Saturday 3 February 2024

Ezekiel 39:1-8 – God disciplines to advance His purpose

In Ezekiel 39:1-8, we see a repetition of what had already been described in chapter 38. It is a summary of what Ezekiel had already said previously but in a summary form. God would be the one who would goad the forces of Gog on. They would be taken from the remotest part of the north to the mountains of Israel to come against the nation.  

There God would strike and defeat them.  The bow which Gog held with the left hand would be knocked off and arrows dash to the ground, so that purpose would be thwarted. This is to say that the military endeavor led by Gog would fail.

 

Instead of defeating Israel, Gog and his massive force would be destroyed. Their dead bodies, left unburied, would become food for the birds of prey and beasts of the field. God would also send fire upon Magog and incinerate her coastland leaving a heap of ashes. They would indeed recognize God, the Lord.     

 

In the act, God would uphold His name and holiness amid Israel, His people. He would also not allow His holy name to be desecrated anymore. And through it, His name would be upheld and established as the Holy One in Israel.  It would be known that nations are in His hands and not in Gog’s.  

 

Without a doubt, God uses even our opponents to discipline and perfect us, His people. It seems paradoxical that God would use an instrument to deal with us and then would at the same time be the one to destroy the instrument that He uses. We must know that the God we worship and serve is sovereign. And He would even use those who may not be for Him to serve His purpose to make His name known.    

No comments:

Post a Comment