choose to devote your worship solely upon Jesus. Choose the Real Truth.