Ezekiel 47:2-6 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

Do you see it? If you do not, do not fret. If you do, be not proud.

The issue of depth was first measured.

Would you fail to heed the measure and choose to swim?

Psalm 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

No one likes to be called wicked. If you do, then I must agree with you, you are exceedingly wicked. That vast majority of society does not give in much thought. A vandal carrying out a television out through a broken store window was taped saying, “I’m getting mine.”

Entitlement is the newest rage, worthy has been left far behind. Here is a spiritual truth we all share, we are entitled to death. Job posed the issue of entitlement judiciously when he said, “Naked came I into the world and naked shall I leave.”

Those of us who love justice recognize the issues of entitlements as being things that are earned by hard work and forward thinking plans, like the ant of Proverbs 6 that stores up winter supplies. The wicked are predators but they do not think of themselves as wicked.

When it comes down to the truth, it is wicked not to consider God, not to seek God, not to fear God. It does not matter what you do or refrain from doing in this world if you do not acknowledge God in all you ways. The truly wicked embrace life as carelessly as one who believes in nothing. The truly good embrace life as a stage upon which they are cast as the lead. If they could see things the way God seeing them, they would discover themselves in the same boat with each other.

At to that the religiously pious in who the act of doing good is their sufficiency and not Christ Himself. They are the ones whom the Lord disclaims, they are the ones wailing and gnashing their teeth in Matthew 13:50.

They were caught up in the net, but never made it into the safety of the boat.