Ezekiel 33
Scripture
Ezekiel 33:31-32
“So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!”
Observation-What does it say?
God assigns Ezekiel as the watchman of Israel. He is to warn the people to turn from their wickedness or they will surely die. If Ezekiel fails to warn them, then God will hold him responsible for their deaths. God truly wants all people to repent from their sinfulness and be saved from death. But God knows that the human heart is so corrupt, and tells Ezekiel of those who will gather and listen to what he has to say, speak of love and righteousness from their mouths, yet they are only in it for their own personal gain (vs.31). These people merely hear God's Word, yet they fail to put it into use. The time will come when these people will realize that they were sitting amongst a prophet of God, but they failed to listen and obey, and now they will have to suffer the consequences.
Understanding-What does it mean?
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”-James 1:22 NLT
Pastor Gary asked us a couple of weeks ago if we are SOC or 247. Meaning are we Sunday Only Christians (SOC), or do our lives reflect our faith 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (247)? I hope and pray that we all strive to be 247's in life. But like in the verse I chose, God knows that there are those in life who are "Sunday Only Christians". They come to church week to week, listen in on the sermons, yet fail to put what they learn from these sermons into practice. Come Monday morning, (some even as soon as church ends), they are back to living their sinful lives.
You see, God placed these spiritual leaders in our lives for a reason. They are our watchman. They are there to help guide us and direct us to a more Godly path. So when we just merely listen to what they say, or even blow off the Godly guidance they give us, we are just being foolish! If we are to call ourselves Christ Followers, our goal in life is to grow closer to God and righteousness each and every day.
“You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” James 2:24 NIV
Life Application
Submit to the spiritual leaders that God has placed in my life, and listen and obey to the things they have to say.