“There you shall remember your ways and all the deeds by which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed.” (Ezekiel 20:43, NRSV)
When I was young, there was a television commercial that hit home with me (shown above). The commercial was sponsored by the “Keep America Beautiful” non-profit group. It portrayed an American Indian man paddling his canoe in a river. As he came to shore, he saw the land was polluted with all manner of litter, from Styrofoam cups to discarded trash. As the American Indian looked upon beautiful America, a tear came to his eye. This beautiful land had been polluted by people who did not care for the environment nor protect the world from waste. The tears of that American Indian will forever be associated in my mind with thoughtless pollution of our God-blessed land.
When God created humankind, HE planned for them to have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). Created in God’s image, humanity was commanded to tend to this world. We were not created to trash and destroy the land and water. God brings life with creation. Pollution of our world leads to suffering, disease, and death. Even now, humanity suffers due to the pollution of our world. Nano-particles used in cosmetics have caused disease in fish. Chemicals dumped into the ocean wreak havoc with whole oceanic ecosystems. A floating “island” of garbage has been found in the Pacific Ocean called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”. It blocks the sunlight in a 620,000 square mile section of the sea, causing death and destruction wherever it goes. Chemicals in our food poison our bodies and lead to disease. Did you know that the environment in China has been so polluted and defoliated that to look good to the media, the Chinese Government goes out periodically to paint the landscape green in order to look natural? Yes, they spray green paint to cover plants that are withering and dying!
Though it is a terrible waste and seriously sinful to pollute the environment that God has given us, it also is shameful to pollute humanity with evil and idolatry and sin. As garbage needless tossed out pollutes the environment, so too evil can pollute your soul and the spiritual lives of all people. While many people associate pollution with accumulated trash and garbage, sadly people forget that spiritual and moral pollution can just as easily kill a soul or a whole community or even the earth.
In the scripture for today, God longs for the day when the people of Israel repent and return to Him. At the time this scripture was written, Israel had sinned greatly. Sin then caused the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. God spoke the words in Ezekiel 20:43 to remind Israel that in the future, they would remember that period of history as a time when “evils” committed by Israel “polluted” the land. Their sinful deeds caused God to punish them. War with Babylon was the inevitable result. God hoped to teach the people of Israel to “loathe” their pollution of body, Temple, land, and soul.
Have you ever been to a landfill or city dump? It stinks! The rotting of refuse causes an awful odor to be produced. When you are in the presence of that odor, you want to recoil, get away, cover your nose, and look for fresh air! In like manner, when God sees sin and evil, God recoils. A sinful life is odious to God. The pollution of the soul that evil brings upon a person causes sickness to the body and rotting of the spirit. That is why scripture teaches that we must be “made clean” by God through forgiveness and grace. That is why we use clean water for baptism. It is a symbol of the washing and cleansing of the body and soul and mind of those who are dedicated to Jesus.
Looking back upon Jesus’ life, one of the most spiritually polluted people at the time was Herod the Great, the King of Israel. Herod is well known for his building projects. He rebuilt whole sections of the Temple including the Western Wall, which still can be seen today. He built beautiful palace fortresses in Jerusalem and Masada. He built the huge man-made harbor dedicated to Caesar at Caesarea Maritima. He was a powerful man, not to be trifled with. He was a favorite of the Roman Curia. However, Herod also was a terrible human being. He murdered his family members. His lavish building projects impoverished thousands. He also is well-known in the gospels for his attempt to kill Jesus and his ordering the murder of all the infants in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:16).
Herod is a perfect example of a man with a soul polluted by evil deeds. What became of Herod the Great? History tells us that Herod died an “excruciating death”. Worms ate his intestines and genitals. Infections caused fevers and delusions. Some scientists believe that as Herod’s kidneys shut down, he developed Fournier’s gangrene. This caused portions of his body to die off slowly, causing terrible pain and suffering.
You might say that Herod died of terrible diseases. And you’d be right. However, long before Herod suffered so, his soul was greatly polluted by evil deeds. His treatment of the people, his disrespect for God and faith, his murderous rampages and rampant taxation all caused the pollution of his sacred soul. After polluting his life with evil deeds, Herod suffered with the pollution of his mind, then body, then country, then Temple. Not long after Herod’s death, the Temple was destroyed a second time. One might argue that the same spiritual and moral pollution that caused the destruction of the Temple during the time of Ezekiel caused the destruction of the Temple not long after the reign of Herod.
Beware the evils and sins of this world that can pollute your body, mind, and spirit. They have a way of destroying everything and everyone they touch.
Is there some area of your life that needs to be cleaned up? Is there a past sin that has left some garbage in your heart or mind? Let God cleanse your heart and soul and mind and body of any evil or sin lurking therein. Repent. Turn to the Lord. Pray to be made clean!
When God created humankind, HE planned for them to have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). Created in God’s image, humanity was commanded to tend to this world. We were not created to trash and destroy the land and water. God brings life with creation. Pollution of our world leads to suffering, disease, and death. Even now, humanity suffers due to the pollution of our world. Nano-particles used in cosmetics have caused disease in fish. Chemicals dumped into the ocean wreak havoc with whole oceanic ecosystems. A floating “island” of garbage has been found in the Pacific Ocean called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”. It blocks the sunlight in a 620,000 square mile section of the sea, causing death and destruction wherever it goes. Chemicals in our food poison our bodies and lead to disease. Did you know that the environment in China has been so polluted and defoliated that to look good to the media, the Chinese Government goes out periodically to paint the landscape green in order to look natural? Yes, they spray green paint to cover plants that are withering and dying!
Though it is a terrible waste and seriously sinful to pollute the environment that God has given us, it also is shameful to pollute humanity with evil and idolatry and sin. As garbage needless tossed out pollutes the environment, so too evil can pollute your soul and the spiritual lives of all people. While many people associate pollution with accumulated trash and garbage, sadly people forget that spiritual and moral pollution can just as easily kill a soul or a whole community or even the earth.
In the scripture for today, God longs for the day when the people of Israel repent and return to Him. At the time this scripture was written, Israel had sinned greatly. Sin then caused the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. God spoke the words in Ezekiel 20:43 to remind Israel that in the future, they would remember that period of history as a time when “evils” committed by Israel “polluted” the land. Their sinful deeds caused God to punish them. War with Babylon was the inevitable result. God hoped to teach the people of Israel to “loathe” their pollution of body, Temple, land, and soul.
Have you ever been to a landfill or city dump? It stinks! The rotting of refuse causes an awful odor to be produced. When you are in the presence of that odor, you want to recoil, get away, cover your nose, and look for fresh air! In like manner, when God sees sin and evil, God recoils. A sinful life is odious to God. The pollution of the soul that evil brings upon a person causes sickness to the body and rotting of the spirit. That is why scripture teaches that we must be “made clean” by God through forgiveness and grace. That is why we use clean water for baptism. It is a symbol of the washing and cleansing of the body and soul and mind of those who are dedicated to Jesus.
Looking back upon Jesus’ life, one of the most spiritually polluted people at the time was Herod the Great, the King of Israel. Herod is well known for his building projects. He rebuilt whole sections of the Temple including the Western Wall, which still can be seen today. He built beautiful palace fortresses in Jerusalem and Masada. He built the huge man-made harbor dedicated to Caesar at Caesarea Maritima. He was a powerful man, not to be trifled with. He was a favorite of the Roman Curia. However, Herod also was a terrible human being. He murdered his family members. His lavish building projects impoverished thousands. He also is well-known in the gospels for his attempt to kill Jesus and his ordering the murder of all the infants in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:16).
Herod is a perfect example of a man with a soul polluted by evil deeds. What became of Herod the Great? History tells us that Herod died an “excruciating death”. Worms ate his intestines and genitals. Infections caused fevers and delusions. Some scientists believe that as Herod’s kidneys shut down, he developed Fournier’s gangrene. This caused portions of his body to die off slowly, causing terrible pain and suffering.
You might say that Herod died of terrible diseases. And you’d be right. However, long before Herod suffered so, his soul was greatly polluted by evil deeds. His treatment of the people, his disrespect for God and faith, his murderous rampages and rampant taxation all caused the pollution of his sacred soul. After polluting his life with evil deeds, Herod suffered with the pollution of his mind, then body, then country, then Temple. Not long after Herod’s death, the Temple was destroyed a second time. One might argue that the same spiritual and moral pollution that caused the destruction of the Temple during the time of Ezekiel caused the destruction of the Temple not long after the reign of Herod.
Beware the evils and sins of this world that can pollute your body, mind, and spirit. They have a way of destroying everything and everyone they touch.
Is there some area of your life that needs to be cleaned up? Is there a past sin that has left some garbage in your heart or mind? Let God cleanse your heart and soul and mind and body of any evil or sin lurking therein. Repent. Turn to the Lord. Pray to be made clean!
The Uplifting video for today is a look at How to improve Your Prayer Life....click below to view it!