Tuesday: Mysterious Ingratitude
Read Ezekiel 28:12-19. What can we learn from this passage about the mysterious origin of sin?
Much of the book of Ezekiel was written in end-time symbolic language. In many instances, specific entities (like persons, animals, and objects) and local events are used to represent and describe broader cosmic and/or historical realities. In Ezekiel 28:1-10, the Lord spoke of the king of Tyre (Tyre itself was a prosperous ancient Phoenician port city) as a rich and proud ruler who was only a “man” but who claimed to be a god and who even sat (he claimed) in the throne of the gods.
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Then, in Ezekiel 28:12-19, this historical reality becomes an analogy to describe the original fall of Lucifer in the heavenly courts. So, the king of Tyre, who was a human being living “in the midst of the seas” (Ezekiel 28:2, Ezekiel 28:8, NKJV), now represents “the anointed cherub who covers,” (Ezekiel 28:14, NKJV) living “in Eden, the garden of God,” (Ezekiel 28:13, NKJV) and “on the holy mountain of God” (Ezekiel 28:14, NKJV).
A crucial statement in the whole account is found in Ezekiel 28:15, which says, “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you” (NKJV). Hence, and importantly, Lucifer’s perfection included the potential for evil, the potential to do wrong, and that was because, as a moral being, Lucifer possessed free will, part of what it means to be a perfect being.
In reality, Lucifer was created perfect — which included his ability to choose freely. However, abusing that perfection by the misuse of his free will, he became corrupted by considering himself more important than he actually was.
No longer satisfied with how God had created and honored him, Lucifer lost his thankfulness to God and wished to receive more recognition than he actually deserved. How this could happen with a perfect angelic being living in a perfect universe is, as already mentioned, a mystery.
“Sin is a mysterious, unexplainable thing. There was no reason for its existence; to seek to explain it is to seek to give a reason for it, and that would be to justify it. Sin appeared in a perfect universe, a thing that was shown to be inexcusable.” — Ellen G. White, The Truth About Angels, p. 30.
| In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul says that “in everything” (NKJV) we should give thanks. How can these words help us to overcome any feelings of ingratitude and self-pity, especially in trying times? |
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What a mystery! How come can we complain when we have so much that we are not even able to carry? We'd say "it's the human nature"! But how do we explain the very nature of Lucifer? The father of egoism, of falseness, and yet created to be perfect, in a perfect environment! Lucifer complained about the very nature he himself was granted, freedom of will! (How much alike am I?). Since we were born in a fallen planet already, we probably point to such excuse, but we also have THE most incredible opportunity, THE only and most exclusive of the entire Universe, which is to have God become like one of us, His freely chosen fallen creatures, and because of that we can also freely choose His way back to perfection, called Christ, Who offered Himself as a gift of blood so we could be restored to our perfect and primal nature, not because we deserve, but because of His own very nature, LOVE! And anything else that we place before this reality is madness!
Today's topic best describes the lesson indeed. "Mysterious Ingratitude" when Gods creation was perfect including the beings, how comes ingratitude entered one man? This is indeed a mystery.
Can we now explain the origin of sin as part of Gods pre creation? just thinking aloud.
God knew, for sure, what would happen to Lucifer, and later to the Earth. That's why His plan of salvation was also parallely developed, to show to the entire Universe what a LOVING God was able to do in order to save, even when there was no motive to be lost at all in the first place!
Lucifer could have chosen God's salvation too, but pride prevented him to do so. That was his CHOICE. And we all have a choice to make TODAY. We can choose to see a defected creation or a perfect demonstration of what God really is!
To my understanding, ingratitude is only an aspect of the mindset that challenges benevolent authority. Is see God’s Supreme Authority being challenged when Lucifer attempted to use his knowledge and power to usurp God as the highest Authority to define power, position, and responsibility. He attempted to use his own, limited wisdom and authority to change how work assigned to him by his Superior was to be done.
Lucifer did not count gratitude to be sufficient to overrule his desire to govern according to his own wisdom and will. I am certain that he counted the cost, but seemed to have been convinced enough in his own mind of the rightness of his ways to entice others to follow his lead.
I think the attitude describing the king of Tyrus, Ezekiel 28:1-2; 6; 9, reflects the mindset which can entrap those wilding great power and authority. They ignore that they are created, a living soul which, by design, ought to follow the Creator’s established order assigned to us on earth as well as to the heavenly beings.
All are endowed with tremendous talents and influence, the question is: 'do we employ them to reflect the Glory of God, or do we consider ourselves God and so reflect the glory of success back to ourselves and continue going our own way?' Lucifer was able to enticed one third of the angels to buy into this scheme of ‘deserving’ glory attributable only to the Creator God, and was eventually able to also deceive mankind’s parents - Eve and Adam.
We all need to be vigilant to prevent falling pray to allowing our free will to lead us to self-exaltation, regardless of the perceived rightness or success of our plans or actions. Evil, to my understanding, is therefore the presumptuous appropriation of assuming/claiming authority over talents and powers given to created beings based on the Creator’s design of man and heaven's host.
I have a question. What does the word "covering" mean ? Are there differences in v13 of Ezekiel 28, "Every precious stone was your 'covering'" with v14 "You were the anointed cherub who 'covers'" and v16 "O 'covering' cherub" ?
I believe that Lucifer was one of the two highest angels (called covering cherubim) that stood either side of the throne of God, based on the instructions given to Moses for the Ark of the Covenant.
Instructions to make a covering for the Ark of the Covenant:
Exo 25:16-22 MKJV And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. (17) And you shall make a mercy-seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it. (18) And you shall make two cherubs of gold; of beaten work you shall make them, in the two ends of the mercy-seat. (19) And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end. From (as part of) the mercy-seat you shall make the cherubs, on the two ends of it. (20) And the cherubs shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces each toward the other; toward the mercy-seat shall the cherubs' faces be. (21) And you shall put the mercy-seat above, upon the ark (as a covering). And in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. (22) And I will meet with you there, and I will talk with you from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubs on the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the sons of Israel.
Dear Shirley DeBeer,
I am grateful for the explanation of the word covering and it’s relation to the title to which Lucifer held. It was difficult to find an answer with the tools that I have. Thank you for the interest shown and the time taken to answer my question sharing the knowledge that God has blessed you with. May God continues to bless you with knowledge, wisdom and all other needs God sees fit to give you.
The Serpent lured Eve by artful talk to disbelieve God’s warning, ensnaring her and Adam in sin. The legal term for this is inveiglement and it is justifiable cause for the prosecution of the perpetrator. So why did Adam and Eve suffer the consequences of Satan’s iniquitous act?
If love is the foundation of justice, then the more authority, power and wealth a person possesses, the more responsibility and accountability that person has in the use of those possessions in relationship to other people. It has been said that justice is love out loud. So how is it just that Satan’s victims are made to suffer the consequences of his evil acts if God is just?
More broadly, the misuse of authority, power and wealth is perverse and iniquitous and demands justice. But the question is what kind of justice? Retributive? Deterrent? Rehabilitative? Incapacitive? Reparative? Denunciative?
What are the consequences when someone is considered above the law or has escaped from justice because they were not prosecuted or for some other reason? Say for example, if they were a former or acting president? Or church leader? Or made tons of money by spreading malicious lies about people or by making fraudulent religious or health claims on their (conspiracy) website?
How does justice play out in church discipline? Or the Christian’s actions in his community or for his nation?
Just some questions this lesson brought to mind.