Image: "Voice In The Wilderness", 2009, Middle Ridge UMC, Copp Hollow Road Wellsboro PA
Ezekiel 20:9 But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
Ezekiel 20:37–38 “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 20:41–42 I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. 42 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.
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If you visit the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, as everyone should, you should not just go to the easy "tourist" areas. Both sides of the canyon offer their own appeal but the access roads to the "far side" traverse some pretty wild country. Right smack dab in the middle of this area, situated at a "T" intersection, sits this little old church. There are no houses nearby or visible from its location yet it is well maintained and has signs of use. The web tells me that the little congregation still uses "hill song" worship and I can imagine the plain, country nature of the music. It was locked so I couldn't tell whether there was a piano in there but acapella singing has a long history in these parts. I can imagine, in its hey-day, that there were some thunderous sermons preached, some sweet "extended family" fellowship enjoyed, a good deal of Sunday picnic dinners consumed, and many a quiet buggy or wagon ride home undertaken through the yellow and gold leaves of a Pennsylvania fall.
The point is: never does the Gospel sound out so clearly as when it is surrounded by and contrasted with the wilderness.
The Israelites forgot this and they joined the wilderness rather than standing against it. God's people from the beginning of creation and after the Fall, were designed to be a "sign" and a "witness" to the unbelieving world around them. In 20:9, above, God reminds the Israelite elders through Ezekiel, that He had made HImself known to the Gentiles through Israel when He brought them out of Egypt. The Egyptians at that time were under no illusions. The plagues and terrors of God's judgments were fresh in their minds. None of their "gods" had proved powerful compared to the God of the Israelites. In fact, their gods had proved to be "no gods at all." Many of the Egyptians were so impressed that they willingly gave goods and wealth to the Hebrews as they began their journey. Many went along with them. A witness had been presented... God's Name had been Hallowed before the eyes of the world.
The Israelites in the OT and the Church of Jesus Christ in the NT have his same basic function. In them and through them, the abiding reality of the One True God is to be hallowed. God is jealous for His Name, that is, for His reputation. When Jesus taught us to pray "Hallowed be Thy Name", He was not just speaking a platitude. He was praying that God would cause His Name to be regarded as holy throughout the entire world as God's will is done on earth even as it is in Heaven.
But what happens when God's name is not hallowed in the surrounding culture? God's people are not usually isolated from the social order at large. They daily interact with unbelievers and practicing pagans. There is great pressure to "blend in". After all, as the oriental proverb goes, "it is the nail that stands above the rest that gets hammered." So God's people lose their distinctiveness when immersed in the culture. The inevitable result will be that their congregation will not want to hear exhortations to reverse this situation. They will desire messages and teachings which will not "rock the boat." They will take the analogy of "leaven in a loaf" and emphasize the leaven's secret presence rather than its powerful effect.
This was the process, I think, which undermined Israel and Judah. There came a point where the fire died down to only a few embers and God's people lost all the foundation of strength and witness.
God judges them clearly. His hand will be raised against them "for My Name's sake." As God saved them by mighty works so that He would be known as the One Who Saves, so His overthrow of Judah & Israel was unto the end that He would be known as the One Who Judges.
As the wild country around us grows more dense and dangerous, it would be wise for God's people to remember their calling. We were created for this. This is where we find our reason for being. God's Name is to be hallowed among us corporately so that we may be equipped to hallow His name individually sometimes at great risk. Daniel did not wind up in the lion's den because he "blended in." God was hallowed in his life by his actions and stand before then. God's name was then hallowed in the lion's den by the manner in which He proved Daniel's witness to be true and faithful.
The question we must face is simple: Do we have the faith to do what the Israelites failed to do and which Daniel succeeded in doing? It is not a question of what we should be doing... it is a question of whether we have faith to do it or not.
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