07 July 2005 Devotion for Today “The Sword of the Lord” Ezekiel 21:28-29
A few days ago my son, who will be sixteen next month, made an observation saying that he saw God of the Old Testament as a loveless and brutal God; whereas the God of the New Testament is loving and forgiving. He had been engaged in conversations with seminary and Bible college students, giving me great delight to know that he is beginning to think critically about the faith that we have taught him- and that his faith is no longer our faith, but the one in which God is developing within him. It does seem apparent that God seems to act in different ways between the testaments, but I told my son that God’s character has never changed. It is not God who has changed, but it is people who have changed. We have a perception of a brutal God in the Old Testament because the character of man could not seem to grasp anything other than brutality. Indeed God has expressed His love and good-will to man countless times and in countless ways, but it was man, not God, who flagrantly scoffed at and rejected God’s love. God also demanded accountability for man’s disregard of God’s law- which is, in itself, and act of God’s love although it may not be sensed as affectionate, good-will. Indeed, statements of God’s judgment and drawing His sword are terrifying, but they may more accurately be described as “tough-love.”
Ezekiel 21:28-29 tells us, “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, for consuming, for flashing-while they see false visions for you, while they divine a lie to you, to bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end.” While it is true that Ezekiel’s prophecy concerns the Ammonites in this instance, God demonstrated the same retribution upon His own people the Jews with equal fury. Does this mean that God did not love them?
Tough love is demonstrated to the out-of-control teen who demonstrates no responsibility for his actions, yet demands that his parents accept his self-destructive behavior and finance his incessant appetite for drinking, drugs, or other acts of self-abuse. When the parents put their foot down and say they will not finance these behaviors any longer, the teenager cries “foul” and accuses the parents of not loving him. Yet it was precisely because their love for him that prevented the parents from giving in to their son’s spurious and immature demands. The boy goes out, gets drunk, obtains a DUI from the police, and then hurls abuse upon the police officer for issuing the citation. The police take the boy to jail. The boy calls home with a sobbing phone call asking for the parents to post his bond and release him from jail. The father says, “not this time, son, you sit there in jail until you can appreciate the wrong that you have done.” Why, how horrible for the father to allow the son to have to endure the awful realities of jail? No, he is acting as a responsible father should- allowing the son to experience the brutal realities of what the son has brought upon himself, refusing to indulge his out-of-control behavior and perhaps even saving his life. There may be no affectionate, “lovey-dovey” kissing and hugging going on, but this is an expression of love in its purist, if not most raw form.
Ezekiel 21 is just such an expression of God’s love. Though it appears harsh, raw, and brutal- it is only man’s perception that makes it so but does not change God’s character of consistent love in both the Old and the New Testaments. It is true that God loves us, and love by its very definition does what is right and in the best interest of the other person. Such an act may not be pleasant, affectionate, or popular- but it is the demonstration of a loving God designed to bring about responsible children who recognize God’s loving wisdom and respond to it in love as well.
May you recognize God’s love as you have a blessed day!
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