Ezekiel 18:25-32

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.” vs. 30

The prophet was speaking to the house of Israel, the nation that had come out of the wilderness and settled in the land of Canaan. What they were doing as individuals was not his primary concern. When he calls them to repentance he has in mind the complete reorientation of the entire nation. He wants them to live as God’s own people, one that is different from all the other peoples of the region. Instead of being concerned about power and riches for the king’s household, they are to care for the poor and the needy who live within their borders.

It’s not unusual in our day for politicians to call our country to repentance. What they have in mind are the folks engaging in what they define immoral behavior, particularly that of a sexual nature. They say that it is because of such persons that God will bring judgment down upon us all.

 But when the prophet called Israel to repent he was talking to the nation’s leaders, the greedy ones who were neglecting and abusing the poor and needy. Jesus picked up on that message in his Matthew 25 parable about the last judgment, where it is the nations are called to account for the way they’ve treated the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, refugees, and those in prison. 

Thought for the Day: How could our nation repent if it so desired?