The Lord is There

Ezekiel 40: 1-4 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was captured, on the very same day the hand of the Lord was upon me; and He took me there. 2 In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city. 3 He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.”

God is calling us to live a pure and holy life. This invitation is not limited by age or circumstance. Whether young or old, no one is too old to turn to the Lord and accept His call to holiness. The seriousness of this call is that God is not mocked. There will come a day when every person must meet the Lord, and no one knows when that day will be.

Ezekiel 40 begins with the words, “On that very day.” A specific day came when the Lord spoke to Ezekiel and revealed heavenly things to him. A day will also come for each one of us when the Lord will stretch out His hand towards us. The question is whether He will find us ready.

We can easily imagine that there is still plenty of time. Especially when we are young, we may think that we can live as we please now and become serious about God later. Yet death can come suddenly and unexpectedly. Recent losses have reminded us that the day appointed for a person can come without warning. We must therefore be prepared today.

This truth became very real through a personal experience. On the morning of a serious car accident, a verse from Ezekiel had spoken deeply to the speaker: “THE LORD IS THERE.” Those words brought great joy and confidence. Later that morning, only a short distance from the mission, the car suddenly left the road and rolled several times. The vehicle was severely damaged, yet the driver survived without serious injury.

Looking back at the accident, it was clear that the Lord had indeed been there. There had been no seatbelt at the time, the car had rolled several times, and yet the driver had not been thrown from the vehicle. There was no oncoming traffic or other person involved. It was a testimony of God's protection.

The words “The Lord is there” therefore became more than a comforting Scripture. They became a personal reminder that the Lord is present with His people. He is there in ordinary circumstances, and He is there in moments of great danger. But His presence should also cause us to ask whether we are ready to meet Him.

Ezekiel was taken to a very high mountain, where he was shown the city of God. This picture challenges us spiritually. Where do we want to be found? Do we want to remain in the spiritual lowlands, where people become irritated when circumstances do not go according to their plans? Or do we desire to be on the mountain of God, where we have fellowship with Him?

Climbing a mountain requires effort, and spiritually we cannot ascend while carrying unnecessary burdens. Grudges, unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy and hidden sin weigh us down. If we refuse to surrender these things, we will not grow spiritually. We must also drink from the living water of God's Word. The Lord desires to prepare us for a deeper relationship with Him, but we must allow Him to deal with everything that hinders us.

At the entrance to the city Ezekiel saw a Man. There is only one way into the city of God, and that way is through Jesus Christ. No wealth, position, achievement or human effort can purchase entrance into heaven. Christ is the gate. We must enter through Him now, in this earthly life. Eternal life is not something that begins only after death; our eternal destiny is being determined by how we live today.

This is why we must not deceive ourselves concerning sin. God is a God of grace, but His grace does not permit us to cling to sin. Sin must be confessed and forsaken. No unrepented sin can enter the presence of a holy God. We should therefore deal with sin while there is still time, because none of us knows whether we will wake up tomorrow.

Ezekiel was also given a measuring rod and a linen cord. The city and temple were carefully measured. This can remind us that our own lives are also being measured. What will be found when the Lord examines us? Will there be evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, or will we be found wanting?

The sermon also highlighted the danger of jealousy and division among God's people. Differences between people are inevitable, but the devil can use those differences to create division in families, congregations and the work of God. The example of Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses in Numbers 12 shows how jealousy can enter even among people who are serving the Lord together.

Jealousy is destructive. When someone else is used or blessed by God, we should rejoice rather than ask, “Why him?” or “Why her?” Spiritual jealousy can become like a cancer, destroying fellowship and ultimately damaging the work of God. Instead, God's blessing on another person should humble us and cause us to support and encourage them.

The Man Ezekiel saw was described as being surrounded by fire. This points us to the refining fire of God. If we belong to Christ, His fire must deal with what is wrong in us. It must burn away pride, jealousy, unforgiveness and every attitude that causes division. This is the fire Jesus spoke of when He said that He had come to kindle a fire on the earth.

The preservation of God's work depends on His people being willing to humble themselves, confess their wrongs, forgive one another and remain united in wholehearted devotion to Him. We must ask ourselves: What fire is burning in us? Is it the destructive fire of envy and jealousy, or the holy fire of God?

The challenge is therefore simple and urgent: enter through the Gate, allow the Lord to purify your life, and seek to remain on the spiritual mountain where He can have fellowship with you. Let us build one another up in the most holy faith and allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn brightly among us.

Rev Stegen expressed the desire that those who came after him would have even greater fervour for the Lord's work, and that the fire would not diminish until the last trumpet sounds. May we therefore pull together in unity, quickly put right whatever is wrong among us, humble ourselves when we fail, and continue faithfully in the Lord's work.

The Lord is there. May He find us ready, holy and burning for Him when our day comes.