Ezekiel 20:1-17 (NRSV)
The people profaned the sabbath
In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain elders of Israel came to consult the Lord, and sat down before me. And the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Why are you coming? To consult me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be consulted by you. Will you judge them, mortal, will you judge them? Then let them know the abominations of their ancestors, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob - making myself known to them in the land of Egypt - I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; not one of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live. Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not observe my statutes but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned.
Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make an end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my ordinances and did not observe my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make an end of them in the wilderness.
DEVOTION
I am struck by the repeated refrain, "But I acted for the sake of my name..."
Over and over God declares that he rescued and pardoned his people, "for the sake of his name."
It is not hard to imagine why God is so forgiving, merciful, and graceful to us time and time again; after all God's Name is LOVE.
LOVE caused God to create the heavens and the earth, and all that exists, including humanity. LOVE caused God to love the Israelites so much that he chose to rescue them time and again. And LOVE ultimately gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.
For the sake of his name God because our rescuer, healer, and deliverer. For the sake of his name God does not leave us, nor forsake us, even when it is our own sin that leads us into temptation and sin. For the sake of his name God offered up his only begotten son to ransom us from sin, death, and the grave. For the sake of his name God sent forth the Holy Spirit to empower and equip the church to do acts of love throughout the earth. And for the sake of his name, God will send Jesus back to the earth to redeem his people and establish the new Jerusalem at the end of days!
Aren't you glad about the Name of God?! Don't you feel a spirit of praise welling up in your heart as you think on the one who is called LOVE?!
I daily rejoice as I think about all of the ways that God has rescued me--for the sake of his name.
It is my prayer that all of us would do all that we can to lift up the Name of God within our spheres of influence so that all my be introduced to the KING OF LOVE.
Let us pray: Oh God! Your Name is LOVE. Please help me to live for the sake of your name. Please help me to lift up your name that others might come running asking what must they do to be saved. Your name is Wonderful! Your Name is Love! And I adore you...I pray this in Your Name, Amen.
INVITATION
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