God's Reputation

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. [Ezekiel 36.22] 

Sometimes God alters the course of history just for the sake of His own name. It's not about what anyone deserves, but about God Himself.

Hmm.

If God's people do not line up with Him, He will simply proceed to protect the honor of His reputation regardless because godless people are watching. In other words, God will, at some point, allow blessings on His own wayward people just so godless people don't think or talk bad about Him.

As many times as I have read this and thought I understood it, the significance of what it says could explain a lot in our day and age. God has a reputation that He protects. And yet, even Moses understood this long before Ezekiel's day:

But Moses tried to pacify the LORD his God. “O LORD!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. [Exodus 32.11-14]

Joshua even employed this method in interceding with God for His people:

For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?” [Joshua 7.9]

So yes, sometimes God alters the course of history just for the sake of His own name. It's not about what anyone deserves, but about God Himself. Is this not precisely what Jesus Christ is all about? The world did not and does not deserve Jesus, but God sent Him anyway. God protected His reputation as a loving God by giving Jesus even though no one deserved Him.

God will always do right. And, God will always do right by His own name. Jesus proved it.

Father, with all the godless stuff going on across the world today, I appeal to Your reputation. May the honor of Your name be preserved even among people who don't deserve it - myself included. May Your name - and particularly the name of Jesus - be exalted. So be it.