The Great Whitewash

DAY 233
5-22-10
EZEKIEL 10-13


Good Morning!

Everything has fallen apart around them and the false prophets say, “’Peace’, when there is no peace.” Everything is fine. They are in captivity, and are not in fellowship with God and everything is fine? People are dead – physically and spiritually – and all is well? The sovereign Lord calls this a whitewash.

Ezek 13:10-14 "'Because they lead my people astray, saying, Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash… 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. '"

Whitewash is a fake, thin beauty that covers a broken, ugly, mess. It’s dysfunctional marriages; ineffective churches; unfaithful Christians; unbiblical practices and ignored truths; that we deny and gloss over the obvious. Jesus said in Matt. 23:27-28, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

The answer to this is consistent in Ezekiel - return to God; follow his decrees; destroy the detestable idols; and cease their rebellion. For this to happen, they must open their eyes and ears (12:1); and admit there is a problem. They can’t whitewash it anymore. Broken marriages; ineffective churches; and unfaithful Christians can return to health and faith if they admit the obvious needs and address them. Ezekiel 12:16 says they must “acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

When they are willing to do this, God is there to help them and forgive them. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’” (Ezek. 11:17)

Barry