85
The compelling desire and longing of the heart of the Lord was toward Israel. He strongly purposed for them to be His people and He was to be their God. His actions were actions of concern and correction. He longed for purity of worship without the mixture and the spiritual pollution which was prevalent among them. Eze. 14:11 He now was about to treat them as they had treated Him. When they came to inquire of the true prophet, in this case Ezekiel. The Lord would set His face against them, make them to be a warning sign to others, by destroying them. Eze. 14:9 Furthermore, their prophets were deceived prophets and was deceived by the Lord. Where there is disobedience and rebellion it opens the door for all manner of false thing. There is always a lying spirit willing to do as was done in the days of Ahab. Go forth and become a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets. 1 Kings 22:20-23 All because of their waywardness and departure from the Lord. The people and the false prophet were to receive punishment equal to their iniquity. The whole purpose of the Lord was to find a people who would consistently worship Him and be truly His people. Eze. 14:11.
The Word of the Lord came yet again to Ezekiel, this time bringing a fourfold pronouncement of punishment against Israel for thoroughly polluting the land with their idols. Not even the presence of such godly men as Noah, Daniel and Job would have stayed the impending events. They themselves would be delivered because of their righteousness, while others would be destroyed. The sword, the famine, the noisome beasts and the pestilence. Eze. 14: 12-21 While these conditions have always been a part of the life on earth, they very positively are conditions which will prevail and increase, by leaps and bounds, in the end of the age.
THE SWORD. Warfare, insurrections, coups, rebellions, riots, murders, suicides, martyrs, any and all concocted by mankind to destroy life, whether it be their own or of others. I was born at the end of the first world war. During the span of my ninety years we have had two great wars, both with the intent of destroying all wars. Yet war continues and will continue to increase. At one time, murder was a headline in the papers, it was so rare, now it happens so frequently, every day or night, and rates only a passing mention. What was once shocking to society has become the common place. Jesus said that there would be wars and rumors of wars with nation battling nation, but these only introduce us to the end, for the end is not yet. We are being given a fair warning. Mt. 24:6-7 Peace, the nature and character of the Lord, has been removed from the earth. In its place is a spirit of anger and killing. The rider of the red horse has been loosed with his great sword and will continue his work until Jesus comes. Rev. 6:4.