Wednesday: Ezekiel
If we were to ask a group of Christians about the “sins of Sodom”, chances are many would launch into a description of its various sexual sins and other forms of depravity. After all, Genesis 19:1-13 does depict a sick and warped society more than ripe for destruction.
Interestingly enough, though, the answer is more complicated than just that. Consider Ezekiel’s description:
Ezekiel
“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy” (Ezek. 16:49, NIV). Though clearly the Lord was not going to overlook the other forms of depravity found in the city, Ezekiel’s focus here was on economic injustice and a lack of care for those in need.
Could it be that, in the eyes of God, these economic sins were just as bad as the sexual ones?
Coming after the time of Amos, Micah, and Isaiah, Ezekiel’s early prophecies sound a similar note of warning of the coming destruction. However, after Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians and its people are taken captive, Ezekiel’s focus shifts more fully to God’s promises of restoration.
Read Ezekiel 34:2-4, Ezekiel 34:7-16. Compare God’s assessment of the corrupt leaders of Israel with His own shepherding. How does their treatment of the weakest “sheep” contrast with His methods?
Even as bad as they have been, so as to be compared to Sodom, the Lord still was reaching out to them in hopes of turning them away from their wickedness. In God’s renewed plan for His people, they would be back in their land, Jerusalem would be restored, and the temple would be rebuilt. The festivals God gave would again be celebrated and the land would again be divided equally among the people as their inheritance (see Ezek. 47:13-48:29). It seems obvious that God’s intention was that His plan for His people, as first given to Moses and the people of Israel after their rescue from Egypt, would be restarted with the return of His people from captivity. This included concern for the weakest members of society, as well as those who might be considered outsiders.
| How important is it to you that our God is a God who offers second chances—and more—even to His people who have gone wrong after having had the chance to make better choices? |
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Last night I went to a CHIP meeting. It is a health program sponsored by the church that promotes a healthy lifestyle. The food demonstration was about the use of grains and one of the grains, labeled as a superfood was Quinoa (pronounced kinwa). Now, hang on a minute! Quinoa is a staple food for one of the poorest nations in South America and we are eating their food because it is described as one of the most "complete" grains there is. What happens to the Bolivians? Well, we pay them cash for their crops and then they buy french fries and chicken and other tasty unhealthy western food. Good swap eh!
One of the issues with living healthy in the modern world is that sometimes we are doing it at the expense of others. The problem is that we only see the packets of food that we buy in the supermarket and do not stop to think about how it is sourced. It is easy to hide the exploitation of others because they are so remote from us.
The situation is complex and it does not just involve health foods. Beef, coffee, milk are just some of the foods that in one way or another are exploiting people and the environment.
I think that if prophets like Ezekiel were around today they would be condemning our "exploitation at a distance". Some of our supply lines are basically dishonest and corrupt. To be honest, I don't know the solution. Today's global society is complex and simply saying "Don't buy!" causes its own repercussions. But I would encourage you to think about what effect our healthy lifestyle choices has on others. Reread Ezekiel with a modern application in mind:
Good analogy, but I have a hard time with us swallowing the premise of us fostering bad health habits to those of the Andean region. Quinoa cultivation has spread to more than 70 countries, including Kenya, India, the United States, and several European countries. Quinoa is an excellent grain for diabetics, those with celiac disease,and glutin allergies, as well as glutin intolerence. Vegetarians and Vegans should make it a part of their diet also. Now having said that, we can get by without it. Move over quinoa, wild rice is rich in protein also. Steel cut oats is also a solid source of protein. We get aquired diabetes, God offers us a second chance by eating healthy, it is important we take it. Medications to counteract our appetite for refined carbohydrates is a poor choice.
Amen Amen
I am not really sure if I understood completely your point of view. But I guess it may probably make sense to the context and country you're in.
Certainly, if all mankind were councious about their immediate surrounding people's needs, besides being concerned and active about them, the world would probably have no hunger! While rich economies are worried about expansion, the poor ones are worried about survival. Deep inside is a game of ego, of possession, of greed, exploitation and love for money. Yes we have to be concern about all of the injustice around the world, but we must start from ourselves as active agents within our own influence field. Perhaps, to speed up this individual process in order to achieve collective counsciousness we may have to pay a high price for the development of unsustainable current lifestyle. The change has to start with ME.
I percive sexual sin as a more serious sin. But in the text today I have leant that it is as serious as ecenomic injustice. Lord help me to help those in need. Amen.
Sin is sin. It doesn’t matter whether we consider it large or small. God sees it as sin period!
1) Lot arose to meet them - He left his comfort; serving the Lord and serving self are antagonistic to each other.
2) He bowed himself with face to the ground - In Asian culture respect is an integral part if someone would accept the welcome.
3) Hospitality - spend the night, washing their feet,
In my mother's village there was a built in place in the front of the house where strangers walking long distance could rest and then in the morning get up go on their way.
4) They resisted the welcome. - Yet, Lot strongly insisted
I wonder what would have happened had not Lot insisted strongly for them to stay the night.
How strongly do we need to show hospitality to someone in need?
5) He made a feast - Once they accepted the invitation, he made a feast. How hospitable is your home for hospitality? If there is a disconnect between the husband and wife, if there is no peace in the home there will be no treatment of the stranger in the house.
6) He was willing to sacrifice his own children in order to save the strangers. This may seem to be a strange act reading in history but the implication is those who have the Spirit of Christ will protect even a stranger at a great cost.
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The word of God is ever-green; very relevant to current happenings.One of the sins of our time is the neglect and abuse of the economically weak among us.No matter the so-called policies and programs tailored to support the poor,people in positions take advantage to enrich themselves and leave the targets of such programs poorer. God help us.
My takeaway from today\'s study is that Christians are not exempt from imitating the sins of Sodom, which was characterized primarily as a place of luxury via exploitation of the poor and by its legendary licentiousness. I\'ve heard dozens of sermons on Sodom\'s gross alleged sexual sins but none on the neglect of the poor. Oh well, I guess folks just aren\'t as disturbed by the rich abusing/neglecting the impoverished as they are by what people do in their bedrooms.
Not to exclude necessities we buy at store like shoes, clothes, purses, a lot of these especially signature ones are made in poor countries whose workers are paid to nothing but yet when it come to US it’s worth hundred of dollars, I refused to buy signature/name brand items not to be part of exploiting men, women & children working in hours, hours with poor labor regulations. It is a economic global problems but if we all can think of ourselves not be part of the rich ones who makes money out of poor hard, neglected people by not supporting their products then it’s the least we can do after all we are Gods steward for the money he provides us.
So I boycott goods of exploitation; so now the producer gets even less or nothing, great solution for whom.... the western xian conscience ! This needs much more thought.
I did not say to boycott goods of exploitation. I am very aware that sort of reaction brings its own unwanted consequences. What I want us to think about is to recognize the complexity of the issue and do some lateral thinking it. I admit that I do not have the answers. Boycotting is not the answer, and donating money to the poor in such a situation leads to dependence and misuse. Solving the problems of international inequity is going to take understanding and collaboration, not assertive control.
This is the first time in SS lesson history that the correct emphasis has been given to the Lot story. It is primarily about how injustice and inhospitality bring God's wrath. Rape of any kind is a gross act of sexual injustice.