“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezek 13.20-23).

In the middle of that criticism of the false prophets, Ezekiel declares that one consequence of the ministry of false prophets is that they make the righteous sad.

The righteous delight to hear the word of God. They look for encouragement in times of trial. They find great and glorious promises from God for all their circumstances. They do not object to God highlighting their faults, for they know He is quick to forgive. They know His desire is to develop the very character of Christ in them.

False prophets miss the divine priorities. They neglect what God emphasizes. They emphasize minor points. The result is criticism of the faithful, confusion, self-promotion, and much more. Elsewhere the Old Testament prophets speak of the sheep being scattered instead of being gathered together.

False prophets made the righteous sad. They still do!

Towards the end of his speech, Elihu advises Job; “listen to this, Job, stop and consider God’s wonders” (Job 37.14). In fact, the theme of the created order runs throughout the book of Job. And when the Lord enters the conversation in chapter 38, His major theme is creation, “where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38.4)

Job himself described the wonders of creation as “the mere edges of His ways” (Job 26.14). Almighty God wears a glorious garment, suitable for the Lord of all Creation. Yet creation itself is merely the hem of this garment.

Like the woman with the apparently unstoppable flow of blood, we are invited to touch the edge of His garment (Matt 9.21) and be made whole.

But there is so much more. Scripture speaks much of the natural creation, but to remain solely in the natural world and to wonder at it ultimately leaves us dissatisfied. God is Spirit and cannot be seen with natural eyes. There is so much more to know of God, of Father and Son and Spirit; of righteousness and redemption and adoption. There is a wonderful and eternal relationship to be enjoyed. (And ‘eternal’ refers to the quality of that relationship as well as its unending-ness.)

Like the Queen of Sheba, it is once we have met the Lord Himself (she met King Solomon) we declare that the half was not told us.

“At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord” (Gen 4.26).

It was always God’s intention that mankind enjoy fellowship with Him. Mankind was created in God’s image and so set apart from all other creatures. We were created to be like God and to be with God. Genesis chapter 1 includes specific promises and responsibilities reserved for mankind. We then read that Adam walked and talked with God in the garden. This is not said of the animals.

When that wonderful fellowship was broken and Adam and Eve cast out from the garden, barred from access to the tree of life, the story did not end there.

It is through the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that a new way of fellowship was born. The unique God-man established a glorious and endless relationship between God and mankind. He taught His followers to address God as Father, just as He did. This is a simple and powerful indication of this new fellowship.

Turning to the book of Revelation this original plan and intention is re-stated. “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them They will be His people and God Himself will be with them, and be their God” (Rev 21.3). The apostle John promises; “we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3.3). Glorious promises!