Theological Commentary: Click Here
As famous as
vivid as Ezekiel 37 is, Ezekiel 38 is foreign and unknown. In this chapter, God speaks about an unknown
land called Magog. We don’t really know where
this land is. Various Christian writers
throughout time have associated Gog and Magog with the current enemy of their
civilization. Gog and Magog have been
associated with Rome, the Huns, the Scythians, the peoples of Russia, etc.
Because the
symbols are so hard to identify, this chapter is hard to understand. What is the point? What is God trying to teach us?
I think
there are two lessons we can glean from this chapter. First, there will be rebellion against God
and His people. The world will resist
God and His followers. The world will
rise up against Him and His ways. It’s unfortunate. It’s also with the free will of the people who
desire to rebel. It’s a sad reality of
humanity.
More
importantly, notice why the rebellion take place. The people of Magog see the followers of God
as an easy target. They look to plunder
the undefended places. We learn hear
that there is no honor among thieves.
People who are going to rebel against God will also take advantage of
others. People who are bent on rebellion
won’t have respect for anyone outside of their own frame of reference.
I see this
all over the place. We live in a culture
that is all about me. The modern world
is losing its ethic, losing its honor, and losing communal value. People will take advantage of others. Rebellion still lives in the hearts of
humanity.
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