Ezekiel 25 to 27 You can almost hear God’s voice echoing those words! He observes and hears the nations around his beloved Judah saying how much they hate Judah. Then when he pronounces His discipline on Judah He doesn’t hear; oh so sorry BUT now is our time to take their land and the riches left behind. They, like many today, hated that God chose Judah and not them. They were boastful when the Babylonians were allowed to discipline them. They had scoffed at Judah, hated them and sought to destroy them. Today we hear such words as “we will wipe them off the map.”  It is time to be reminded of God’s promise to Abraham and the warning from James:

“And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” [Gen 12]

“But as it is, you boast about your arrogant plans. All such boasting is evil.” [James 4]

We remember the parable of the prodigal son as a reminder that we have a choice. We can hate or love. The father loved his errant child as much as he loved the older son. And when the errant child came home from his foray into the world, he did not ask to be forgiven, but the father did. The older son, like the nations around Judah, turned and scoffed. He would not welcome him home or celebrate his return. He hated his brother. And so God is saying to the older brother and to us: “I am sick of all this hate!”

What will God hear us say?