Ezekiel 6:8

Ezekiel 6:8 says, Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.  Ezekiel said that God was going to save a remnant of the people of Israel from those who were scattered through the other nations.  This would be those who had repented for not putting their faith in Him and not just an arbitrary group that He chose to spare.  Faith God is always the key to being a part of those that He spares from everlasting punishment, and sometime those that do may be a small number.   

Verse nine adds, And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.  God told Ezekiel that this remnant would be scattered, but they would repent of the evil that they had done when following false gods and worshiping idols.  They were not spared from being taken captive physically, but they were no longer held captive by sin.  Matthew Henry states that God’s grace allows people time to repent, but they don’t always do so.  When we become a follower of Christ, it is because of the grace of God that we have the opportunity, but this doesn’t mean that we will never suffer physically.  The opposite is often true.  People sometimes suffer physically because of their faith in Christ.   

Verse ten continues, And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.  God said that people would know that He was God because He had caused or allowed this evil to come on them.   God has promised that those who do not accept His gift of salvation will one day be sent away to everlasting punishment, but those who do accept His gift of salvation will always know that He is God, even if we sometimes fail to obey Him.  We must always do our best to show the world that we believe in and worship God alone.    

Verse eleven states, Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.  Ezekiel was told to hit with his hand and stomp with his feet to represent God’s judgment of the sins of those who professed to be His people.  This would emphasize that Ezekiel believed what he was saying, according to Matthew Henry.  I  don’t believe that all preachers should be dramatic in their preaching, but they should all allow those that they are preaching or witnessing to see that they are sincere in what they believe.  I believe they should all preach with a Godly passion.     

Verse twelve adds, He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.  Ezekiel's message was not one of hope for the people of Israel.  Our message to the lost people off the world today should be one of hope, as it was for the remnant then, but it must also proclaim the truth that those who do not accept God’s gift of salvation which He made possible when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die to pay the penalty for our sins, then they are going to face everlasting punishment.   

Verse thirteen continues, Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.  God told Ezekiel that when people died where they had been worshipping false gods that they would know that He was God because the false gods did nothing to save them.  For them, this knowledge would come too late.  One day, every knee is going to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but for the vast majority, it will be too late.  They will know that God is God, but they will know it while being forever punished for the fact that they refused to acknowledge Him when they had a chance, just as the people of Israel who didn’t remain true to their covenant relationship with God and began to put their faith in other gods came to know this.  If a person does not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they are effectively putting their faith in some other god, even if it isn't a physical idol.   

Verse fourteen concludes, So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the Lord.  God said that He was going to make their land desolate.  It wasn’t some army that they needed to be concerned about, but it was the judgment of God.  We don't need to be concerned about the powers of the earth today, but we need to be concerned about the judgment of God, Who is all powerful.  One day, everyone will know that God is the only God, but for too many, it will be from the desolation of hell.