Read Ezekiel 11:12, "'Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.'"As you read the Old Testament, it is easy to see the folly of Israel. They continually stray away from the Lord, rebelling against the One who has done so much for them. When you read about their persistent disobedience, it's easy to roll your eyes and think, "not again!" How could anyone be so foolish? Don't they learn from their mistakes? While it's easy to look at the Israelites and criticize their stupidity and wickedness, I hope that you see that we are all just like them! Like the Israelites, we have seen God do amazing things. We'll be close to Him for a while, then eventually we'll become lazy and forgetful. Rather than dwelling on His goodness, we seek other worldly types of fulfillment and wander away from Him again and again. Ezekiel 11:12 was written as a prophecy for Israel, but I think that it is startlingly relevant to high school students today.
Ezekiel was a prophet to Israel. Israel had once again wandered away from the true God and engaged in rebellious acts such as idol worship. Ezekiel's message was one of judgment and rebuke to the Israelites for their sins, as well as one of future forgiveness and redemption for the repentant. The Israelites had disregarded God's law and broken His commandments again and again. They had deserted God to worship idols and had adopted the wickedness of the foreign nations.
I love the prophetic word of Ezekiel 11:12, because God pinpoints Israel's problem in a way that is very applicable to believers today. God says that Israel has no longer followed His ways and commandments but has instead acted like the pagan nations around them. God had called Israel to be set apart and different than all other nations, because Israel was God's chosen nation. God gave them many laws and requirements that they were to follow in order to be holy. In addition to the 10 commandments, there were food restrictions, lengthy rituals to be found clean, a sacrificial system, circumcision, etc. The purpose of all of this was to make Israel a nation set apart for God, completely unlike the foreign nations around them.
However, Israel chose to blend in with the nations around them instead of being set apart. At this point in their history, they were in exile and scattered among foreign nations. It was easier for them to follow God's law when they were in Israel, but now that they were surrounded by foreigners, the temptation to blend in was very strong.
I can't help but think of you high school students in your schools, sports teams, etc. You are mixed in with unbelievers all around you. As Christians, you have been called to be different, righteous, pure, and set apart. God has commanded you not to conform to the patterns of this world (Rom. 12:2) and to be holy like the Lord (1 Peter 1:16). I know that it is hard to stand out and be different than your peers, because all teenagers long to fit in. However, I would challenge you to refuse to fit in, no matter how difficult it is. Philippians 2:15 states, "so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Do you shine like a star in a dark place among other teenagers? I hope so!
