12/14/10
Dear Jehovah God,
When You would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, and the evil deeds of Samaria, for we deal falsely; the thief enters in, bandits raid outside.
In our filthiness is lewdness. Because You would have cleansed us, yet we are not clean, we will not be cleansed from our filthiness again, until You have spent Your wrath on us.
All of us are stubbornly rebellious, going about as a talebearer. We are bronze and iron; we, all of us, are corrupt. The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, but the wicked are not separated. We call the wicked rejected silver, because You have rejected them.
Am I rejected silver? Have You rejected me? I am stubbornly rebellious, going about as a talebearer. I am bronze and iron. I am corrupt. Are You rejecting me? I deserve it. I am a worthless fellow.
“Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’” Is this Your indignation?
Thus Your anger will be spent, and You will satisfy Your wrath on us, and You shall be appeased; then we will know that You, Jehovah, have spoken in Your zeal when You have spent Your wrath upon us.
Therefore, You indeed shall deal in wrath. Your eye will have no pity nor shall You spare; and though we cry in Your ears with a loud voice, yet You shall not listen to us.
Dear Jehovah my God, why, who will You be appeased? Are You not God – Omniscient, Omnipotent, Sovereign?
Who are You that You have eyes or show pity? Who are You that You have ears or listen to us? Why does Your Word Anthropomorphize You and Anthropopathy You? You are relating to us in human terms by personifying Yourself to us. You are relating human character and human form and human emotion to us and even then, we do not know.
What shall You do with us, O Ephraim? What shall You do with us, O Judah? For our loyalty is like a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes away early. Amen, Amen, and Amen.