This morning in my time with the Lord, He asked me to go to a very specific place in my Bible... Ezekiel 9. There is a little heading above the chapter in my Bible which says "The Vision of Slaughter"
So I read where He asked me to read and quickly sadness came on me because it seems to also related to things happening today, which of course bother me.
Ezek 9:1 Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.”
Today we see forces draw near to cities in Ukraine, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.
Ezek 9:2 Behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
The attack which is most in the news is coming from the north, and because it is 'in the news' we are getting a written record.
Ezek 9:3 Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case.
This got me thinking: Why do reporters take such a risk to go to such dangerous place to get the story down? Who calls them to do that? It can't just be a case of being paid, can it? It seems like a very risky way to get paid. Is there not something more inside them, which causing them to get the story?
Ezek 9:4 The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”
Humm? A mark? There reports seem to affect me, even to the point of a 'sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst'. In fact that is exactly what I have been discussing with the Lord in the recent days. I sigh and groan over the situation, thinking about the sadness and silliness of men doing such things to other men, and I then turn to the Lord to talk to Him about the situation. He often has told me to not concern myself with the wars and rumors of war, because these things have to happen. Yet I can't stop that 'sigh and groan' that I feel inside. I do feel marked by the events being recorded!
Ezek 9: 5,6 But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare.
Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the temple.
I think I finally got it.
If you 'sigh and groan' over the abominations which are being committed in our mist, that marks you spiritually speaking. And the Lord makes sure it is so. Because if you are not marked by the events taking place which are being recorded, spiritually speaking, then there is something about you that the Lord finds wrong, even to the point that you will be struck dead 'spiritually speaking' by Him. And it doesn't make a difference who you are. (which is probably why He wanted this posted here)
In fact He is going to start striking people dead 'spiritually speaking' in His sanctuary and with elders, and with His people, because we of all people should have more compassion, but it doesn't stop there; "Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women", will also be slayed if they have not been marked by the events written down for them to see.
That helped explained to me what was happening my own life. It explained why the events affect me so much. Yeah, I have to get to the work that I have to accomplish, but I understand the 'mark' that is on my forehead (on my thinking).
The Lord cares. He makes the events known by reporters and such. For those with compassion and who don't like those abominations, they will be marked in their foreheads. And this has already been done by the reporter dressed in linen.
Ezek 9:11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
So I read where He asked me to read and quickly sadness came on me because it seems to also related to things happening today, which of course bother me.
Ezek 9:1 Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.”
Today we see forces draw near to cities in Ukraine, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.
Ezek 9:2 Behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
The attack which is most in the news is coming from the north, and because it is 'in the news' we are getting a written record.
Ezek 9:3 Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case.
This got me thinking: Why do reporters take such a risk to go to such dangerous place to get the story down? Who calls them to do that? It can't just be a case of being paid, can it? It seems like a very risky way to get paid. Is there not something more inside them, which causing them to get the story?
Ezek 9:4 The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”
Humm? A mark? There reports seem to affect me, even to the point of a 'sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst'. In fact that is exactly what I have been discussing with the Lord in the recent days. I sigh and groan over the situation, thinking about the sadness and silliness of men doing such things to other men, and I then turn to the Lord to talk to Him about the situation. He often has told me to not concern myself with the wars and rumors of war, because these things have to happen. Yet I can't stop that 'sigh and groan' that I feel inside. I do feel marked by the events being recorded!
Ezek 9: 5,6 But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare.
Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the temple.
I think I finally got it.
If you 'sigh and groan' over the abominations which are being committed in our mist, that marks you spiritually speaking. And the Lord makes sure it is so. Because if you are not marked by the events taking place which are being recorded, spiritually speaking, then there is something about you that the Lord finds wrong, even to the point that you will be struck dead 'spiritually speaking' by Him. And it doesn't make a difference who you are. (which is probably why He wanted this posted here)
In fact He is going to start striking people dead 'spiritually speaking' in His sanctuary and with elders, and with His people, because we of all people should have more compassion, but it doesn't stop there; "Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women", will also be slayed if they have not been marked by the events written down for them to see.
That helped explained to me what was happening my own life. It explained why the events affect me so much. Yeah, I have to get to the work that I have to accomplish, but I understand the 'mark' that is on my forehead (on my thinking).
The Lord cares. He makes the events known by reporters and such. For those with compassion and who don't like those abominations, they will be marked in their foreheads. And this has already been done by the reporter dressed in linen.
Ezek 9:11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
