Who rules really?

If you didn’t know better, you’d think that the destruction of Jerusalem and the imprisonment of her leaders was sign of God’s failure.

Because when God’s people suffer at the hands of an enemy king, it looks like God is weak, unloving or perhaps just an imaginary being.

Yet everything that happened was according to God’s plan, for his actions were a punishment upon his people for their rebellion.

We learn about this from the prophet Ezekiel:

“…when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived… so I poured out my fury on them. I scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they had lived. But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but he couldn’t keep them safe in his own land!’ Then I was concerned for my holy name… Therefore… I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name… And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes… then the nations will know that I am the LORD. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.” (Ezekiel 36:17-24)

The catastrophic events that open up the book of Daniel were all part of God’s plan, but despite the tragedy, there was hope for God’s people because of the Lord’s hunger to demonstrate the true glory of his name.

And the ultimate rescue of God’s people was brought about by Jesus at the cross, where our salvation proved the goodness and kindness of God, and enabled all the nations to know that his name is truly holy.

What a joy to know that our salvation is guaranteed because of God’s rightful hunger for his glory to be known to the world!

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Edge Earth via Flickr)