Don’t make me have to come down there
My children, you had best beware
If you don’t pay attention, consequences will be dire
Don’t make me have to come down there…
Politics, earthquakes, erratic weather
Pandemics, war, and hate,
Still, you’d rather turn a deaf ear, a blind eye
I am wondering whether I should take my Bible belt and whip you into shape—Dolly Parton

Our posting of today is inspired by the testimony of a sister who was set up to fail by mocking friends. Given a time barred fund-raising assignment, they were waiting to shut down the project because it was believed she would fail; and indeed on the closure date, the sister was totally oblivious of God’s acts in the unknown.

The 77-year-old country music icon released this song a few weeks ago based on a dream she said she had. What’s interesting is that a witness is going out to milieu that may ordinarily be agnostic to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in a season that the world celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the propitiation for our sin. The question is whether the listeners take God seriously enough to change their ways!

Our text in Ezekiel 8:3-6—

And He put forth the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the door of the inner [court] which faces toward the north, where was the seat of the idol (image) of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. And behold, there was the glory of the God of Israel [Who had loved and chosen them], like the vision I saw in the plain.

Then He [the Spirit] said to me, Son of man, now lift up your eyes toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, on the north of the altar gate was that idol (image) of jealousy in the entrance. Furthermore, [the Spirit] said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing? The great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here to drive Me far from My sanctuary? But you shall again see greater abominations.

—shows how the Almighty God, took prophet Ezekiel into the temple to see the defilement, the image of jealousy placed by the disobedient and wayward children of Israel in His house. God had the power to terminate this affront by destroying the people, their acts and their deceiving idol, yet He opted for dialogue showing extraordinary restraint despite the mockery by both the people and their gods.

Who, except the spiritually blind will not be struck by the patience, self-restraint and longsuffering of God to bring back the errant people. Was this a show of weakness? Certainly not, neither is it lack of power, rather it is the love for what He created, giving them a chance to return until the allotted time is over.

This is the same message conveyed by Dolly Parton in this song that’s partly quoted above. Are you still carrying an image of jealousy, still hovering between two opinions whether He is truly God or it’s your own fabrication, the image you formed by yourself that has become a god to you. Dearly beloved, it is now TIME NO LONGER. What will you do with your idol or image of jealousy? Selah.

Pastor Afolabi Oladele