About 615 years before Jesus was crucified and had risen from the dead, God appeared to the prophet Ezekiel in a vision. Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon (modern day Iraq)—along with his fellow Israelites. Nevertheless, God gave him an amazing word to proclaim: “Say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name’” (Ezekiel 36:22).
In hindsight, history records that God miraculously rescued the people of Israel from their captivity to the Babylonians only 70 years later. History also records that 615 years later God sent His only-begotten Son to rescue the entire world from its captivity to sin, death, and the devil. But nobody knew that history as Ezekiel was delivering God’s words. They only had the promise: “I am about to act.”
We, too, have God’s promise that “I am about to act.” The Lord of the Church, the crucified and ascended Jesus, is biding His time. He’s waiting for the appointed moment. We have no idea when. We only know that, “He will come again with glory, to judge both the living and the dead.”
Even before Judgment Day, he could act at any time to redress the evils of our day. The Psalmist wrote, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there” (Psalm 37:7-10).
As we slog our way from day to day, we need to be reminded constantly of this. It is a great and terrible temptation to slip into thinking that God cares not about our struggles and has abandoned us to the evil of this world.
St. Peter plainly warns us to avoid this mindset. “…[Y]ou should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:2-4).
Thanks be to God, his determination to act is not deterred by our sins. “Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name” (Ezekiel 36:22). It is for Christ’s sake, that God will act. He will vindicate Himself. He does not depend on your holiness or your strength. All depends on His power and His grace.
This does not mean that we should join in the wickedness of the world. We should live our lives avoiding sin because when God acts, it will be against all wickedness, unbelief, and pride. Cling to God’s Word. Repent of your sins. Pray that you may be numbered with the faithful when He comes to judge the wicked. Like the people of Ezekiel’s day, be certain that God will vindicate His name. We don’t know when or how, but we live in the certainty that He will do it.
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