Day 173 – April 15, 2024: Ezekiel 16-20 and Psalm 62

Ezekiel should provide all of us pause. Yes, the prophet speaks out strongly, and I mean strongly, against the nation of Israel. But keep in mind that Israel was established to be a theocracy, which means that it was meant to be ruled by a king, or an individual, whose primary source of insight and counsel was from the Lord directly. Ezekiel was considered the prophet of the Lord and so he was one upon whom the responsibility of giving counsel to the rulers fell. But Israel and Judah and its people had walked away from God. The term “whore” is used more times than I would like, and it depicts and individual who chooses to follow false gods without any real profit to them. Ezekiel makes it clear that the individual is not paid to follow false gods, but rather does so of his or her own volition. That is a huge difference. When we choose to disobey God out of our own choices, well, then we have no excuse.