The Jews living in Jerusalem during the time of Ezekiel faced opposition from an enemy intent on destroying Jewish culture and possessing the land of Israel. Those who survived deportation were barely able to withstand the assault of Babylon and tried to encourage themselves with motivational pep talks...
“Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land, but we are many; surely the land has been given to us for a possession,” (Ezekiel 33.24-26 NET).
The rationale went like this: “There are no secrets of success here. If Abraham could do it, so can we.” However, Israel’s inhabitants failed to correctly discern what they saw in the mirror. No matter what they said to the contrary, the nation was anything but “successful, powerful, handsome, happy.” It takes more than saying the right kind of things. It takes being the right kind of person. Circumstances, even negative ones, may be God-ordained to help us become that person.
