The Economy of God's Calling

There's a Bible statement that every believer must take very seriously: To whom much is given, much is required (see Luke 12:48). That is, the more we know of the Lord, the more we understand His ways, the more revelation we have of Him, and the more blessings we have received of Him, the more accountable we are to Him.

This is the case for Israel. Why does this nation suffer so much still to this day under the constant threat of persecution and suffering? They are His chosen. They are the people He called to Himself to bear His witness to the world. And they have done so in many ways. All of the Bible is written by them. All that we know of Christ has come from them. And much of our societal advancements originate in them. The wisdom of Solomon, which is STILL unmatched 2800 years later, is a testament to the depth of their heritage. The law of God is STILL the basis for much of society's social agreement. 

But make no mistake, to whom much is given, much will be required. Ezekiel 5 stipulates this notion to the rebels in exile. 

Ezekiel 5:5-6 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. 6 And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes.

Israel is a picture of God's blessing and accountability. We cannot lightly bear the Lord's name, and we cannot irresponsibly be among His elect. Like any good Father, He expects His nature to be reflected in our own. He is to be represented well by those who call upon Him. Ezekiel stipulates the reason for Israel's severe punishment. She was more wicked even though she had more information from God about what He required. 

Therefore in harsh terms, Ezekiel announces the worst of punishments.

Ezekiel 5:7–8 (ESV) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, 8 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations.

If you read on in the chapter, you will find the disturbing details of God's judgment. 

Ezekiel 5:13–14 (ESV) “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD—that I have spoken in my jealousy—when I spend my fury upon them. 14 Moreover, I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach among the nations all around you and in the sight of all who pass by.

It is interesting to consider that the law truly does stoke a desire for sin in us. It's the case of human nature that we naturally desire what is forbidden. Eve could not resist, and she was subject to a singular limitation. Israel had clear boundaries from heaven through Moses, and she played the harlot with the gods of the useless nations around her. 

We may be tempted to think, "How unfair of God to require so much when He knows how weak our condition truly is!" But this is why Jesus has come. He knows our weakness and came to set us free from our true bondage. His deliverance is internal and powerful for those who accept Him. 

When we study the sad story of Israel's judgment, we must consider our own human nature. We are slaves who need a deliverer; we are sinners who need a Savior. Nothing we do is enough. No power within us can break us free. Yet we are NOT without hope. Hearing the Gospel and receiving it is our door of hope from our own hopeless hearts. We come to Him, and we are made new.