Thursday, September 24, 2009

Repent

Ezekiel 43:9
(9) Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

This comes at the end of a passage that I find very difficult. I'm not quite sure how to understand the idea of Israel having a wall between them and God forever. Is this the nation or is this the church? I don't think that there is a very easy answer for that.

However, I do know what this verse is all about. God demands repentance from the people. The consequence of repentance is that He would dwell in their midst forever. I have heard it said that all sin is the result of losing focus on the first two commandments. That seems consistent with this as well. The people had turned their love away from God and given it to others.

Where is your love? What are you whoring after if you are not pursuing God? What junk from your past needs to stay there as the dead bodies of the kings? Unlike Israel, we do not have to go through elaborate sacrifices if we are to come to know God. Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice and He tore the curtain in the temple so that we would have access to the Most Holy Place. This would be unthinkable to a Jew, but that access is made available to us today. If you have not done so I urge you to repent and come to Christ.

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