Today's Passage: Ezekiel 4-5

In chapters 4 & 5 of Ezekiel he begins a 21 chapter focus on the judgment of Judah.  In chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5 Ezekiel uses 4 signs to describe the coming judgment:

1. Sign of the Brick - Verses 4:1-3
2. Sign of Ezekiel's Lying on His Side - Verses 4:4-8
3. Sign of the Defiled Bread - Verses 4:9-17
4. Sign of the Razor and the Hair - Verses 5:1-4

In the remaining verses of chapter 5 these 4 signs are explained by God.  God says that because of the unruliness and abominations of His chosen people He is going to do things among them that He has never done and will never do again. 

As a believer that has an intimate relationship with God these verses are hard to reconcile with the loving God that I have come to love, obey and depend on.  What we must remember is that these actions are not God's first in dealing with His people.  Israel and Judah's prideful spirits began long ago.  Their attitudes of entitlement  had led them to take God's blessings for granted.  God had tried to draw them back to Him without this severity of punishment, but nothing had made a lasting impression.  What we must walk away with from these verses is that even though as believers we have the gift of mercy and salvation from the true punishment of our sins, we must always remain humble and never forget the Jesus' words: 

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. - Luke 14:11