Ez. 24-26
Ezekiel must have understood, as Paul stated in Philippians 3, that any loss for God in this life would be for eternal gain. Not only did God take Ezekiel’s wife, whom he loved, away from him, but He commanded Ezekiel not to mourn for her. I am under the impression that mourning the dead was a pretty big deal in that culture. They would even go so far as to hire professional mourners to ensure their dead received their proper respect. So this was no small request. Yet Ezekiel obeyed.
I notice that Ezekiel’s obedience to God’s command made his behavior stand out. So much so that the people knew without his saying a word that this was a message for them, and they asked him what that message was. That makes a big statement to me about how we should live our lives. When we live in obedience to God, not concerning ourselves with the cost, people will notice. They will notice, and they might even ask. If they ask, God will give us the words to explain the hope that is in us, that drives us to behave so contrary to the world around us.
In chapters 25 and 26, Ezekiel pronounces curses to the surrounding nations. God exacted punishment or destruction on each one of these nations because they either rejoiced at or took advantage of the devastation of His people. This goes back to the very first promise that God made to Abraham. “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse” (Gen 12:3a). There are a lot of people today who would do well to take note.
1 Pet. 2
Peter, like Paul, spoke of living a submissive life. This doesn’t mean a weak and cowering life; it means a respectful, honoring one. We see throughout the New Testament the message to respectfully subject ourselves to those in authority over us and to lovingly serve those under our authority. This is in contrast to the human tendency to rebel against our authorities and to lord it over our subjects. This is the kind of standout behavior that people will notice. It is how our lives point to God.
Peter goes a little further to stress the importance of being respectful to unjust masters. It is far easier to respect those who are good to you, but it is suffering unjustly that truly reflects Christ in our lives. But note the distinctions in Peter’s instructions in verse 17. “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor”. Though we are to treat everyone with honor and respect, which is a form of love, our relationships with God and with fellow believers is different. Our love for fellow believers should go beyond honor and respect to a deeper bond of fellowship. And, while we are to honor and respect ALL authority, we fear God alone.