Readings for today: Ezekiel 29-32
The original temptation that caused humanity to fall into sin was “you shall be like God.” The first commandment given to Israel on Mt. Sinai says “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The greatest commandment according to Jesus is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” In the Book of Revelation, God describes Himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” From the opening chapters of Genesis to the closing chapters of Revelation, God makes it very clear that there is only one God. He alone is worthy of our worship. He alone deserves our praise and adoration. He alone demands our complete and total allegiance. He alone is to be obeyed. When we violate this fundamental truth, we place ourselves in grave peril for God will not be mocked. He will not share His glory with another. He will allow no rival to ascend His throne.
Tragically, this doesn’t stop humanity from making the attempt. Over and over again, we seek to scale the heights of heaven. Over and over again, we seek to make a name for ourselves. Beginning with the Tower of Babel, every great human civilization sets out to be like God. The kings and pharaohs and emperors and prime ministers and presidents style themselves as gods. They believe they can do no wrong. They believe might makes right. They believe they hold the authority over life and death. They believe they deserve to be worshipped and praised and adored. Sure, it may not be as obvious in the modern world as it was in the ancient world where a king like Pharaoh literally declared himself a god but you see some of the same signs nonetheless. Humanity making the same mistake over and over again. Falling for the same temptation over and over again. Listen to the litany laid out in Ezekiel…
“Egypt is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and all her multitudes.”
“Assyria is there, and all her company, its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword…”
“Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.”
“Meshech-Tubal is there, and all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living.”
“Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.”
“The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.”
“When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 32:20, 22, 24, 26, 29-31)
One after the other, the great civilizations of the ancient near east decline and fall under God’s mighty hand. The same thing will eventually happen to Babylon and Persia and Greece and Rome and Germany and England and Russia and America. Every human civilization that seeks greatness and wealth and power and immorality will one day fall. This is God’s promise. “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it. On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field. All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit.” (Ezekiel 31:10-14)
Why is God so jealous for His name? It’s because of His great love for us. God knows the kingdoms of this world are corrupt. God knows how often they fail. God knows they are not ultimately trustworthy. He knows they are not safe. It’s why He calls His people to place their trust only in Him. He is God. He is eternal. Unchangeable. Immovable. Immeasurable. Immortal. Indestructible. Imperishable. He alone can be depended on. He alone can save us from the powers of sin and death. He alone has the power and authority to rule and reign over all He has made. He alone is God.
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 33-36