“Street Theater News”

Ezekiel 4-6 In Babylon, the captives had no newspapers or town criers, only miles and miles of desert sand. As the days passed, they wanted answers, but their priests were of no help. They knew God had called Ezekiel to be a prophet, so they came to ask him: Why are we here? What is happening in Jerusalem? When will we go home? Instead of a steady sermonette, God had Ezekiel pantomime the Jerusalem news for 430 days! The message was clear: Where are your idols now? Did they save you? 

God is patient, and He had not forgotten them, but they were in sin. Just like a parent, God disciplines those He loves.  They needed to be disciplined because He loved them. Before all of this, He had sent them prophets to warn them: do not trust in these idols, they will fail you—but the words fell on deaf ears. Now in the plains outside Babylon, they could see that the idols were gone, rusted, or decayed. Ezekiel’s drama told this one truth: God loved you yesterday as He does today and will tomorrow, but He also will judge sin. He will use whatever means He considers best so that people might repent. 

The question remains:

Have you heard God’s message over and over, but you refuse to repent?

Do you believe God loves you even as He waits for you to repent?