Ezekiel 11:23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
Neither Geographical nor Genealogical
Perhaps two of my greatest interests are geography and history. To be specific, I love to travel and I love the stories of the places that I visit. My first question when I meet a new person is, “Where are you from?” That means something to me. I do that subconsciously because I am fascinated by the history of places and of people.
Now, this interest of mine can be excessive if it takes the place of a vibrant relationship with God. How might this happen? Well, actually it is pretty easy. In the day of the prophet Ezekiel, God’s people had been divided between those who were in Jerusalem, the remnant who had been left behind after the conquest of the Chaldeans, and those who had been deported, like Ezekiel, into the land of captivity.
Those who remained in Jerusalem had a superior attitude because they were in God’s city, Jerusalem. They had the holy temple, and God’s presence was with them. Not only did this make them feel smug and entitled, it also made them look down on people who weren’t so blessed to live in their holy city.
God said to Ezekiel, “The inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.” In other words, they had this attitude that they were the favored people of God because they were still in Jerusalem, God’s land. Others had been deported to Babylon, so they were not as important in God’s hierarchy as those remaining in Jerusalem.
Verse 16 says, “Therefore say, Thus saith the LORD God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.” Essentially, God was saying, “You let both the captives and the remnant in Jerusalem know that I am the sanctuary; it is not a place. I am with My people whenever they are with me in their hearts.”
You know, you are as close to God as you want to be. Your history or geography doesn’t matter. Your relationship to God is not geographical nor is it genealogical. In fact, the Bible tells us here in Ezekiel that the glory of God went from the temple and left town.
While the captives had departed from Jerusalem, so had the glory of God. There was no reason for those in Jerusalem to remain smug. God had said He would remain as close to the captives far from the temple as He was to those who remained in Jerusalem so long as they were living in obedience to Him.
It doesn’t matter how wonderful or poor your upbringing was. What is important is your relationship with God right now. Your relationship to God is not geographical or genealogical; it is a choice you make every day. When you realize this, you will realize that you are as close to God as you want to be.