Sighs, Signs, and Salvation

Introduction

Ezekiel 9:1–11 NKJV

Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city. So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?” Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.” Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”

How Did We Get Here

It’s no secret that as you read this chapter and the previous ones that God is pretty upset. I believe one thing we can gather from this text is that the temple and in our day the church is not a fail safe for poor living. Meanwhile, leaders will be held accountable first. It’s not to say that mistakes will not happen but they had broken the covenant with God and perceived that He could no see what was going on.

Leadership were participating in actions contrary to the will of God.

Ezekiel 8:9-12 “And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” So I went in and saw, and there—every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ””

The assumption was because of crop failure and famine and death that God had left them but truly the reason God departed was because of their sin.

Women were putting faith in a fertility God.

Ezekiel 8:13-14 “And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.”

Even today we have to be careful that we don’t idolize mythology, astrology and practices that can hinder our faith or even provide demonic representations in our lives.

Between the sinful sacrifices, worshipping of idols, praying to false gods: God departs from the temple. Here’s the interesting part to the attention of the rebellious people at that time. Here a prophet is acting our a seige and this practical lesson was not enough because they had become so accustomed to their wayward ways.

The inglorious nature of the people of God is what ended up being the cause of God moving from the Holy of Holies and departing the temple. When the church isn’t right the temple just becomes another building. Nonetheless God’s judgement will begin with His people. 1 Peter 4:17 “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

All I Can Do Is Cry

Ezekiel 9:4 “and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.””

In the face of abominations and injustices sometimes direct action, sometimes displays of resistance, protesting and marching can’t happen for everybody. Sometimes the only thing we can do is sigh and cry out to God.

Understand that this is not just frustration that led to tears this is to give sounds that express grief or pain. One knows that this is a crying our from a painful place.

Sometimes all I can do is cry, sometimes life and it’s surroundings can get so damaging and frustrating that all I can do is cry. I can’t plan, I can’t protest, I can’t do anything but pray and cry! Thank God that if I’m gonna cry, I can cry to God.

Crying aloud about the abominations and injustices in the land saved their life. There is power in true repentance and remorse. Sometimes all I can do is cry on behalf of my sin and the sins of my people.

Even though those that were marked were spared it was nothing to celebrate.

He began with the temple - understand God is always going to start with the leaders first. It wasn’t just about rebellion it was about the fact that the elders in the community, the priest in the community fell victim to idol worship and abominations as well. That spilled over to the women and now there was no more mercy that God could spare.

Ezekiel 9:8 “So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?””

Being called by God and seeing people perish is never a moment of gladness. It’s a sad moment and we see that the same thing those who were crying were doing is what the dear prophet end up doing as well.

Either we call it out or God will judge accordingly 1 Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”

Church we need some sighers and criers! We need some folks that will cry out on behalf of the people!

X Marks the Spot

History alleges that the phrase “x marks the spot” was commonly used in military efforts who performed executions by marking a piece of paper with a black x and positioning it on the heart of someone sentenced to death. It’s said that Robert Louis Stevenson in treasure island used this term as a indicator of a destination on a map.

An X was also used in photography of a crime scene once newspapers saw that putting a dead corpse on the front page of a paper. An X accompanied by an O in a letter can stand for a kiss. X for my math scholars can represent a horizontal axis on a graph. You may have seen an X for a film rating, X in Roman numerals resembles ten, many of us are familiar with a movement to change a surname to X during movements to detach black people from slavery similar to Malcolm X. Or you might be born between the years of 1964 and 1981 and are coined Gen X.

But in this text the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet scholars suggest was the marking on the forehead of the remnant in the shape of an X. Reminiscent to the mark of Cain as well as the blood smeared on the doorpost in Exodus 12 as a sign of protection!

Not necessarily getting caught up in the shape but understanding the power of the seal or sign on those who are protected. We might not be walking around with an X on our forehead but we have another sign or identifier through the power of the Holy Spirit. See in Jerusalem and Judah got marked people so they wouldn’t die, for us Jesus died so we could be marked by the Holy Spirit and receive the gift of eternal life and never die.

God identifies his believers, thank God that through Jesus, through baptism, through the Holy Spirit I’m protected!

Ephesians 1:13 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”

Romans 4:11 “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,”

John 6:27 “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.””

A seal communicates ownership, validation and protection.

I’m thankful that God is the owner of my spirit, and has the power to validate and protect me! I want you to know that I’m signed, sealed and delivered by God. Lord I’m yours, I cry out to you, I submit to you, I love you, I pray to you, I come to you, no matter how bad this world may be I want to by identified as a follower of God! I belong to Him! I need Him! God has always sent a sign and I’m glad that He sent His son to be a sign of salvation and a sacrifice for all mankind!