When I say to the wicked, 'You wicked person, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. – Ezekiel 33:8

Today's Scripture Reading (August 16, 2023): Ezekiel 33

Laws are interesting realities in human life. And some laws, like the laws of nature, simply happen. If I drop a coin off a tall tower, the forces acting on that coin as it tumbles toward the earth are consistent. Every time I drop the coin, the coin behaves in a specific way according to the laws of nature. If all the conditions remain the same, including windspeed and the way the coin is dropped, the result will be the same. Nature's laws don't change according to our interpretation of the law, and what happens once will always occur as long as the circumstances remain stable. 

Human laws aren't quite so set. My first brush with the law was for a speeding infraction on a highway as I was heading into the city for a night with friends. I was a teenager at the time, and it was a significant moment for me. That first brush with the law did not result in a ticket, although admittedly, others have. But that first circumstance resulted in grace given to me by the officer. He left me with a warning. Don't speed, or the next time you will receive a fine. Actually, my most recent brush with the law, for rolling through a stop sign, also resulted in a warning. The officer commented that my driving record revealed that I was a good driver, and good driving should have consequences, so he decided not to give me a ticket. In both cases, I admittedly didn't complain. I was happy to receive grace instead of a fine.

Human laws are like that. The lawgiver is not the one who imposes the penalty. That task is given to mediators, who decide whether punishment is required or whether grace should be given. And most of us have received both the penalty and the grace.

God's laws are also subject to mediators. And according to Ezekiel, that is where a portion of God's grace lies; with the mediators. When God's law has been broken, his mediator is to give a warning. It is the grace of the moment. The penalty has not been incurred yet, but if the behavior continues, then there will be a reaction to our wrongdoing. But for now, there is a moment of grace. The warning becomes a pause between the violation of the law and the prescribed punishment. It is a chance for the guilty to change their behavior.

But God goes a step further and tells Ezekiel that if his mediator chooses not to extend that moment of grace, the punishment will come on the guilty, but God will hold the mediator responsible. We will share in the guilt because we have heard the warning of God but chose not to extend the grace of the warning and have allowed the guilty to fall into their punishment without a chance to change their behavior. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34