Grantsdale Community Church
2026-02-15 God's Justice and Mercy
  • What is July 4th, 1776?
    Independence Day right?
    We know that because it’s an important time in history. It’s a wonderful day in history that we fondly celebrate every year.
    What about December 7, 1941?
    It was the day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. A dark day in our nation’s history that marks the first of only a few rare occasions where we have been attacked by enemies on our own soil. We mark it on our calendars and teach it to future generations so history won’t repeat itself.
    What part do you think God played in those two historic days?
    Was God pronouncing some kind of judgment upon England when America won its independence in 1776?
    Was God providing mercy to the world 1941?
    Roosevelt was trying to stay neutral and not get involved in the war. Without America entering the war at that time we might all be speaking German or Japanese right now.
    Sometimes God’s sovereignty is that He just allows things to happen in this broken world.
    We’re going to be in Ezekiel chapter 24 today if you have your Bibles and want to follow along.
    On January 15, 588 BC, the very day many theologians and historians have concluded, the king of Babylon laid seige to Jerusalem. It’s a day the prophet Ezekiel was told to write down. He was to preserve it so the Israelites would remember that horrible day.
    Ezekiel 24:1–2 CSB
    1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month: 2 “Son of man, write down today’s date, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
    The Israelites have been warned over and over again that their sins were going to bring judgment upon them. He pleaded with them to repent and be restored.
    God provides perfect justice and perfect mercy, offering hope even amidst judgment, reminding us that He desires restoration over condemnation.
    God demands justice for our sin, but in His mercy we have hope for restoration and reconciliation by affirming three facts about God’s character.
    Affirm God’s Just Judgment
    Affirm God’s Authority
    Affirm God’s Mercy
    The Jewish people became prideful in their status as God’s chosen people. In their pride they forgot that everyone, including them, must face God’s perfect justice.
    We can see the same problem today. To be called Christian has become a cheap label anyone can place upon themselves. And in far too many cases upon doing so they claim the moral high ground.
    We must be humble before God and acknowledge that God demands perfect justice. We must accept and affirm God’s justice.

    Affirm God’s Just Judgment

    In verses 3-14 God tells Ezekiel to speak a parable to the rebellious house. The rebellious house is in reference to the Jewish leaders still in Jerusalem.
    The parable contains three parts where each begins with “this is what the Lord GOD says:.” For the sake of time, and your sanity, I’m only going to read the first part and the last part.
    We find the first part in verses 3-5,
    Ezekiel 24:3 CSB
    3 Now speak a parable to the rebellious house. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Put the pot on the fire— put it on, and then pour water into it!
    Ezekiel 24:4–5 CSB
    4 Place the pieces of meat in it, every good piece— thigh and shoulder. Fill it with choice bones. 5 Take the choicest of the flock and also pile up the fuel under it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.
    The use of cooking pots relates back to chapter 11 where these same Jewish leaders, whom God calls a rebellious house, were boasting that they, the Jews left in Jerusalem, were better than the Jews carted off by Babylon.
    The Jerusalem Jews were the good pieces of meat, the choicest of the flock. The Jews carted off to Babylon were just the scraps!!
    Now, Ezekiel is using the vocabulary of the Jewish leaders against them.
    The Jews in Jerusalem were the good pieces of meat, the thigh and shoulder, and Jerusalem is God’s pot. The fuel under the pot cooking the bones is Babylon.
    Much of the second part, verse 6-8, is repeated in the third part verses 9-14
    Ezekiel 24:9–10 CSB
    9 “ ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I myself will make the pile of kindling large. 10 Pile on the logs and kindle the fire! Cook the meat well and mix in the spices! Let the bones be burned!
    Ezekiel 24:11–12 CSB
    11 Set the empty pot on its coals so that it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt inside it; its corrosion will be consumed. 12 It has frustrated every effort; its thick corrosion will not come off. Into the fire with its corrosion!
    Ezekiel 24:13 CSB
    13 Because of the depravity of your uncleanness— since I tried to purify you, but you would not be purified from your uncleanness— you will not be pure again until I have satisfied my wrath on you.
    Ezekiel 24:14 CSB
    14 I, the Lord, have spoken. It is coming, and I will do it! I will not refrain, I will not show pity, and I will not relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’ ”
    The Jews were making child sacrifices to their idol gods. Those sacrifices are the bloodshed that God calls a thick corrosion that will not come out.
    Only by melting the copper pot down with intense heat can the impurities be removed.
    These Jewish leaders were prideful and arrogant. In their delusion they expected God to protect them. They falsely believed, that no matter what, God wouldn’t allow His people to be killed and He surely wouldn’t let His temple in His holy city be destroyed.
    How many “Christians” believe something similar today?
    The church has made the forgiveness of sin far to easy, lacking any true repentance, and divine punishment is unimportant. A taboo topic that’s not allowed to be discussed.
    But, Peter tells us God’s judgment begins with His people.
    1 Peter 4:17 CSB
    17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
    And look at
    Hebrews 10:30 CSB
    30 For we know the one who has said, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people.
    Like the Jews in Ezekiels time, far too many people don’t accept the authority of God’s Word. I’m not even talking about society, I’m talking about people within the church itself. So called Christians.
    If we don’t accept the Word of God as our ultimate authority then how are we supposed to trust Him in our times of need. In times of suffering loss, hurt, and pain?

    Affirm God’s Authority

    Only those who accept God’s Word as authoritative over their lives can trust God in their suffering. When we know God’s judgment is always just, we also know God will bless us and/or others through our suffering.
    We see that in verses 15-24.
    Ezekiel 24:15–16 CSB
    15 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow.
    Ezekiel 24:17 CSB
    17 Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.”
    Ezekiel 24:18–19 CSB
    18 I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded. 19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”
    If you want an interesting study, read about the wives of the prophets in the Old Testament. Abraham lied twice about his wife (who went along with it) and found himself in trouble.
    Moses was criticized for the wife he chose. The prophet Isaiah married a prophetess who bore at least two sons whose names were signs to the people of Judah.
    Jeremiah wasn’t even allowed to have a wife as a sign of God’s impending judgment to come upon the Jews.
    Hosea’s wife became a prostitute and he had to buy her back from the slave market. Can you imagine the conversation that took place after that? What a tough time that must have been.
    In the modern church Hosea would have been kicked out of church leadership if not kicked out of the church altogether.
    But of all the prophets and their wives none paid a greater price than Ezekiel and his wife. And to top it all off Ezekiel wasn’t even allowed to weep or
    grieve openly over the tragic loss. He was only allowed to groan quietly!!
    What’s our first reaction when we are struck by horrific tragedy?
    We question why, right?
    Why did this happen Lord?
    Why do I have to suffer through this?
    Let’s be honest, we even feel like it’s completely unfair!
    We seek out the comforting solace and support of others. Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t weep, cry, grieve and seek the love and support of others.
    However, if we truly believe in God’s sovereign authority then our first reaction should be to trust God.
    God doesn’t always cause the tragedy that happens in our lives, sometimes He just allows it. Whether He causes it as in Ezekiel’s wife or He simply allows it to happen He has a purpose to be fulfilled in it.
    We see in verse 24 that God had a purpose in Ezekiel’s tragedy.
    Ezekiel 24:24 CSB
    24 Now Ezekiel will be a sign for you. You will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’
    Ezekiel’s wife was the delight of his eyes. Next to God she was the dearest desire of his heart. To the Jewish people, the temple was the pride of their power, the delight of their eyes, and the desire of their heart.
    The temple itself became what the Jews worshipped. The temple is what labeled them Jews, despite the horrific sins they were doing in the temple.
    Their identity was in the physical temple instead of God’s presence in the temple.
    The Jewish people had quit trusting in God alone, brought other idols, false gods, into the temple. And were even sacrificing the children God blessed them with. The temple and their idols became the source of their power and trust.
    Ezekiel’s wife didn’t die because of any gross negligent sin, rather God called her home for Ezekiel’s silent suffering to be an example to the Jewish people. His suffering was a lighted path pointing the Jewish people back to God.
    They weren’t supposed to grieve and moan over the loss of the temple, because the temple had become a blood stained den of sin that couldn’t be restored. Ezekiel’s suffering allowed the Jewish people to see God in and through him.
    God uses the tragedies and tough times in our own lives the same way He used the tragic death of Ezekiel’s wife. When we trust in God’s authoritative sovereignty in the midst of tragedy and suffering, we point others to Jesus Christ.
    God uses all of the suffering, tragedy and craziness in my life to show others Christ. I am able to relate to others who are going through similar situations and be a light in their darkness.
    Even as I’m walking through tough situations in my life people see how I handle it and make comments like, “I don’t know how you do it,” or “I would be a complete train wreck if I were in your shoes.”
    They ask how I am able to handle the tough times the way I do and it gives me an opportunity to point them to Christ. But God doesn’t just use our tragedy to point others to Christ.
    He also uses it to strengthen our faith, our trust in Him. Because of all those tragedies and tough situations in my life I have come to know God’s character so much more.
    God’s in control of all creation, in all places, all of the time. We can trust in God’s sovereign plan as He uses all of the ups and downs in all our lives to achieve His purpose.
    God may require justice, but He also provides mercy.

    Affirm God’s Mercy

    God’s perfect nature requires just judgment, but His perfect nature is balanced out in His mercy and grace.
    Look at verses 25-27
    Ezekiel 24:25 CSB
    25 “As for you, son of man, know that on that day I will take from them their stronghold—their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their hearts—as well as their sons and daughters.
    Ezekiel 24:26–27 CSB
    26 On that day a fugitive will come to you and report the news. 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to talk with him; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
    It’s important to understand here that Ezekiel has been speaking to the exiled Jews in Babylon, not the Jews who remained in Jerusalem. The bodies and bones of the Jews in Jerusalem were burned in the fires set to destroy Jerusalem and the temple.
    When Ezekiel first started His ministry God had shut his mouth. The only words Ezekiel has been allowed to speak from the time his ministry started until now were “this is what the Lord GOD says,” followed by the words God wanted him to say.
    Ezekiel’s ministry was supposed to point the remnant Jews in exile back to God. He had exposed the nation’s sins and announced their judgment. Now Ezekiel could once again speak freely as he felt led.
    God has now shifted the prophet’s ministry to show that despite disobedience, God still shows mercy. God’s mercy and restoration includes Gentile nations, including Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and exiled the Jewish people.
    His ministry now is to share God’s mercy and the hope of the kingdom yet to come. Repent and there’s hope of being restored to the future eternal kingdom yet to come.
    Roughly 600 years later God expressed His love for the world and made His mercy and grace fully known by sending His Son into the world to die on the cross for the sins of the entire world.
    The church, much like Israel 600 years before Christ, has been pushing a false belief God loves people so they are welcomed into the future kingdom with open arms.
    There are many who claim to be Christians, but openly live sinful lives while claiming to have a moral high ground. Any mention of their sins, and you’re labeled as a hateful bigot among other derogatory and dehumanizing labels.
    A 2025 poll shows that just 14% of self-described Christians have a theology of sin that’s biblically accurate. What’s even worse is a 2019 Pew Research Study that analyzed almost 50,000 sermons nationwide and found only 3% even mentioned sin.
    It’s only when we recognize God’s character requires He demand just judgment and when we affirm God’s ultimate sovereign authority and repent of our sins that we can affirm and trust in God’s mercy and grace.
    We all experience heartache and disappointment. The Lord is the only refuge where we can have freedom and comfort in those times.
    Ezekiel (IV. Life Application: Thomas Andrew Dorsey) Thomas Andrew Dorsey was an African-American jazz musician from Atlanta. In the 1920s he gained notoriety as the composer of jazz tunes with suggestive lyrics, but he gave all that up in 1926 to concentrate exclusively on spiritual music.
    “Peace in the Valley” is one of his best known songs.
    In 1932 the times were hard for Dorsey. Surviving the depression years as a working musician was no easy task. On top of that, his music was not accepted by many people. Some said it was much too worldly—“the devil’s music,” they called it.
    Many years later Dorsey could laugh about it. He said, “I got kicked out of some the best churches in the land.”
    But the real kick in the teeth came one night in St. Louis when he received a telegram informing him that his pregnant wife had died suddenly. Dorsey was so filled with grief that his faith was shaken to the core, but instead of wallowing in self-pity, he turned to the discipline he knew best—music.
    In the midst of the agony, he wrote the following lyrics: Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light; Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home
    Humbly affirm God’s just judgment, affirm God’s authority and affirm God’s mercy in repentance and unwavering faith, and we can trust in the hope of God’s grace.
    The more we do that, the more we know God’s character. The more we know God’s character the more we are comforted by Him in our hardest times.
    Let’s be the example to the world like Ezekiel and like Tom Dorsey in the best of times and in the hardest of times. Then we too can sing,
    Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light; Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home!

      • Ezekiel 24:1–2ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:3ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:4–5ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:9–10ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:11–12ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:13ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:14ESV

      • 1 Peter 4:17ESV

      • Hebrews 10:30ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:15–16ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:17ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:18–19ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:24ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:25ESV

      • Ezekiel 24:26–27ESV

Grantsdale Community Church
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