God's Cry Babies

God's Cry Babies

Ezekiel 9

In the previous chapter Ezekiel is given a vision of "the abomination" of the

house of Israel. ... worship of idols in the Temple of God.

Ezekiel is then instructed to proclaim against the people of Judah God's intention to destroy the city, the temple, the nation ... BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN!!!! !!

In verse one God summonses six angels who had been the guardian angels of the city, and told them to bring their weapons... to become the instruments of God's divine wrath. They came from the North ... indicating that God would send punishment from the North = Babylon. God also called a seventh angel with a writing kit... a leader to record the events.

In verse 3, The glory of the Lord ... the presence of God, leaves "went up from" = left the "cherubim" the mercy seat, the place where God dwelt and moved to the doorway ... this indicated that God was withdrawing from his mercy seat... no more mercy would be shown.

In verse four God gives the seventh angel a mission ... it is that mission that we

want to focus on.

He is told to go back and forth throughout the City of Jerusalem... indicating

Judah ... and search for a certain type of person... a very special person, ...

people who grieve and lament, sigh and cry, over all of the detestable things done in the midst of her = God's people.

NOTICE,

I. The Character Described.

"Men that cry and lament for all of the abominations done in the midst of her. "

These are those who...

1. Inwardly feel and lament for all of the detestable things.

Most people do not lament the evil that is done against God.

They lament the loss of "the good old days."

They lament the pain and suffering brought on people

They hate what has happened to the economy ... the government... the drugs...

the crime ... divorce... and "all the detestable things that are done in the midst"

BUT it is BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS ON THEM... ON THE

CHILDREN... ON CHURCH ATTENDANCE... OR ON OUR NATION.

THEY DO NOT CRY OR LAMENT THE EFFECT ON GOD!

We have our own selfish or worldly reasons for lamenting the abominations ... the same one that the unrighteous do.

Lamenting sin does not make you righteous ... even the unrighteous do that

The righteous lament the sin because of its effect on God.

There were people at Gary's funeral that did not know Gary that well. They would not have wept over his death. They were here for Rhonda, or Demple, or Tony, or Jeff, or Tina. And the tears flowed down their faces not because of the funerals effect on them but because of the effect on one they loved.

They cried and lamented the terrible time FOR RHONDA. .

Their hearts were hurting for Tony .

That is what God is talking about when he talks about the ones who grieve over the abominations.

When was the last time you cried over something that was breaking God's heart?

When was the last time you cried over the sin that prevails around you... having nothing to do with its effect on you????

The marines are looking for a few good men...

God is looking for a few broken hearts... for cry babies.

The truly righteous person has his/her soul burdened by depravity and

abomination against God.

Their heart is broken because of:

1. A Remembrance of their own former condition.

The truly Godly person remembers their own former lusts, selfishness,

vulgarities, and weaknesses.

They know how trapped and powerless they were to stop or to change.

They remember how they were and how they are now and that makes them heart broken for those still in that lifestyle

They remember where they were in relation to God and where they are now and they know that it was the sin that made them distant.

They lament the sin because it breaks God's heart.

They lament sin ....

B. From a Sincere Concern for the Glory of God.

Because the righteous person is now living a God-centered life, their concern is to see God glorified, not self.

They want to see God praised and lifted up.

They want that in their own life.

They know that God is glorified in 3 main ways:

Souls saved

obedient lives

praises, worship

They lament sin ...

C. From A Deep Compassion and Love for Souls.

When one truly understands our original state, our state of fallenness, the pain it brings God, the tremendous price He paid to redeem us back, and our new position with God ....

When he realizes all of the wasted years of service and abundance ...

When he realizes the reality of hell ... and of salvation ...