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Ezekiel 22 (ESV)
6 “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. 7 Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. 8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. 9 There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. 10 In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. 12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.
13 “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. 14 Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. 16 And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
REFLECTION:
Chapter 22 foretold why the judgment of Jerusalem will come, how it will come, and who will be judged for it. This passage specifically pointed out the various fornication and evil crimes committed by the leaders of Israel, and prophesied that they would be the first to be judged. The leaders of Israel were originally called by God to lead the people and were especially blessed by God. They were supposed to sanctify themselves and become models of faith and virtue, but they were the first to sin and were severely judged by God. Unfortunately, many of God’s people have not learned from the past. The sins mentioned in this passage have been committed by Christian leaders throughout the ages, including some Christian leaders today. Today, we are living in an era when Satan spares no effort to attack God’s people. All kinds of vicious and treacherous tactics are worse than ever. Church leaders are the first to be attacked. Therefore, we must always pray for the leaders to prevent them from being taken captive by the devil. Leaders must also maintain moral integrity, strive to live a holy life, trust God in everything, and become spiritual models for everyone.
PRAYER:
Pray for the leaders of the church, asking God to give them spiritual maturity and insight in addition to their visible leadership abilities in organization, management, and leadership, so that they will first become spiritual models for the brothers and sisters in the church; If you are a church leader, ask God to give you a pure heart and an upright spirit, so that you can live a holy life, and lead the church by your mature life, not your achievements and abilities in the world.
