From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 20:1-20
I often wish I could take back all the times I've honked at someone in slow traffic, or glared at someone as I sped past them going 45 in a 55. I wish I could take back every instance of impatience I've demonstrated in grocery lines or waiting for restaurants or lamenting poor service or otherwise flouting my personal agenda at the expense of others.
Since the creation of the world, God has been infinitely patient with mankind. His mercy withheld His judgment on the whole world, with the exception of the Flood.
He has provided abundantly from the fruits of the earth... all for humanity that has rejected Him.
He has given men and women brilliant minds to write and create art and to discover scientific wisdom... all for a humanity that doesn't believe in Him.
He has given us relationships with spouses, friends, children, neighbors - all people of the world - so that we might know love... all for a race that doesn't return His love.
In Ezekiel 20, God's patience is definitely tested. He uses Israel's own history to demonstrate that it is not God Who has left Israel, but Israel has left God:
"[Ezekiel], cause them to know the abominations of their fathers... Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God... I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands... said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt."
And so Ezekiel continues, with God's words railing against the impertinence of Israel in the face of God's gracious patience.
If God were behind me in line at the grocery, would He hem and haw and tap His foot?
Would God lay on the horn behind me in traffic?
Probably not.
But God has infinite patience with me - enough that He sent His Only-begotten Son into the world to demonstrate His love and patience with me.
The difference between Ezekiel's day and our own is that God's patience has been tried and the earth has been judged - not with destruction but at the Cross. God's patience was at an end with sin, so to resolve it, He conquered sin and death through His Son in the Resurrection. God's patience with cruel men was at an end, so like a the loving father in the parable, He opens His arms to the prodigal sinner.
Thank God for His patience with me!
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