[228 words]
Reading God ‘s word is exciting. It seems that every time I read it I notice something I had missed in earlier readings. In the past I had noticed the oft repeated phrase (about 56 times), “Then they shall know that I am the Lord (Jehovah) God.” This time I noticed the tragedy of these words. This phrase is used in relationship to Israel, Egypt, Tyre, Amon, and other ancient nations. One would think that when a nation comes to know the God of the Bible, that is a good thing. But the key word in this phrase is “then” and the context shows the tragedy. Read Ezekiel and you will see that each nation is destroyed by God and “then” they come to know thatJehovah is God.
Israel had the word of God, given to them by Moses. But they did not know God. Israel had a history of God’s intervention on their behalf (the ten plagues, the judges, and miracles galore). But Ezekiel’s generation did not know God. They sinned grievously and worshiped idols and only when Jerusalem lay in ruins did they come to “know that Jehovah is God” and that there is no God but Him. They learned the lesson too late! Tragic indeed.
The question is, will we learn from their history? Or, will 9-11 have to become nationwide before we learn?
Alton Norman
Owingsville Church of Christ
Owingsville, KY