Today's Daily Lesson comes from Ezekiel chapter 27 verses 26 through 36:
So you were filled and heavily laden
in the heart of the seas.
26
Your rowers have brought you
into the high seas.
The east wind has wrecked you
in the heart of the seas.
27
Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
your mariners and your pilots,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
and all your warriors within you,
with all the company
that is with you,
sink into the heart of the seas
on the day of your ruin.
28
At the sound of the cry of your pilots
the countryside shakes,
29
and down from their ships
come all that handle the oar.
The mariners and all the pilots of the sea
stand on the shore
30
and wail aloud over you,
and cry bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads
and wallow in ashes;
31
they make themselves bald for you,
and put on sackcloth,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
with bitter mourning.
32
In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you,
and lament over you:
“Who was ever destroyed like Tyre
in the midst of the sea?
33
When your wares came from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34
Now you are wrecked by the seas,
in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew
have sunk with you.
35
All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you;
and their kings are horribly afraid,
their faces are convulsed.
36
The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.”
In 1957 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a sermon upon his return to America from a trip he had made to celebrate the nation of Ghana's independence from Great Britain. In the sermon, Dr. King spoke of being there as the Union Jack was replaced by the new Flag of Ghana. He also spoke of his stopover visit to Westminister Abbey upon his return, and the thoughts he had there in that beautiful Church whose beauty and wealth and the wealth of its country were built upon the back of colonial exploitation. Dr. King chided the Church for its complicity and failure to take a stand against exploitation and then ended the sermon with these powerful words contrasting the God of the universe with the Church of England:
"God comes in the picture even when the Church won’t take a stand. God has injected a principle in this universe. God has said that all men must respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, And if you don’t do that, I will take charge.' It seems this morning that I can hear God speaking. I can hear Him speaking throughout the universe, saying, 'Be still, and know that I am God. And if you don’t stop, if you don’t straighten up, if you don’t stop exploiting people, I’m going to rise up and break the backbone of your power. And your power will be no more!' And the power of Great Britain is no more. I looked at France. I looked at Britain. And I thought about the Britain that could boast, 'The sun never sets on our great Empire.' And I say now she had gone to the level that the sun hardly rises on the British Empire. Because it was based on exploitation. Because the God of the universe eventually takes a stand."
In this morning's Lesson the prophet Ezekiel gives a proclamation against another nation, Tyre. But it is really a proclamation to all. It is a proclamation to now. Like Dr. King's words, Ezekiel is saying, that "the God of the universe eventually takes a stand."
Let those with ears to hear help us all to understand; God will eventually take a stand.
NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. What a year to do so. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from Ezekiel chapters 28-30.
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