ezekiel 24-26

Read Ezekiel 24-26 at Bible Gateway.

In yesterday’s reading the house of Israel and Jerusalem was compared to silver with its dross in it, which the LORD ordained for the furnace in order to remove its impurities from it. In today’s reading, the house of Israel and Jerusalem is compared to a cooking pot with scum in it, that collects when bones are boiled in water. In order to purify the scum from the pot, the pot has to be set on the fire until the bronze burns, so that the scum may be consumed.

Because I have cleansed you, and you were not cleansed,
You will not be cleansed of your filthiness anymore,
Till I have caused My fury to rest upon you. Eze 24:13

The LORD knows how to cure His people of rebellion, impurities, filthiness, sin, wickedness, dross, and scum: first He cleanses us, He washes us, as a pot is washed after it is used for cooking. And many times He washed Judah and Jerusalem: He sent prophets, and the righteous kings broke down the idols and returned the people to the LORD by covenant. But because Judah would not be cleansed, after the LORD had cleansed her, because her scum remained; He had to turn up the heat in order to purge away the sin.

The LORD does not vent anger because He comes to the limit of His patience. He is longsuffering. He bore with idolatry and sin in His people for hundreds of years. He has borne with the dominion of sin in this earth for nearly 6000 years. He did not just lose His temper with Jerusalem and pour out His wrath on His people.

But everything He does, even the pouring out of His wrath, is for a purpose. The purpose of His wrath, is to completely destroy filthiness and uncleanness that will not be destroyed any other way. This is an act of ultimate love!

As human parents, we often shield our children from suffering and trials, even the trials they have brought upon themselves, because it hurts us to see them suffer. That is selfish love. Because we don’t want to hurt, we choose a response that is not best for our children, since it is best for our children that they learn the folly of whatever it was that brought suffering and trials on them.

But YHVH is the perfect Father. Out of perfect love that is not selfish, He chooses a response that will cause Him grief, sorrow, and mourning (as the death of Jerusalem caused Him grief, sorrow, and mourning, illustrated by the death of Ezekiel’s wife) but will however, purge the dross and cleanse the scum from His beloved.

His people will reflect His holiness, and He will arrive at that end, one way or another. Let us choose wisely, and voluntarily bow our knee to Him, and submit our lives to His word!