A fearful thing...

Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful (or dreadful) thing to fall into the hands of the living God." If you would like to know why this is the case, I would suggest reading Ezekiel chapters 5-7. It may be one of the scariest depictions of God's fury. It's hard for me to even write about this section of Scripture because of how seriously furious God is in it. It's nothing to joke about or take lightly...God HATES sin.

Israel, yet again had turned it's back on the Lord their God. "...their whoring heart...over their eyes that go whoring after their idols." And God's response is righteous judgment. While I was reading this I was thinking how hard it must have been to be Ezekiel or any of the prophets that were given the task of comunicating God's wrath to their people...often seeing none change their ways and having to suffer along with their nation. Yet, this is only a shadow of the eternal judgment that is to come...Because in this passage, there is still mercy.

"Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the LORD. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them."

God is so patient. As a sit here in a computer lab, in a nation of many godless people and idol worshipers, I'm reminded of God's patience...These people and I deserve the same punishment Israel did. "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) I think the biggest mystery is why, oh why, does God love us? Yes, God is love, but He is also Holy. This is not like asking, "Why is water wet?" Because this water, our God, against sin will be steam...a scorching heat that burns the flesh rather than soothes it. I don't know why God loves me, a sinner, enough to send His Son to become sin for me, so that I might become the righteousness of God...I don't know why He chose me from eternity past to call me out of darkness. I have no idea why, but I love Him for it.