I live in suburbia, surrounded by homes filled with neighbors. Lots of excellent neighbors, actually, some of whom have become really good friends.

When I lived in an apartment complex in college, one of my neighbors took his karaoke machine into the basement laundry room several evenings a week and practiced singing. He sounded a bit like Tony Bennett. I washed my socks in a combination laundromat/night club.

The nation of Israel endured lousy neighbors including Sidon, a wealthy city-state to the north. Ezekiel prophesied her punishment and Israel’s liberation from these neighbors:

No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

Through his acts of judgement, the Sidonians came to know the Lord is God. Also, through painful relationships with their neighbors and then deliverance, the people of Israel understood that I am the Lord their God.

The Lord works both sides of the fence. His chosen people and those who oppressed his chosen people both needed a dose of reality—understanding who controls this world—in order to turn to the Lord.

The Lord wants all to come to him and sometimes it takes a whack in the head to get our attention. But the end result remains positive, that we may come to know the Sovereign Lord.

Photo by J King