By Such Stripes Are We Healed
by Jack Shaver
©The United Church of Canada, 1985
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 0-88622-196-X
7M/12/85/APL
Used with Permission
How to recognize God (2)
Ezekiel 20: 1-17
While the theme is constant with the prophets of Israel that national disaster is the consequence of bad religion and irresponsible social behaviour, it was proclaimed by a few of them that this was not the whole story of the relationship. In the book of Job, in the preaching of Jeremiah and Isaiah of the Exile, and in some of the Psalms, we find protests against the explanation that all suffering is the just punishment of God. Why do the wicked prosper? How is it the unrighteous get ahead? Nor are these protests quite answered by the reminder that if you wait long enough you will see justice prevail.
Today's reading is taken from the 20th chapter of Ezekiel. One gets the full force of his message by reading through to verse 44. Here again he sounds like many of Israel's writers, yet we hear something new.
Biblical writers and preachers are constantly retelling the story of Israel. In the so-called Law books the story is retold several times from several points of view. Law and story are inseparable. Theology and history are inseparable. Psalm 106 and the rubrics describing how the Passover is to be celebrated indicate that worship consists in the telling of the story of Israel.
While the God of Israel is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe, the way the creator God comes to be known is through what takes place in the history of a people. God becomes known to Israel through history.
In chapter 20 Ezekiel is writing the "Story of Israel according to God." A little patience will allow Ezekiel's repetitious style to become eloquent.
"Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, says the Lord God, 1 will not be inquired of by you...let them know the abominations of their fathers.
Then the Lord retells the story:
"I swore to the people that I would bring them out of slavery to the good land I had promised them... and I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live... But the House of Israel rebelled against me... Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and make a full end to them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that I should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out."
So Israel was spared.
The rhythm is repeated again and again: at the time of the escape from Egypt, at the failure of nerve when the crossing into Canaan is first considered, in the wilderness, at the conquest, in the time of the kings. "Then I thought I would pour out my wrath and make a full end to them. But I acted for the sake of my name."
Yesterday we read that the purpose of Israel's repeated desolation was that "you shall know that I am the Lord."
Today we hear (verse 44): "And you shall know that I am the Lord when I deal with you for my name's sake, not according to your corrupt doings."
It was a familiar sermon that said "we get to know God when we are spared what is coming to us."
- Confession
Almighty God, our hearts are open - to you
our desires known
and none of our secrets are hidden. - It is good to know ourselves known,
- to come before you stripped of all pretence.
- But God, we are not up to it!
We cannot face what we see in the light of your countenance, - Unless you empower us we cannot cope with your knowledge of us.
Only by your grace can we come truly before you, - Have mercy upon us.
- We are weary of the powerless healing of self-forgiveness,
We long for the genuine healing of your forgiveness. - If that means we have to see ourselves the way you see us, then open our eyes
Have mercy upon us,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen