God's Reputation

 

Ezekiel 20:9 I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

All through the history of the Jews up until Ezekiel’s time, the Jews had seen God perform miracles on their behalf. 

From their salvation from famine through Joseph, to their deliverance from the Egyptians army at the Red Sea, to the conquest of the Promised Land, they and all the nations around them had seen the power of God on display in sometimes unexplainable events, and always in miraculous events. 

Because of that, it was especially grievous to God that His people Israel turned to idols rather than worship of Him, the only true God. They deserved punishment.

At least four times here in chapter 20, God says He spared the Israelites – He did not destroy them, but “merely” punished their sinfulness – so as to maintain His reputation among the Gentiles. 

As I think about that, I can see God doing the same thing now, in my generation. 

Amid all the wickedness in the world today, when even some who name the name of Christ fail to live it out in their lives, we still see God’s power displayed in miraculous events, unexplainable occurrences that leave people marveling. 

When someone is cured with no medical explanation,

     when a life is spared in some miraculous way,

          when a life is protected unexplainably.

 God is keeping His good reputation alive for all to see and acknowledge. Sometimes it just cannot be explained away, and it is then that even the unbeliever must stop and be amazed at the power of God.

God's reputation remains intact.