Red Tip of Grace
“and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”
Today’s Text: Ezekiel 9:1-11 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
The prophet Ezekiel receives a vision from God regarding the impending judgment on God’s people. Six men come forth with a weapon in their hand along with a seventh that is clothed in linen carrying a writing kit. The man with the linen cloth and writing kit is told to go throughout the city and mark those on the forehead of any individual that is mourning and grieving over the sin and idolatry in the city. This mark is an identification marker for their protection during the coming judgment. The remaining men are commanded to go and enact judgment on all those without the mark, beginning within the temple. The judgment comes upon God’s own people, beginning with those that were deemed as leaders of the temple.
Ezekiel is overwhelmed by what is taking place and falls on his face, crying out to the Lord on behalf of the people. He questions God and asks if God intended to destroy everyone. God responds that the people have committed great iniquity, the sin of idolatry against the Lord. Then we see the man with the linen cloth and the writing kit returning, stating that he has accomplished what was commanded of him to do.
I recall a time in my teenage years when my friends and I were outside at night, “shooting” each other with our BB guns. We were running around the neighborhood with these guns and came to the parking lot of a dentistry plaza on 235th and Crenshaw Blvd. Suddenly, a police car pulled into the parking lot plaza and shined his flashlight on us and told us to go home. Interestingly enough, the police officers didn’t seem alarmed by the guns that we were holding at all.
I come to find out later the reason why they didn’t seem to really care about the guns we were holding. When one that is trained with weaponry sees a BB gun that may look real but has a bright red/orange tip at the end, it automatically signals to them that this is a toy, not an actual gun. It isn’t a design or just for display, it’s a safety marker required by law to let others know this is not a real firearm. It is a law to protect people from potential misunderstandings and even dangerous situations.
Here in our devotion, we find that those who mourn with a repentant heart over the sin and idolatry of Jerusalem are marked on their foreheads. It was done as a safeguard for the people from the coming judgment. And just as the red/orange tip on a BB gun protects the person holding it, God’s mark on the forehead protects His people from judgment.
It reminds us that God’s mercy is always present for those who acknowledge sin and turn to Him. When we recognize our brokenness and seek God’s grace, we are “marked” by His mercy and set apart for His protection and restoration. The ultimate “mark” is through Jesus Christ, whose blood covers and marks us as His own. Through Jesus, we’re no longer seen as guilty or condemned but as forgiven and protected.
This is a great reminder for each and every one of us that when life feels overwhelming and we must face our failures, we can always reflect upon Christ’s mercy that already marked us ahead of time, shielding us, and inviting us into peace knowing God’s promises will be fulfilled. We do not have to fear judgment ever in our lives because Jesus has already taken it for us through His sacrifice on the cross. Being marked by Christ gives us the confidence that we are forever in God’s protection and under His sovereign grace daily.
