Ezekiel 4:17
for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin.
Contemporary English Version
Everyone will be shocked at what is happening, and, because of their sins, they will die a slow death.”
Ezekiel is a prophet of doom. He doesn’t preach sermons that will make him liked by the leadership of Israel and others. He doesn’t preach sermons that will attract so many Amens and positive responses. His sermons are listened to but no feedback. If he had preached about coming blessings and how things will be very good, even if lying, he would get overwhelming Amens and positive responses. Unfortunately, he has a duty to preach what God says and not what people want.
If God asks you to preach a sermon, you are obligated to preach it even if under threats, boycotts, and being ignored, you must preach. The consequences of your preaching are none of your business, it is God’s business, He will deal with it and you are safe in His hands. On this note, Ezekiel preached anyway.
Ezekiel told Israel that because of their sins, they will be punished by God. Jerusalem will be under siege. Food and water will run out. Then he ends the message by saying, people will look at each other as they waste away. To waste away is to degenerate. To waste away is to lose weight and get emaciated as you move closer and closer to death. To waste away is actually to die slowly. They will waste away!
They will waste away because of sin the Bible tells us. The diagnosis maybe something else, but the Bible tells us, whatever you choose to call it, it is sin. When a person wastes away, their health gets poorer and poorer. When systems, organizations, and institutions waste away, the money challenges increase, leadership troubles, productivity troubles, quality issues, customer reduction, member dissatisfaction, etc. They will waste away!
Families can waste away. Marriage collapses or exists but fails to function. Parenting doesn’t take place or fails. The situation gets worse and the family steadily but surely moves towards ceasing being a family. They will waste away.
Individuals can waste away. Groups of people and even friends can waste away. Communities can waste away. Businesses can waste away. Even religious organizations, churches, etc., can waste away. A person’s influence can waste away. A person’s abilities can waste away. Sin can waste away anything and anyone. They will waste away!
Wasting away is a painfully slow death. Under such circumstances, sudden death is a big favor. God will deny the wicked the privilege of sudden death, Revelation 9:6, instead, He will let them waste away. At this time even killing yourself won’t work, Revelation 9:6, you just waste away. They will waste away!
When accumulated wealth wastes away, it reduces steadily without an iota of increase. What was built steadily over the years and celebrated as a great achievement will waste away. Accounts of money will waste away. Lands acquired, houses built and many assets belonging to people will steadily waste away. To waste away is such a terrible experience that God warned His people long in advance. God says to us that sin when it matures, will cause us and everything we have and communities around us to waste away. They will waste away!
The sinners will waste away because they really hurt God and others during their high days and now they must slowly reflect on the harm they caused. As they think of how they wasted God’s church and its resources, they will be wasting away. They will waste away!
God sends this message to warn us against sin. Sin is sweet and celebrated but in the end, it wastes us away. When sin is committed it doesn’t look like it is harmful. The sinner seems heroic and victorious. Then the day of God’s revenge comes and untouchable heroes of sin, start wasting away in a slow, sure and painful manner. God wants to save us from this experience of wasting away and he warns us so that we may confess our sins and then repent.
God of heaven, I am a sinner, forgive me, save me from sin and its consequences of wasting away, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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May God save me from sin, lest I waste away. Thank you for the warning.
Amen
Save me Lord from wasting away, Amen
Amen
Save me Lord from wasting away, Amen
Amen
Amen.
Thank you pastor and God bless you.
Be blessed too!