God’s Fury upon Christ for Our Cleansing
9/21 Reading Portions: 2 Samuel 17; 2 Corinthians 10; Ezekiel 24; Psalm 72
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9/21 Reading Portions: 2 Samuel 17; 2 Corinthians 10; Ezekiel 24; Psalm 72
Ezekiel 24:13
“On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied My fury upon you.”
PURIFYING
It is impossible to understand YHVH God’s statements of justice and judgment apart from its view through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Messiah. Every year that I read this chapter, I’m reminded of the consuming fire that is our God (Heb 12:29). Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy concerning God’s judgment through the Babylonian siege upon Jerusalem. Moreover, the prophet was commanded to neither mourn nor weep, nor even allow tears to run down his face (Ezek 24:15), even though his wife had died (Ezek 24:18). These commands were prophetic for our outlook upon the wrath of God in His holy justice and judgment. As a consuming fire, the holy presence of our God must first be seen through the cross of Christ. Jesus suffered the fire of God’s anger for sins He did not commit. If we may liken Christ’s suffering God’s wrath to the precious gold in a smelter’s pot, we know that the impurities of the metal will rise to the surface under the heat, the slag then being scooped out— and the hotter the heat, the more slag removed. With Jesus, however, there were no impurities in the perfect Son of God, so nothing need be removed. His being tried in the fire proved how pure, perfect, and precious He truly was. Sinners who have rejected Christ, however, are so impure in their hatred against God and their opposition to Christ’s cross, that they cannot be cleansed from [their] uncleanness; and the same fire of God only hardens their impure hearts further. The consuming fire of God’s wrath will be eternally upon them, whereas, for them, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now, as it relates to you and me, the Scripture says that…
…it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. 1 Peter 4:17
Because of the corruptions which still remain in our mortal flesh, when we suffer trials and tribulations (Jas 1:2), the impurities in our lives will rise to the top (Jas 1:3), so by God’s grace and in the strength of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit, we may scrape off the impure slag from our lives (Jas 1:4), and present ourselves as living sacrifices before the Lord, which is our reasonable service (Rom 12:1). Hallelujah! What a purifying Savior!