The City Of Blood

THE CITY OF BLOOD

And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Ezekiel 22:2

Ezekiel 22:1-31 is the classic prophetic text. It seems as if all the woes and sins of Israel are summarized and surveyed in this one chapter. All that the other prophets spoke about prior to the exile are summarized once more by Ezekiel: bloodshed, idolatry, ritual impurity, sexual immorality, oppression of the poor, Sabbath-breaking, extortion, profaning of holy things (irreligion or impiety), contempt for authority, false prophecy, corrupted priesthood and incompetent leadership.

This is a picture of the ripple effects of turning away from God; this is the corruption and ruin of the city of man. It begins with personal sins of omission and backsliding. This affects families and communities (vv. 7, 8). Then the religious community (the church) is defiled. Finally, the “City” (society) is torn by anarchy and violence. The basic parameters set forth in Genesis 1 and 2 are deconstructed and “the way of Cain” (Genesis 4) results in human misery.

These realities are not just perceived by the deeply spiritual or the faithful church people in our nation. They form the very bedrock of human society: Our covenant with one another as a people. On January 6, 1941, just two month after his election to the Presidency and one year prior to entrance into World War II by the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his most famous speech. It was his State of the Union Address before the assembled government. In this address, FDR outlined what has now become part of the American mystique. What he said is now part of the American psyche and has become known as “The Four Freedoms.” Here are his actual words:

In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression –everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way— everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor —anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called “new order” of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb. To that new order we oppose the greater conception —the moral order.²⁰

These four freedoms have been immortalized in four paintings by Norman Rockwell. Freedom of speech is depicted by a New England working man standing to speak his mind in a town hall meeting. Freedom of worship is pictured by the busts of four or five people of different faiths all bowed in prayer. Freedom from want is portrayed as a Thanksgiving dinner with grandparents serving three generations assembled around a table of the traditional turkey dinner. And Freedom from Fear is artistically rendered as a mom and dad checking on their children, sound asleep and safely in their bed. They are heart rending, tender and vivid pictures of the common blessings of grace.

Do we stretch the point of Ezekiel 22 by imposing on it a president’s speech and an artist’s imagination? I think not. As the people of God pursue God’s Will and try to apply God’s Word to all of life––community life, commerce, church and family––all of society is blessed. Why else would Jesus refer to us as “salt and light?” Surely not merely for evangelistic purposes! Indeed, the apostle Paul wrote to Titus that such pursuit of God’s Will and Word was good for all men, women and children in society. Please read Titus 3:8.

As the Church goes, so goes the City. Hence the admonition of King Solomon: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain; unless the Lord watches over the City, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). And Jeremiah tells the exiles in Babylon: “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).

If the City becomes “the bloody city” then it is only because the Church has become unclean. As the Church is repentant, revived, and reformed, the City is restored to God’s grace and blessing. As the Church goes so goes the City.

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

AC: Many of our General Assembly Committees and Agencies will be meeting during these days of prayer in preparation for the Assembly. Ask that these committees will accomplish their work with effectiveness and efficiency.

CTS: Pray for students in Covenant Seminary’s Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program as they prepare to bring the hope of the Gospel to troubled people and hurting families; may they be a means of grace to the broken-hearted.

MTW: Pray for Paul Kooistra, MTW coordinator. Ask God to give him wisdom, insight and encouragement.

RUM: Please pray for the Coordinator for Reformed University Ministries, Rod Mays. Pray for wisdom and direction in his leadership of RUM as he seeks to assist the presbyteries and churches in providing college ministry for the PCA.

RBI: Please pray for the spiritual growth of RBI staff members as they are challenged in their faith while serving in their various jobs.