The Ways of God - Purging and Consuming

I am currently reading Ezekiel and he has a lot to say about the sins of Israel. But Ezekiel also reveals something about the ways of God.

The Jews were guilty of unspeakable idolatry and indescribable immorality. God had warned them to return to Him (through Jeremiah), but they refused. And, as He had warned, He sent them into captivity in Babylon. But this had very little immediate impact on them - they continued in their sins and idolatry.

But the captivity was not all about judgment and punishment. God revealed that He had a greater purpose for them in this. There are two passages that speak of this:

Ezekiel 20:38
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 22:15
And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. 

He is speaking to the nation, and to the nation He says, I will remove from among you the rebels and I will consume the filthiness out of you. This is a deep and redeeming work of God. I believe this shows us something of the ways of God in dealing with us. And I don’t think I am stretching this when I apply this to myself.

Is it possible that there is rebellion still in my heart? Maybe unknown to me? or even dressed up and thereby ignored? Yeah. God speaks to me about, urges me to repent of it, yet it lingers. I may wink at it, but does God? Nope. I am persuaded that this reveals one of God’s ways in my life – I will purge out from among you the rebels. This may take some really trying times, difficult times; which are perhaps even the fruit of this rebellion. But God is working in these times to purge this rebellious spirit out of me. Purge is such a strong word. Something done to me, that I cannot do for myself. But the result is such a sweet spirit, a willing spirit.

He also said to them: I will consume thy filthiness out of thee.

Is it possible that there is filthiness in me? Maybe we balk at the word filthiness. Yet that’s how God sees it. Is there sin hiding in my heart? This is especially referring to sexual sin. Is it possible for me to have secret sinful passions, longings, thoughts, etc? Yeah. Again, maybe I don’t recognize them or admit that I have such things. Maybe I know they are there but I hide and excuse them. I wink at them, but does God? Nope.

I believe this reveals another of the ways of God - I will consume thy filthiness out of thee. God will work to reveal this, to bring it out into the open so that it is no longer hidden. That may be ugly. But once exposed, God will consume it out of me. And again, consume is such a strong word. Something done to me, that I cannot do for myself. But the result will be freedom from what God calls filthiness.

These two passages speak of the deep work of God in my life. God was serious when He said He wanted me to be His, when He said Jesus came to save me from my sin. Salvation is not just Jesus forgiving my sins – even though that does make for great songs and testimonies! Salvation is also purging and consuming. We don’t have many (any?) songs about that. Where is God in my trials? tribulations? and failures?? He is right there with me, purging and consuming.

How utterly painful. And altogether comforting! The ways of God.

(There is another of God’s ways revealed in Ezekiel, in the destruction of Egypt, concerning confidence. But that will have to be another post!)