It is a strange thing to think of God almighty using his own people as sacrifice to the heathens to teach them His power. If God is against you, it better be because of sin and not because you choose to be enemy of God. In today’s world I really do not think no believers or even believers necessarily go looking at victory as always being of God or not of God. There are religious groups today that still do. Islam seen the towers fall only to believe it was victory for their faith, until America and the world chase their leaders down. What is victory but a chance to say I big and tougher then you or is it about the power of God tearing the enemies or his people down for a purpose. Ezekiel in his day was looking at the sins of the people from his faith side of things. God was speaking to Him, and declare the exile was for a lesson to His people and for the heathens. Sacrifice of God’s people because of sin. They would die in their sin and be taken into captive those that remained, only to be returned to their land. The stories of war and victory would fill the palates of those that hunger and thirst for the stories of war. The enemy would get their fill of the stories of victory, yet God was going to declare that their victory was not their doing but the power of God.

I am not sure how many of go thinking about the power of God rising and building up or tearing things apart, but God is able. It is not part of the language of the world I am sure of, but to hear it in the church of God tearing it or raising it up, I do not think it talked about either beyond a scriptural study. Understanding God spoke these words to Ezekiel only helps the picture that it was not the genius of man that plan the psychological warfare on the enemy. To be told by Israel’s prophet that you did not win this war by your own power but the power of God allowed you to win. That like playing a game of checkers or chess only to hear the words of your opponent I let you win. Yet God’s purpose in letting the enemy know He let them win was so their hearts might be turned to Him, that they would understand their own sin was like the sin of Israel against this God of Israel. That their sin would cause their downfall and their eternity without repentance. The return of Israel would be a sign to the heathens of a forgiving God, and a God that could rebuild his people.

From a world’s view this chapter does not work for a soul in today’s world. It sounds like psychological mumbo jumbo, until you believe in God or can see the act of a loving God upon his people the sacrifice or destruction of sin among his people can not be understood. Why not bring the people out of their destruction sin to deliver them out without loosing to the enemy for a time period. Simply this allowing his people of faith to be scattered, it allowed the working of yeast in a loaf of bread so to speak. Love that comes from God and his people will change lives. Kindness from a stranger goes a long way. If you knew that kindness was because of faith would it matter to you? If the actions of a people was because of faith would it make a difference. The testimony of faith of God’s people matter. God declare those in Israel that were sinning his people, yet he was going to destroy them for their sin. Does a child stop being a child of a parent after correction only if the child’s correction came with abuse. How long is God suppose to take the abuse of His people? How long is he to tolerate sin? No one is exempt from God’s wrath. We all are God’s children, but not all believe or understand the victory or lose of war.

Sometimes people have to see where sin of their choosing will take them and so Israel was going into a heathen land. One must remember God turns people over to sin. God showing the heathen what it like to be in God’s favor for a time. What it means to have the blessing of Israel bestow upon you, only for you to be cut down because of your own wickedness, to see the children of Israel returned to the land of morality, a place you rather not be. Giving them back their land because you can not stand their preaching of righteousness.

The fact is people do not mind people having churches, as long as what they preach remains inside, it is when it flows out the door the heathens have issues until they get a taste of the change God can do for them. When God begins to work his love among people not his own, through miracles, through signs and wonders a great revival has happened. The miracles might quiet or they might not be as much in need as before because his people called by his name, are walking as they should and not as they should not.

Yesterday as I was examining a commentary one of the things spoken about had to do with the idea of the world becoming silent as Christianity spread that their was no real new creativity. If one consider the need of creativity to destroy sin, or to cover sin, one needs to think again. The creativity that comes from sin, or evil is not needed, but the creativity to make life easier will always remain. Less energy on how to clean up destruction and more on how to better life seems like a better choice, or call of productivity.

God will tear down and build up for his glory, His people will come home, and his people in foreign world they are exile to will demonstrate God’s love to draw people in. God’s Spirit will empower his people in difficult times to bring them to better roads ahead. Believers in Christ let us look now at Israel and their victory, yet remember the road of Christ is not finished. Christ is returning to awake Israel to truth of his power and His promise of the Messiah is true.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for the hope of being your children even when the world around us is not so right, whether in exile or at home, we find your hope and deliverance in times of storm. In Jesus precious name, Amen.