Ezekiel 9:4-5 – “Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. He said to him, ‘Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.'”
In the book of Exodus, when God was setting his people free from Egyptian slavery, he told them to put blood on the door posts of their houses. This sign would allow the angel of death to pass over these homes, sparing the first born son. In today’s passage, we see a similar event. A man is out searching, looking for anyone who is weeping at the sins of their city.
If you read the full chapter, you’ll see that everyone who did not have the mark on them was killed. If you are numb to sin and have no problem with the evil you see around you, you are complicit in it. God, in his plan to eliminate the evil influences on Israel, is still giving a way out.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Freedom is found when your heart is stirred toward God.
Check your heart today. What is your response to sin in your own life? When you see injustice and evil in the world, are you complacent or do you weep for the suffering and pain around you? Too often when we read the Bible and think about God’s anger at sin, we forget that evil is upsetting. We think of God as overly angry and strict. But when I see children abused or women raped or people giving their lives to drugs, I get angry. Sin and evil harm people, including me and you. How will you be marked?