Here we are. It's the 1st day of March. Today, it's time for Tuesday's Musical Notes where we get to share a couple of moments on a blog about music and musings. It is an important day for many reasons.
On the other side of the world, a nation fights to maintain its identity, culture, and sovereignty. Tuesday's Musical Notes has always had readers in Ukraine and as they have supported us in the past, we support them now. Please know that we are praying without ceasing on your behalf to the God of all things. We hope that those who read The Notes in Ukraine are safe, yet vigilant in their quest to remain free. We pray for peace and a cessation of hostilities for all of the good people of Ukraine. 
For President Zelensky we pray for continued safety, wisdom, and tenacity as we express our admiration of your heroism. We pray for a heart change in the life of President Putin as we are dismayed by your actions. We pray for leaders on the world stage for insight and ingenuity as we view your responses.
For President Zelensky we pray for continued safety, wisdom, and tenacity as we express our admiration of your heroism. We pray for a heart change in the life of President Putin as we are dismayed by your actions. We pray for leaders on the world stage for insight and ingenuity as we view your responses.
We are inundated with images from the other side of the world that are shocking. "Can't You See?" We are heartbroken at the lives that have been shattered (on both sides of the conflict). "Can't You See?" We are encouraged as we witness the reactive bravery by common people and their sacrifices as see their world upended. Most of all we are comforted by the idea that this will be over soon. "Can't You See?"
The first single from the debut album by The Marshall Tucker Band (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Fire On The Mountain" (The Marshall Tucker Band)) never really did much in terms of lighting up the charts. Its impact however on music and the culture has been huge. While it peaked at #75 (as a rerelease, the original went as high as #108), it has been covered by some well-known artists including Waylon Jennings (1976. #4 Billboard's US Country Songs), the Zac Brown Band w/Kid Rock (2010, #11 Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles) and lesser-known artists like The Minglewood Band (1979). Black Stone Cherry, and most recently the virtual band Kelly and the Ding Dongs (2021). "Can't You See" has also been used in the major motion picture releases, Blow (Johnny Depp, 2001), Swing Vote (Kevin Costner, 2008), and I, Tonya (Margot Robbie, 2017).
I have to confess an affinity for The Marshall Tucker Band. Having lived my entire life in the Southeastern portion of the United States, bands from this region soon became familiar and favorites as I transitioned from a Country/Western upbringing to discover the music of my teen years. Solidifying my love for this style of Rock and Roll, I made a copy of my brother's cassette that Ktel put out as an album in 1980 called Southern Fried Rock. (Only available in vinyl, look it up at discogs.com) I soon found myself gravitating towards any of the artists on this record with my top three being Lynyrd Skynyrd (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Simple Man" (Lynyrd Skynyrd))
"Can't You See" is a song about the debilitating effects of a relationship gone wrong. The singer just wants to get as far away from the situation as he can. He takes a freight train, finds a hole in a wall, then goes back to the rails as he attempts to recover from "what that woman been doin' to me". And yes, here comes the requisite similarities between God and the relationship He has with mankind, but first let's see what God says to Ezekiel about the breakup He has with Judah and specifically Jerusalem.
As we continue exploring life in captivity with Ezekiel we soon see God speaking to him again through a series of visions. A couple of things to notice. The first vision occurred when Ezekiel was in the presence of the elders of Judah. They were in captivity in Babylon (near the Chebar River). There was a pretty good chance that the events of Daniel were happening about this same time. God provides Ezekiel with a birdseye view of the idolatry and abominations that the Israelites were continuing to perpetrate in Jerusalem, even after the city had been defeated in battle and its citizens were taken captive as the consequences of their sin destroyed the relationship they had with God. "Can't you see, can't you see..."
God served as a tour guide for Ezekiel as He detailed the atrocities that were continuing to happen. God brought Ezekiel to the north gate and there was the sin of worshiping an idol. "Can't you see?". God brought Ezekiel through a hole in a wall of the temple courtyard and there was the sin of worshiping living creatures that were being led by 70 elders of Israel. "Can't you see?". God brought Ezekiel to the gate that was the temple entrance and there was the sin of women weeping over the idol Tammuz. "Can't you see?". Finally, God brought Ezekiel to the inner courtyard of the temple grounds and there was the sin of 25 men prostrate on the ground worshiping the sun. "Can't you see?".
5 different times God asked Ezekiel "Can't you see?" or a derivative form (v. 6, 9, 12, 15, and 17 ). Each time Ezekiel was shown the secrets that God's light was revealing. Each time God told Ezekiel to brace himself for even more abominations. God's response to His tour of Jerusalem? "...Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.”
What is God showing us today as He takes us on a tour of our world? "Can't you see?". What is God showing us as He takes us on a tour of our country? "Can't you see?" What is God showing us as He takes us on a tour of our individual lives? "Can't you see?". Idolatry exists in the form of regions that practice serving multiple gods. Idolatry exists in the form of those in the world who would worship the created over the Creator. There is an effort to indoctrinate our world in the worship of our planet and its universe.
Our world, our country, and each of us individually must realize and repent from the sin that God shows us in every area. Our only salvation from the same kind of wrath that God promised on the city of Jerusalem is by the grace that God gave us in the form of Jesus. Only through a restored relationship with God through Jesus (salvation) and then a working out of our relationship (sanctification) through Holy Spirit can we fully see what God has been doing all along.
In light of the recent events in the world, and to some extent the apathy in the evangelical church, I firmly believe that God is asking us, "Can't you see, oh, can't you see, what that woman (our world) has been doin' to me?" Our response? "Yes God we see it and we will do all that we can to help others see it and restore the relationship before you decide to board a freight train down at the station...
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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