Grief over Sin
Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” Ezekiel 9:3-4
I recently saw a video of a man in America called Kenneth Mcdonald who had spent 29 years in prison for various serious crimes. During the end of his sentence, he was in his cell with his cellmate and, without the door opening, a man walked into his cell; in fact, he walked through the wall. He held what looked like a clipboard and pen and was looking at both cellmates and writing on his clipboard. The cellmates both saw him and were terrified. When the man left, they agreed not to tell anyone what they'd seen.
A year later, to the day, Kenneth was in his cell and, without any warning, he suddenly slumped down and died. He ended up in hospital where the medics tried to bring him back. He was gone for 20 minutes. During that time he had a Near Death Experience where he visited both hell and heaven. Coming back to life, against all the odds, he found that he was unable to go back to his old life. The prison chaplain eventually concluded that he'd been filled with the Holy Spirit.
Kenneth gave his life to Christ. He was released from prison soon afterwards on parole, started going to church, and now preaches the gospel. He regularly tells his testimony, and he was asked who he thought the man was who had suddenly appeared in his cell. Having now read the Bible many times, Kenneth believes he was the man clothed in linen, with a writing kit at his side, who is mentioned in Ezekiel 9. His job was to go round the city documenting those who grieve over sin. God was bringing judgement on the city but those who lamented over sin would be spared. In verse 6 of this chapter, we read that God told him to start in the sanctuary.
As I watched Kenneth's testimony, this part of his story really stayed with me. It made me wonder, how much do I grieve over the sin of the world, of the nation, of the town... of me. It pulled me up short and really challenged me. Would that scribe mark me down as someone who laments over sin, over wickedness, over injustice, over inhumane treatment? The scribe began his work in the sanctuary which is a rather sobering thought.
Prayer is a mix of all kinds of things: praise, adoration, listening to God, confession, intercession, meditation and thanksgiving. Confession is just one part of our prayer life but it does need to be in the mix. Our prayer this week starts with a lament for sin in the church and in the world, but then moves on to praise and thank God that Jesus made a way for sin to be dealt with and for us to know forgiveness and mercy.
Prayer
Father, what an amazing account of how you intervened in Kenneth’s life. Lord he’d been going down the wrong path for many years, and we thank you so much for showing him the truth and turning his life upside down, in a good way. Lord we don’t have a testimony like that, but thank you for the way you broke into our lives and turned us around. As Kenneth saw that scribe who was searching for those grieving over sin, we pray that we wouldn’t just be sorry for our own sin but lament over it.
We also think of our town and our nation. Lord so many decisions made go against the wisdom found in the Bible. We know that you’re calling the Church to make a stand against these things, and we pray for the boldness and courage to speak for you. You long for us to flourish in our lives here on earth and be prepared for our lives in heaven.
We praise you Father for the way in which you’ve strategically placed us – in Christ Church, in our home, in our road, in our school, in our workplace, in our activities. As we lament over these areas of our lives where there is no seeking after you, we thank you that you have provided a way for our sin to be dealt with. Thank you for your Son, Jesus, who took all our sin in his body on the cross. It’s been dealt with once and for all, as we turn in repentance and faith to you. Help us not to be judgemental as we come across those struggling with sin, but come alongside so that we can encourage and help each other live lives worthy of you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Liesel Stanbridge
Prayer Co-ordinator