Ezekiel 12:21-28 – Being skeptical is denying God’s faithfulness.

There seems to be a growing skepticism among the exile concerning the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel had vehemently said it would happen. Although some were already taken into exile, yet they still chose not to see that judgment had already started with them. The saying that “there is none so blind as one who refuses to see” is true of people of all periods. It is true in our day, as it was true among the exile. Remember what the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 3:9? “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

In Ezekiel 12:25-28 we see the utter failure of the exile to appreciate the grace and patience of God that led to their skepticism. Among them, there was a murmuring saying ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing.’ Meaning prophecies concerning the imminent destruction of Jerusalem were way off the mark. They were insinuating that those prophecies were false. This was an affront to the Lord who set out to prove that every word of His was true. The false notion would no longer be repeated because God would bring them to an end. He would ensure the fulfillment of all that He had said He would do. His patience had run out and every vision would be fulfilled in their days.  

In verses 26-28, among the exile, there were those who were not as blatant in their skepticism. They accepted the prophecies but saw them as only coming to pass years later in the distant future. Here the Lord also debunked their noti0n saying in verse 28, “None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed….”     

The people of God here had short memory of God’s faithfulness and that led to their susceptibility to all kinds of excuses. The truth remains that In His patience, God is  time to understand His heart and return to being faithful to Him. Never allow our refusal to see make us blind to the truth of God thus making us cynical.