GOD the FATHER is not a robot, HE is not unfeeling or cold hearted. GOD has emotions and feels pain.
Ezekiel 6:9 is one of the most heart moving things I have found in the holy bible. This is GOD the FATHER speaking and HE says that HE is broken. Can you imagine that? I have never thought of our Almighty all powerful GOD as ever being broken or in pain. This just hit my heart and I had to share it.
Ezekiel 6:9
“And they that escape of you
shall remember ME among the nations
whither they shall be carried captives,
because I am broken with their whorish heart,
which hath departed from ME,
and with their eyes,
which go a whoring after their idols:
and they shall lothe themselves
for the evils which they have committed
in all their abominations.”
As Christian believers we can tend to have an unbalanced view of GOD. Some of us, especially as new believers might think GOD has no emotions or feelings. While yet more seem to be solely focused on John 3:16; stopping right there and not considering that GOD is “angry with the wicked every day.”
The LORD said these words to Ezekiel and what HE said just prior to verse nine was that HE was bringing death and destruction to HIS people who had returned to living in unrepentant sinning.
Verse 6:
“In all your dwellingplaces
the cities shall be laid waste,
and the high places shall be desolate;
THAT
your altars may be laid waste
and made desolate,
and your idols may be broken
and cease,
and your images may be cut down,
AND YOUR WORKS MAY BE ABOLISHED.”
GOD is telling us why this destruction is coming.
1.) Because of idolatry (unrepentant sinning)
2.) So that GOD could destroy their works (the works of the devil, similarly in 1 John 3:8).
But the LORD is also telling us that this type of living breaks HIS heart, HE is “broken with their whorish heart”. GOD feels deeply and HE has emotions too.
These righteous judgements (reasonings) and judgement (execution of judgement) didn’t stop at the cross of Christ. GOD doesn’t change and we have evidence that this continues into the New Testament Covenant as well.
The Wrath of GOD
Romans 1:18
“For the wrath of GOD is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men,
who hold the truth in unrighteousness”
The only people who “hold the truth” are GOD’s born again children who have received HIS Holy Spirit; because it is only through HIS Holy Spirit that HE reveals HIS truth to us; without it we wouldn’t understand HIS truth much less hold it (have it and know it).
Ephesians 5:6
“Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things
cometh the wrath of GOD
upon the children of disobedience.”
Colossians 3:6
“For which things’ sake
the wrath of God cometh
on the children of disobedience”
GOD’s Brokenness
Here are the only other scriptures I have found (so far) that come close to communicating GOD’s broken heart spoken of in Ezekiel 6:9…
Ephesians 4:30
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…”
1Thessalonians 5:19
“Quench not the Spirit.”
We are sealed with GOD’s Holy Spirit as long as we continue in keeping HIS covenant of salvation through continuing confession, repentance, forgiveness and resisting sin. This is called walking after the Spirit and it’s called being led by the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now
no condemnation to them
which are IN Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.”
If we are walking after the flesh, this no longer applies to us; we are in condemnation. This is a conditional statement.
If we are unrestrained and continuing to live in unrepentant sinning, we are walking after the flesh and we are not IN Christ, we are not living IN Him and He is not living IN us…the Holy Spirit gets quenched (stopped/put out/departs). This can still be remedied if we haven’t gone past GOD’s mercy. We don’t have to remain in that state of sin, of uncleanness and of unrighteousness which means unforgiven by GOD. We can sincerely return to HIM through keeping HIS covenant again.
1John 2:1-2
“My little children,
these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not.
AND IF ANY MAN SIN,
we have an advocate with the FATHER,
Jesus Christ the righteous:
And He is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1John 1:9
“If we confess our sins,
HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
2John 1:8-9
“Look to yourselves,
that we lose not those things
which we have wrought,
but that we receive a full reward.
Whosoever transgresseth,
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ,
hath not GOD.
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the FATHER and the Son.”
A few more areas of the Bible to consider too:
Ezekiel 24:13-14
“In thy filthiness is lewdness:
because I have purged thee,
and thou wast not purged,
thou shalt not be purged
from thy filthiness any more,
till I have caused MY FURY
to rest upon thee.
I the LORD have spoken it:
it shall come to pass,
and I will do it;
I will not go back,
neither will I spare,
neither will I repent;
according to thy ways,
and according to thy doings,
shall they judge thee,
saith the Lord GOD.”
2Peter 2:13-22
“And shall receive the reward
of unrighteousness,
as they that count it pleasure
to riot in the day time.
Spots they are and blemishes,
sporting themselves with their own deceivings
while they feast with you;
Having eyes full of adultery,
and that cannot cease from sin;
beguiling unstable souls:
an heart they have exercised
with covetous practices;
cursed children:
WHICH HAVE FORSAKEN the right way,
and are gone astray,
following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,
who loved the wages of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS;
But was rebuked for his INIQUITY:
the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice
forbad the madness of the prophet.
These are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with a tempest;
to whom the mist of darkness
is reserved for ever.
For when they speak
great swelling words of vanity,
they allure through the lusts of the flesh,
through much wantonness,
those that were clean escaped
from them who live in error.
While they promise them liberty,
they themselves are the servants of corruption:
for of whom a man is OVERCOME,
OF THE SAME IS he BROUGHT IN BONDAGE.
For if AFTER THEY HAVE ESCAPED
the pollutions of the world
through the knowledge
of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled therein,
AND OVERCOME,
the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning.
For it had been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness,
than, after they have known it,
TO TURN FROM THE HOLY COMMANDMENT
delivered unto them.
But it is happened unto them
according to the true proverb,
The dog is turned to his own vomit again;
and the sow that was washed
to her wallowing in the mire.”
The same man who said we were under grace and not under the law of sin and death (“the wages of sin is death”) also said this in the same book two chapters later TO THE VERY SAME PEOPLE:
Romans 8:13-14
“For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body,
ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of GOD,
they are the sons of GOD.”
And even more powerfully connected is what the Apostle Paul said just after saying that born again covenant keepers were under grace:
Romans 6:14-16
“For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.
What then? shall we sin,
because we are not under the law,
but under grace?
GOD FORBID.
Know ye not,
that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
WHETHER OF SIN UNTO DEATH,
or of obedience unto righteousness?”
If we sin, we are serving Satan.
If we sin, we are of Satan.
If we are serving Satan, we belong to Satan.
If we belong to Satan, we are his children.
If we are Satan’s children, we don’t have GOD’s hedge of protection that only HIS children can have through the promises of HIS covenant of salvation.
If we are Satan’s children, we will inherit eternal damnation (complete death and destruction).
If we fully obey GOD, we are righteous.
If we are righteously serving GOD, we are HIS servants.
If we are serving GOD, we are of GOD.
If we are GOD’s servants, we belong to HIM.
If we belong to GOD, we are HIS children.
If we are GOD’s children we have all of HIS promises.
If we are GOD’s children we will inherit eternal life.
We get to choose WHOM or whom we serve.
This is a daily choice.
This is a moment by moment choice.
Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth
to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing:
THEREFORE CHOOSE LIFE,
that both thou
and thy seed may live.”
Joshua 24:15-24
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD,
choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods
which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.
And the people answered and said,
GOD forbid that we should forsake the LORD,
to serve other gods;
For the LORD our GOD,
HE it is that brought us up
and our fathers out of the land of Egypt,
from the house of bondage,
and which did those great signs in our sight,
and preserved us in all the way
wherein we went,
and among all the people
through whom we passed:
And the LORD drave out from before us
all the people, even the Amorites
which dwelt in the land:
therefore will we also serve the LORD;
for HE is our GOD.
And Joshua said unto the people,
Ye cannot serve the LORD:
for HE is an HOLY GOD;
HE is a jealous GOD;
HE will not forgive
your transgressions nor your sins.
IF YE FORSAKE THE LORD,
and serve strange gods,
then HE will turn and do you hurt,
and consume you,
after that HE hath done you good.
And the people said unto Joshua,
Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
And Joshua said unto the people,
Ye are witnesses against yourselves
that ye have chosen you the LORD,
to serve HIM.
And they said,
We are witnesses.
Now therefore put away, said HE,
the strange gods which are among you,
and incline your heart unto the LORD GOD of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua,
The LORD our GOD will we serve,
and HIS voice will we obey.”