Life As a Sign of God
(Ezk 24:15-27)
Hebrew word mowpheth(מוֹפֵת) meaning sign refers to a mark that catches peoples eyes. To Christians, this testifies that the Lord is Jehovah through their bold application that the world never dreams of making. Through one person, living as His sign, God holds back the wind that blows over our prodigal sons wandering in the world away from our Father. How can we live this life as a sign of God?
1. The Word should come upon us. The best condition to get through the stormy world is having the Word come upon us every day. God used Ezekiel not only as a sign of destruction but also of hope. He also revealed himself to the people of Judah through Ezekiel, who followed the instruction of his Word even in the midst of sorrow and suffering. God told Ezekiel that he would take from Ezekiel the delight of his eyes, yet he should not lament or weep. Actually God asked Ezekiel for thorough self-negation so that he could live his life as a sign. Thus God also asks us for self-control to restrain our emotion and live such a life. Just as David asked God for the Israelites salvation, saying 'Let your hand fall upon me and my family,' Ezekiel also needed Gods hand falling upon him for his life to be a sign. To Ezekiel, this must have been a great suffering, yet he had to embrace this sacrificial mission with joy to save his people from sin.
2. We should follow the instruction of the Word. Ezekiel heard Gods instruction in the morning and he put it into practice in the evening a good example of application. Holiness means consecration, which calls for sacrifice: death. Gods calling also calls for sacrifice. This is a way of living a sign life. Hosea, the prophet of Israel, had to live with his wife Gomer, an adulterous woman, which was his death calling. Jeremiah, the prophet of Judah, also had his death calling living alone throughout his life. So it was Ezekiel, who lost his young wife but forbidden to lament or weep over it. Thus the way of living a sign life is to obey Gods instruction that we heard in the morning and put it into practice in the evening, giving away the delight of our eyes.
3. We need to empathize with others testimony. Its hard for us, the captives of the world to understand Ezekiels application. We dont care about others trial or testimony. Testimony is not always about survival. No one can say anything with certainty. After becoming a widow while I was still young, I began to feel for others suffering and testimony, taking them as my own. Then God came upon me, enabling me to answer the accusing questions of others around me. The best answer was the Word given to me every morning. God said to those who took Ezekiels suffering as none of their business, 'The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.' The goal of our life should be bringing up our spiritual heirs. For this purpose, we need to empathize with our children constantly. God also brought up Ezekiel as his heir and empathized with him, saying 'Live as you lay there in your blood.'(Ezk 16)
4. We need to have a sense of calling. Ezekiel had to pay a lot to be a sign for the Israelites. When the Israelites and their children fell by the sword, a fugitive came to Ezekiel and told him the news. Finally, Ezekiels mouth was opened. Likewise, we need a great deal of practicing silence until God opens our mouth in his time. Our prophetic calling is to testify how we interpreted and survived our tough situation. In a sense, Ezekiels life matches mine. As in Ezekiel 1, the heaven was opened to me, revealing the vision of God while I was an exile in my marriage. As in Ezekiel 2, I received Gods calling, who told me that people wouldnt listen to me. Then as in chapters 3 and 4, God made me sildent, caught in my household while bringing me up with his message. Up to chapter 7, I saw my detestable nature and looked back on my relationship with God. When God took my husband from me, I interpreted the incident with Ezekiel 18 through 24. From 25 on, God commanded me to share the gospel to the gentiles through my QT ministry. Finally, God led me to open Wooridle Church through the message of the heavenly temple in chapter 40 to 48. Then God gave us our mission to be a church where people see their sins. Everything was done according to the Word for our territory to be extended to the world. Thus we can live our sign life by sharing our trial as a healing herb, which turns our scars into stars by the Word. May God bless us, who come forward to Him, exhausted by the storm and earthquake of our life to restore our soul in the midst of disaster and live our new sign life!
'At that time your mouth will be opened you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.'(Ezk 24:27)
