I'm always a little bit sad that people won't enter into the phenomenon of reading the entire Bible. It is to enter into the entire personality of God and He becomes...terrifying and intimate and funny and vast and so incredibly worth our worship.
He becomes uncannily real.
In Ezekiel 20, we get a glimpse into the very thought process and decision-making of God.
A group of leaders in Israel have come to the prophet Ezekiel to ask for guidance from God.
In no uncertain terms, God tells Ezekiel that, in light of the chronic rebellion of the Israelites, He will not tolerate any questions, but rather will retrace the depth of their rebellion as He brought them out of Egypt.
You can't fly in the face of God with your rebellion and not evoke a response.
Why, oh why, do we insist on ticking off the Guy that made us? That can blow us away with a fraction of His breath?
"But they rebelled against me, wouldn't listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy...from the nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt."
It is staggering to watch God--God!--think through what He would like to do (because we drove Him to it), then impose restraint upon Himself, and once again display the honor of His name.
God obeyed His promises by imposing restraint upon His feelings.
Wonder if we could try that?
