Name of God - Jehovah-Makkeh: The Lord Who Strikes
Jehovah-Makkeh: The Lord Who Strikes
Daily Verse: “I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. ‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.”
☆ Ezekiel 7:9 NIV
Let's Talk About It: As I was studying this name, I was given an unction to provide warning. I’m sure Ezekiel struggled with giving this word himself. Doom and gloom are never easy. Pointing out sin as a parent, teacher, or pastor is never comfortable. While we may get used to doing it, it’s a hard pill for many to swallow. With that being said, I hope to offer this pill with a refreshing glass of water by which to wash it down with.
In this chapter, the end has finally come. After hundreds of years of God telling His people that if they continue in sin they will surely die, the time has arrived; Nebuchadnezzar is on his way, judgment day is upon them. Ezekiel expresses that God has said, “It is I the Lord Who Strikes.” While the Israelites know Him as Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Nissi, and the like, they will soon learn that the is also Jehovah-Mekkeh.
The Hebrew word used for Lord here is YHWH. Kevin has discussed this previously, so I will not go over it again, however if you need a refresher, you may read more about it in our study of the name Jehovah-Jireh. The Hebrew word used here for strike is nakah (naw-kaw). However, the Masoretic Text (the traditional Hebrew text) spells the word Makkeh, hence why we use Makkeh rather than nakah. The Hebrew Strong’s dictionary states that it means to strike, to smite, to beat, to punish, to wound, and to slay. It may also mean to send judgment upon, punish, or destroy.
God used judges and prophets to warn His people of their destructive ways on multiple occasions before God uses Ezekiel to give the alert that judgment has come. He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, giving them many times to repent. Rather than do so, they continued in their “detestable practices.” What were their detestable practices? Pride and idolatry, first and foremost. During previous times by which God brought correction, the Israelites became more prideful, humbling themselves for a moment but then returning to their idols, surely thinking ‘I enjoy this. Why would God want me to give up something I enjoy anyway?’ Or perhaps they thought, ‘I don’t need to repent. I can do whatever I want because nothing happens after we die anyway.’ Or lastly, they could have thought, ‘I’ll repent later, I have time.’
God did give them plenty of time to repent. They were right about that. However, as with all things in life, a time comes when we can no longer run, when we reach the end of our road. This was the case for Israel here. And this is the case for each of us. God has given us one of the greatest books ever written, filled with examples and warnings of what can happen when we do not submit our lives to Him and repent. We are promised that Christ will return in judgment, and we too will reap what we sow. There simply is no way of getting around it! If we sow into a relationship with God through repentance, we reap an eternity with Him. If we sow into ourselves, we reap an eternity of being tormented by that which we seek to exult most, ourselves and our sinful nature. There have been countless warnings, contained in the Bible and out.
While God is precise and controlled in exacting His anger, and while He gives us time to repent, the clock is ticking. No one knows the hour in which he will meet His maker. No one knows the time of their death. No one knows how much time they have. None of us are God. Neither do we know when Jesus Christ will return. He Himself does not know! For some of you, this may be the final curtain call – REPENT AND SEEK THE LORD YOUR GOD, TURN TO HIM THAT YOU MAY BE SAVED! For some, this may be the first time you are being called to repentance. Do not wait thinking you have more time! God abounds in grace, so why not be filled to overflowing with it now? The time has come. Which will you choose, shelter from the wrath of God as His remnant or repayment for your detestable practices? The choice is yours! And remember, it is not I who asks, but Jehovah Makkeh. – Crystal