Know That I Am God

Something struck me this morning as I was reading Ezekiel 6 & 7. The English Standard Version I am reading is divided into paragraphs. Just about every paragraph begins "Thus says the Lord God" and ends with "Then they will know that I am the Lord."

In between the saying and the knowing is God's pronouncement of disaster, destruction, doom, gloom, war, famine and disease. It struck me as sad that all this disaster had to happen for the people to turn back to God, to know Him as Lord.

I guess it's a good reminder of what's been true in my own life. When I compromise with sin and begin to do things that are not pleasing to God, it is easy to push Him away, to rationalize my sin and to do things that separate me from a Holy God. Often it is not until I have a "wake-up call", something happens that shakes me up, do I recognize how far off the path I have gone.

I was also having fun with the phrase by changing the emphasis:
THEN you will know that I am the Lord.
Then YOU will know that I am the Lord.
Then you will KNOW that I am the Lord.
Then you will know that I AM the Lord.
Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Actually every one is true - when the disaster strikes, THEN - my eyes are opened. When the disaster strikes, YOU - me personally. When the disaster strikes, KNOW - too bad it takes this sometimes to open my eyes to knowing. When disaster strikes, I AM the LORD - He is sovereign over all life, over every situation and wants to be sovereign over me.