January 2, 2013 – Ezekiel 12

The prophet is supposed to act out what is going to happen so that all Israel will see.  My first thought was that only a few would see because just one person acting could be seen by a limited number.  But remember the story of Jonah.  As he walked through Nineveh, word spread very quickly.  So even if only a group saw what Ezekiel was doing, word could spread as to what he did and what it meant.  God’s question to him about what they said or asked of him makes you think that his acting out was not really noticed by many.  They might have thought he was just a crazy person acting out.  It makes you wonder what kind of audiences these prophets of the Old Testament had.  Not only were they not giving very uplifting messages, because the people weren’t following God, but they were often treated very poorly or killed.  Can we see any relation to those that preach against the pleasures of the world in our day in age.  What happens to those that say sex is for marriage only or abortion is wrong.  They don’t seem to have the most enthusiastic audiences either.  When you tell the world what it is doing is wrong, surprise, the world doesn’t care for you. 

When you tell a nation that the government needs to cut back and it can’t continue to spend money the way it’s been spending, surprise, it elects those that paint a brighter picture of where we are at and promises to continue giving people things we can’t afford.  People don’t like hearing that they are on the wrong path, that to get on the right path there will be sacrifices.  People would much rather continue down the wrong path until they hit bottom and then look for someone else to blame when they get there.  Who will we blame when we get there.  Probably George W.  He seems the best scapegoat for the all of the last decades woes.