QT 7/3/2023 Ezek 14:1-5, Serving God not idols

Ezekiel 14:1–5 (ESV) —

1 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.

 

NOTE: The idols were in their hearts. They were believing the lies of the culture. They had created thoughts that were against God. They wanted things (their hearts) that were against God's word -- God calls it a stumbling block of iniquity. Idols do not have to be an image or a physical thing. An idol is anything that we take into our heart that opposes God or his word. And God's response is that God does not need to answer that person. They have their answer, they are just hoping God's answer might agree with the desire in their heart. Whenever we say, in response to a hard teaching from God's word, "well, my God is not like that …," we have created an idol in our heart. We have chosen what we fashioned over what God has said. And we have placed a wall between God and our prayers.

 

PONDER:

1. Where do we ignore Gods' word because it is not what we want to believe?

 

PRAYER: Father, open my eyes that I may see where I am fashioning idols in my life. I want to obey your word, not what my sinful self desires.

QT 6/30/2023 Ezek 13:17-19, Wickedness in plain sight

Ezekiel 13:17–19 (ESV) —

17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

 

NOTE: There are only 4 passages in the OT specifically critical of women. These women may have been prophetesses, but the description is closer to magic. They charged for their prophecies, and they told people what they wanted to hear. They did not tell people the consequences of their sin. They were a health and wealth gospel message that gave people a false hope and did not actually do any good in the lives of people spiritually.

 

In days of moral crisis there are always those who seek personal profit by establishing counterfeit ministries, who preach man-made systems instead of divine truth, proclaim peace instead of repentance, use materialistic methods, and set up idols in human hearts (14:1–11).1

 

Today, there are so many voices who have jumped on this lucrative band wagon. Recently, the Michigan legislature made it a felony to misuse a person's preferred pronouns. This is an example of evil men and women making money (election success) by preaching falsehoods. Our nation is literally packed with people who do not want to hear the truth, and prefer to hear lies. They are so blinded by their sins, that they truly believe in their lies.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I pray for God to search my own heart and reveal the lies I have believed?

 

PRAYER: Search me Oh God and know my heart. Try me and test my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting.

 

1 Cooper, L. E. (1994). Ezekiel (Vol. 17, p. 158). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

 

QT 6/29/2023 Ezek 13:8-12, Whitewashing sin ("pride month")

Ezekiel 13:8–12 (ESV) —

8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. 10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’

 

NOTE: It seems there are two ways of viewing this. Most commentators see it spiritually. These false prophets were whitewashing their spiritual condition. Rather than pointing out the sin that was to be the cause of their destruction, there were covering it over with "supportive" prophecies. This is much like the false prophets of today, who tell people homosexuality is okay, and even make arguments in the scripture to that effect. Similarly is the gender dysphoria movement which seeks to affirm the lost in their sin. We have a pride month to take away the shame of sin. It is all whitewash and it cannot cover up what God's word truly says -- it is sin. And it is our sin and rebellion which will destroy us.

 

The second view I had was the people of Jerusalem repairing or strengthening a section of the wall, and then a false prophet comes by and paints it in a whitewash as a symbolic act that it will never fall. Consequently the people trust in the wall, not repenting of the sin or turning to God for their salvation.

 

PONDER:

1. Are there sins that I whitewash, that I pretend are not that big of a deal?

 

PRAYER: Father, it seems so impossible, it has taken so few years, but we have emerged as a nation where most sin is okay and good in the eyes of society. We have whitewashed our destruction. Open our eyes to truth. May some still repent and turn back to you -- our only hope of salvation from ourselves and the evil one.

QT 6/28/2023 Ezek 12:21-28, Are we living as if judgment was soon?

Ezekiel 12:21–28 (ESV) —

21 And the word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing’? 23 Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But say to them, The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision. 24 For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I am the Lord; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God.”

26 And the word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God.”

 

NOTE: There were two ways people responded to the visions of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The first "the days grow long and every vision comes to nothing." In our generation, we might say, "yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard the doom and gloom, it's been almost 2000 years and I don't see any return of Christ." This first response is to reject the message because it tarries so long. The second response is to say, "ok, I believe it is coming, but it won't affect me, it is still for another time."

 

The problem is that both responses are wrong. Whether the prophecy is fulfilled now or tomorrow, we should act as if it will be assumed in our day.

 

Sometimes, I make the mistake of only seeing the world through the events in USA. Certainly, as our pride month indicates, we are glorying in our shame. Our movies depict evil and sin as good, and good as evil. We have destroyed marriage and the sanctity of marriage. Pornography has ruined the intimacy and sacredness of marriage. Sexual dysphoria is rampant and is being brought on by our culture. Sexual grooming is occurring in our classrooms and safe places. Men are taught to be feminine and women are taught to be masculine. And I am not sure that the rest of the world is any better. The end days are near.

 

What is my response? I must reject sin in my life and repent when I fall into sin. I can't change people's behavior (God says in Ezekiel, "he who has ears let him hear, and he who refuses to hear, let him refuse.") But, I can tell them the good news of the gospel. There is a different way that offers hope, peace, and real joy -- Jesus died in our place for our sins so that we can be right with God. Jesus says "come to me all who I weary … and I will give you rest."

 

PONDER:

1. The rapture may come today, 10 years from now, or even longer, but if I knew it was tomorrow or next month, what am I doing differently?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to be bold. As I am free from the shackles of the demonic-controlled work environmental, give me the boldness, kindness, and respect to share the gospel as I should.

QT 6/27/2023 Ezek 12:8-13;17-19, Enjoying the simple things

Ezekiel 12:8–13 (ESV) —

8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’ 11 Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.’ 12 And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. 13 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there.

 

Ezekiel 12:17–19 (ESV) —

17 And the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety. 19 And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay. In this way her land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it.

 

NOTE: For most of six years, Ezekiel is mute. He can only speak when God gives him a message--here is one of those cases. In this first passage, Zedekiah, the prince appointed by Nebuchadnezzar as King, was captured in his escape attempt. He was taken to the land but never saw it, because he was blinded after watching his two sons executed before him. The captivity and destruction was prophesied by Ezekiel, and maybe those in exile were not impressed, but the specificity of Zedekiah's capture and subsequent treatment is hard to ignore. And the story adds weight to the message, "Israel is a rebellious house."

 

In the second passage, I'm not sure we always appreciate the value of a meal with our families. For many, the family meal is a dying art. Yet, it is a chance for everyone to sit around the table in peace, to eat and drink in peace, and to share their day in peace. When we are anxious, really anxious, the stomach turns, and food does not seem enjoyable. For those in Jerusalem, hungry and starving, even this simple part of life will take on a dread. Is this the last meal? Will the walls fall tonight? How much longer can we go on?

 

I think we need to remember the joy of eating as a family and appreciate the fact that we can enjoy our meals in peace (although they don't always feel that way). We should not take those simple joys for granted because one never knows when they will end.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I appreciate the simple joys of life such as a meal shared?
2. Does life always have to revolve around big things and big events, or can I be content with simple joys?

 

PRAYER: Father, help to see and appreciate the simple joys of life. At any point they can end, and then I will long for what I once took for granted. May I be thankful in all things.

QT 6/26/2023 Ezek 12:1-3, Choosing to hear

Ezekiel 12:1–3 (ESV) —

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. 3 As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

 

NOTE: The word "rebellious" is hard to miss throughout the Book of Ezekiel (rebel, rebellion, or rebellious occur in ten passages, while the rest of the OT only has 7 passages)). The Oxford Languages defines the word as "showing a desire to resist authority, control, or convention." The authority is God. The control or convention is his Word, given to us. Could any people say they are not a rebellious house today? Does anyone submit to God and his Word? Is there any nation not actively involved in diluting or destroying the truth of God's word. Rebels do not see, even though they have eyes. Rebels do not hear, even though they have ears. Rebels do not understand, even though they have minds. Rebels are deceived and willingly so, because 35 passages in the book of Ezekiel is the idea of hear, hearing, and listening:

 

He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. (Ezek 3:27)

 

It is our choice to listen and obey. It is our choice to refuse. It is our choice to be deceived. God will not force us to listen to truth.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I hear only what I want to hear?
2. Or am I open to the whole truth of the bible, no matter how it might sound to my (supposed) modern mind?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the word. Protect me from rebellion. I want to hear and listen to your word. I do not want to be a rebel. You are my Lord and you control my life. You are my King. What you say, I need to do. Give me the strength to be obedient and the understanding to see when my sinful mind/heart does not want to obey.

QT 6/22/2023 Ezek 11:1-4, Trust in God, not in the external things of self

Ezekiel 11:1–4 (ESV) —

1 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; 3 who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man.”

 

NOTE: The two city officials identified are real people whose insignia on documents have been found in a room preserved because of the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC, just as and where Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch's insignia also were found. Jeremiah told the people to surrender and build houses in Babylon, but the leaders are giving the opposite advice. They are saying (and some might be in idioms), that it is not the time to give up (leave and build houses in Babylon), because the city is a cauldron and we are the meat. A cauldron protected the choice pieces of meat from the fire. Yes, it would get hot, but they would survive. They were putting their hope in the city walls and not in God. The believed in their own ability to rescue themselves. It is a lesson that God has taught men over and over again through the ages (the best examples are Job, Jacob, and Joseph). Men are not saved by their wealth, wisdom, schemes, or abilities. Men (and women) are saved by their trust in God. God is more powerful than any foe. God is wiser and more knowledgeable than any foe. We must trust him in our greatest need. We must not fight with God.

 

PONDER:

1. What do I really put my trust in? Is it my bank account, my 401K, my degree, my skills, my knowledge?

 

PRAYER: Lord, forgive me if I have put any trust in things instead of in you. I know I do it repeatedly. I truly am sorry and repent. I know I must be prudent, but I must give all my worries and concerns to you. I must trust you to provide. I must give you thanks for all that I have, and I do.

QT 6/21/2023 Ezek 10:18-22, Be real

Ezekiel 10:18–22 (ESV) —

18 Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

20 These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the likeness of human hands. 22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the Chebar canal. Each one of them went straight forward.

 

NOTE: The glory of God now leaves the threshold of the temple and moves to the east gate. God's glory is completely leaving the temple and the temple compound. The people of Israel believed that the temple provided protection -- and maybe it did. But now, if there was protection, the reason for the protection is removed. The temple is nothing more than a building that looks important, like a church that is beautiful in its appearance, but is spiritually dead. The temple has no value. Its value was derived from God's name and God's glory. Now, it is nothing but a façade.

 

These are good metaphors for our lives. Are we facades or are we the real thing? Do we put on airs and go through the motions? Do we pretend to be something we are not? Do we look good on the outside, but inside are playing a game? The games get very old to God. He can show mercy for a time, but then it is over. Let's not wait until we wake up empty.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I serious in my walk with God?
2. Who am I fooling, because I am not fooling God?

 

PRAYER: Father, soon I will be on a totally different schedule. I want to do the same things I do now, plus be able to spend more time in extended times with you. Help me as I prepare to walk with you in this new stage in life.

QT 6/20/2023 Ezek 9:9-10:2, The call to holiness before it is too late

Ezekiel 9:9–10:2 (ESV) —

9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ 10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”

1 Then I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire, in appearance like a throne. 2 And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.”

And he went in before my eyes.

 

NOTE: This is not the first time an angel has grabbed red-hot burning coals. They seem oblivious to the heat. Probably because the coals represent the holiness of God that burns away everything that is not holy and pure. The angels are holy and they can touch a coal and not be burned. The angel scatters them over the city. From the preceding chapters we see that the city is not holy, and the coals will burn away sin, and little will be left. When we build our lives on worldly things, in the end fire will reveal what we gave our lives to. If we give our lives to worthy things, those things will remain. But if we have given our lives to worthless things, those things will be burnt up. I wonder how much of Jerusalem remained.

 

But chapter 10 also shows the Shekinah Glory moving from the threshold of the Holy of Holies to the threshold of the house, probably the temple, since the court is filled with the brightness, and even the sound is heard in the outer courtyard. Slowly, ever so slowly, the Glory of God (and of Israel) is leaving because of the unholiness of the people.

 

This must have been an extremely frightening story for the exiles to hear (Ezekiel 11:25 (ESV) — And I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me).

 

In one sense, it is too late now. When you don't listen to God, you don't get automatic mulligans. At some point, God executes justice not mercy. And we always wish for the one last time of mercy.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I serious about my relationship with God and the things that I am giving my life to?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to always be sensitive to your spirit. Protect me from my flesh. Give me courage to share my faith graciously and with respect. Use me for your glory.

QT 6/19/2023 Ezek 9:3-11, May we always groan over sin

Ezekiel 9:3–11 (ESV) —

3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. 6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7 Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. 8 And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ 10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”

 

NOTE: There are two important things that happen in this passage, first, the glory of God, also called the Shekinah glory leaves the holy of holies and moves to the threshold of the temple. This is the first stage in the departure of God's glory from the temple, and from the land. This would be an appalling sight for any Jew. The process will complete in chapters 10 and 11. I believe that only Ezekiel saw it. Secondly, God marks those who grieved and lamented over the detestable things done. The mark is something like a cross (X) and is a picture seen in the Passover and later in Revelation. Those with the mark are the remnant. I don't know if they physically survived or if the salvation was only spiritual, but their spirits moaned over the sin of the land.

 

This month my country celebrates pride in their sin. We should be grieving not celebrating. We should be ashamed for our sin. Satan's sin was his pride. He believed himself better than God. He has convinced the world to follow his ways that are better, departing from God's ways. He has blinded the world with sexual perversions, demonic control, and a loss of hope.

 

We are the remnant, a light for truth in the midst of an increasing darkness. We must not celebrate sin. We must identify with truth. We must be courageous. We must love sinners. We must pray for those around us to be born again.

 

PONDER:

1. What is my witness like? Do I draw people to the savior through love?

 

PRAYER: Father, give me wisdom to identify with Jesus in the midst of a corrupt society. I pray they can see the difference in my life. I pray that my country might repent in shame over their evil. I pray their eyes would be opened. I pray you might revive their spirits still.

QT 6/16/2023 Ezek 8:5-6, Do I have an idol?

Ezekiel 8:5–6 (ESV) —

5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations.”

 

NOTE: In this chapter, God takes Ezekiel on a tour of Jerusalem and shows him 4 cases of idol worship. Throughout the passage, the focus is on God's jealousy. The emotion of jealousy has a positive aspect (a man for his wife) and a negative aspect (a person for someone else's material things). In this case, it is clearly centered on the relationship between God and his people (or rather the lack of). What is idolatry? Anything that captures our love and emotions and keeps us from a relationship with God is idolatry. I can be a title, a job, a possession, money (cannot love God and mammon), a hobby -- anything that is more important than God and keeps us from meeting with God.

 

PONDER:

1. What is the first thing I think about doing when I wake up?
2. Where does meeting with God fall, in my list of things to do each day?
3. Do my actions match my words?

 

PRAYER: Father, protect me from the allure of things. As I start a new adventure in life that will not require I wake up at a specific time, I pray the habits of meeting with you first, will remain. I love my time with you. I pray I always will.

QT 6/15/2023 Ezek 7:16-19, Using these last days for the great commission

Ezekiel 7:16–19 (ESV) —

16 And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity. 17 All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water. 18 They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads. 19 They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.

 

NOTE: This was a prophecy concerning Jerusalem and the land 2600 years ago, but it could just as easily be a prophecy concerning my land and country in the near future. This month is designated "pride" month and it is a ghastly thing for a nation to designate a month to take pride in their sins. We think we are so powerful, but our wealth and power will not save us in the day of the wrath of the Lord. We should be filled with shame because of our sin, but we celebrate it. God has blessed this nation of mine because the foundations were built on faith and the biblical principles. But in 250 years, a little more than Judah's sister, Israel, the Northern Kingdom and a little less than Judah, the Southern Kingdom, we are near the point of wrath. I think our wrath, as the latest representative of the Gentile world, is coming soon. I doubt I will see my death before the Lord comes. But in the meantime, as I wait for the rapture of the living, I will be doing all I can to share my faith, and to make disciples.

 

PONDER:

1. What is my plan in retirement or at any time in life?
2. How does my service to God fit with my other responsibilities?

 

PRAYER: Father, I am excited about the next steps. Again, I want to finish strong, but even now I want to be planning for the days afterwards. Lead and guide me I pray.

QT 6/14/2023 Ezek 7:1-9, Hear or refuse to hear

Ezekiel 7:5–9 (ESV) —

5 “Thus says the Lord God: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes. 6 An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes. 7 Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains. 8 Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. 9 And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who strikes.

 

NOTE: At the end of the passage Ezekiel reveals a new name for God. It is not like Jehovah-jireh (the God who provides) or Jehovah-nissi (the Lord is my banner), the new name is Jehovah-nakah, the God who strikes. God had been merciful to Israel and long-suffering. It is not that God's mercy runs out, it is that God executes his judgment. In the OT, the law made it very clear of the consequences of failure to keep the law (Deut 28 outlines the blessings and curses of failure). The result was as God said he would do. In the NT, we live under grace, but there is a consequence to rejection of the Messiah, and it will come in the end times. We don't know when God's mercy will stop. We do know for a fact that God will execute his judgment. The US is not the only country in the world, but does seem to represent the world's evil system. The days of multiple sexes, transgenderism, homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, the dissolution of marriage as defined by God, the lack of shame, taking pride in sin, and many more sins are coming to a horrific end. I pray we would speak truth in these days.

 

PONDER:

1. How can I, in a gentle, respectful, and loving voice, warn people of the coming judgment?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see my opportunities to stand up for truth. Give me courage. Give me creative ideas. I pray for listening ears. As said in Ezekiel, hear or refuse to hear, but we must speak.

QT 6/13/2023 Ezek 6:8-10, Don't give up fighting sin

Ezekiel 6:8–10 (ESV) —

8 “Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, 9 then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”

 

NOTE: I have noticed that when pain overwhelms us, the thought of sin and past sins is loathsome. Sin does not in any way appeal to the soul when the pain is overwhelming. Pain awakens our soul and opens our minds to the destructiveness of our sin. We see more clearly and desire more greatly to please God. Pain separates us from evil. But that is hardly a way to live. Pain is a great marker, but life lived in pain is very difficult. In heaven, we will be free of both pain and of the desire for sin. We will have what some commentators have called creature-holiness (like Adam and Eve before they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). We won't even think about sinning. We will be content. We will enjoy each other and life without the enemy destroying our minds. Pain and tears will be past. And the only tears will be those of joy.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I surrendered to the enemy, or am I battling, with the Holy Spirit's help, a fight against my sin every day?

 

PRAYER: Father, I don't ever want to give up on the battle against my sin nature or the evil one and his army. Holy Spirit, protect me, give me strength, lead me and guide me these days, that all I do may done to honor you.

QT 6/12/2023 Ezek 4:12-17; 5:1-17, The importance of following through on the calling

Ezekiel 4:12–17 (ESV) —

12 And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.” 13 And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.” 14 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth.” 15 Then he said to me, “See, I assign to you cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” 16 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the supply of bread in Jerusalem. They shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. 17 I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and rot away because of their punishment.

 

NOTE: I don't know if I have ever seen a situation where God changes a command due to a person's convictions (technically it was prohibited by law). Certainly God knew the prophet's conviction and so there was purpose. The original command was to cook over human dung because that is how God will judge Jerusalem. By stating it that way, the true prophecy would be communicated. God knew Ezekiel would object and God would allow cow dung instead. But if there was cow dung in Jerusalem, then there would be meat, water, and grain, so God had to phrase the prophecy as it would be. The point is that they will eat in anxiety and drink with dismay -- that is where will the next meal come from?

 

Ezekiel 5:5–12 (ESV) —

5 “Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. 6 And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, 8 therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. 9 And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10 Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. 11 Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. 12 A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.

 

NOTE: The passage in Chapter 5 describes the judgment upon Jerusalem using a number of pictures. I like this one because verse 5 says that God set Israel in the center of the nations. And that certainly was true back then. The major powers, Egypt, Greece, and Babylon/Assyria/Medes/Persians had Israel and the major trade routes separating them from each other. Egypt, Ethiopia, and other parts of Africa, were separated from Europe and Asia by Israel. Many wars were fought in Israel. God intended Israel to be in the midst of the nations, so that it would spread the message of one God to the nations. Instead, Israel only grew proud in its position. The responsibility was instead given to the church, a new group mixing Gentile and Jew, to carry out his command. During the 18th and 19th century, the church through England took the gospel via the oceans all across the world. In these last days, even newer technologies than large ocean-going vessels -- radio, satellites, internet, airplanes -- are still carrying the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.

 

PONDER:

1. What is my role or what am I doing to take the gospel to the ends of the earth?
2. Am I in danger of becoming prideful of my position and forget the command of God?

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the resources you have given to support missionary movements throughout the world. But now as I retire, I must seek other ways in which I can serve you by taking the gospel to the world. Lead me and guide me in these new paths.

QT 6/9/2023 Ezek 4:4-8, Mercy and Justice

Ezekiel 4:4–8 (ESV) —

4 “Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. 5 For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year. 7 And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. 8 And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege.

 

NOTE: There are no good answers for the interpretation of the 390 and the 40. Literally, it is approximately how long Jerusalem was under siege. Why that would take into account the northern Kingdom's sin is debatable. From the period of Rehoboam's split in 930BC until the last King Zedekiah is approximately 390 years that the nation existed. The numbers add together and are symbolic of Israel's 430 years of slavery in Egypt. The 40 years is repeatedly seen and also relates to the judgment in the exodus. Dating from the time of this prophecy would take us to 167 BC, or the time of the Maccabees. However the numbers are understood, they do stand for two things, God's patience and God's judgment. They are too similar to previous periods of God's judgment on the land. And as always, God is merciful, he gives us time to repent. And while his patience is infinite, his justice against sin is absolute.

 

PONDER:

1. We remember quite often that God is merciful, but do we remember that he is just too?

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for your mercy and I thank you also for your justice. And I thank you for Jesus' death on the cross which satisfied your justice. But I must still, on a daily basis, remember that you hate sin despite your great mercy. I don't want to make mercy cheap. I need your Holy Spirit's strength and power to battle my sin

QT 6/8/2023 Ezek 3:16-27, Listening means to do

Ezekiel 3:16–27 (ESV) —

16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. 20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”

22 And the hand of the Lord was upon me there. And he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley, and there I will speak with you.” 23 So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face. 24 But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house. 25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people. 26 And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

 

NOTE: I'm not sure I completely understand the context. Ezekiel is called to be a prophet and then rendered mute for 6-7 years. Verse 27 seems to suggest that Ezekiel could only speak immediately after God spoke to him. That would make more sense. And then 7 years later, after the destruction of Jerusalem, he would speak freely again. He is confined to his house. And at least initially, he is bound. I believe it is both literal and figurative. I think literally he was bound at first to show the message, and then figuratively he was bound to his house to show the message (Israel's sin from refusing to listen). Apparently, Jesus' use of the term, "he who has ears to hear, let him hear" is similar to the phrase God gives Ezekiel, "he who will hear, let him hear." I like the second part of the phrase, "he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house." When Jesus used the first part of the phrase, most Jews would have known who he was quoting and what the second part of the phrase said. We have a choice, we can hear and do (which is really what the it means) or we can refuse to listen to God. The option of hearing and not doing is the same as not hearing and the only person deceived is ourselves (James 1:22 (ESV) — But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.)

 

PONDER:

1. How am I at "doing" the word?
2. For some, the first step is regularly hearing -- am I regularly in the word of God so that I am available to hear?

 

PRAYER: Father, when you speak, help me to hear. I want to be a doer of the word. I see my failures in my interactions with others. Give me strength to do the right thing and to behave in a manner consistent with what you have told me in the scriptures.

QT 6/7/2023 Ezek 3:4-11, Where do we get our info on who God is?

Ezekiel 3:4–11 (ESV) —

4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”

 

NOTE: This is an absolutely fascinating passage and should strike fear in the heart of the church. Those who should knew God will be less likely to listen than those who do not know God. He says his people have: hard foreheads, stubborn hearts. He says they will give you "looks." I assume the looks are of contempt. What catches the eye is the statement that if Ezekiel was going to a people with a foreign speech and a hard language that he did not understand, Ezekiel was more likely to have success, but because he is going to his own people who supposedly know the Lord, he will face much opposition. Why is that? In our pride, have we so mixed the word of God with the worldly culture that we are not willing to listen to truth? God's word is truth and it cannot be ignored because you don't like what it says or that it seems mean or not caring enough or not what you imagine God to be. We don't serve an idol of our own making (which would be a stupid, foolish, waste of time), but we serve the God revealed in the bible. We don't get to add or subtract from the revealed God of scripture.

 

PONDER:

1. Where does my truth come from, my interpretation of God, or direct from the revealed word of God?

 

PRAYER: Father, I don't want to be a rebellious, hard hearted, stubborn old fool. I always want your word to be fresh to me and to speak to me and to challenge me to walk more deeply with you.

QT 6/6/2023 Ezek 2:8-3:3, The word is good, don't rebel

Ezekiel 2:8–3:3 (ESV) —

8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

Ezekiel 3:14 (ESV) —

14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.

 

NOTE: God's word is sweet as honey, but our nature rebels against it, causing bitterness in the spirit. God's word is clear concerning homosexuality; only two sexes; sexual relationships only within marriage; marriage only between a man and a woman; living together only under the banner of marriage; the existence of sin; the importance of shame; the destructiveness of pride; the value of work and the frustration caused by weeds (effect of sin); the importance and protection of roles; and God's creation of the world and us (even in the womb). Nearly all of these things are taught in the first few chapters of Genesis, the foundational book of the bible. And we have rebelled. As God said to Ezekiel, "BE NOT REBELLIOUS LIKE THAT REBELLIOUS HOUSE (emphasis mine)." If Israel was rebellious, then we as a people, and even to a degree the church, are even more so.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I bought the lie the world is selling? The Kool-Aid is poison.
2. Do I believe or accept these lies?
3. Do I believe the world has more authority than the word of God?

 

PRAYER: Father, have mercy on us before it is too late. So many families, marriages, children, and individuals will be destroyed by these schemes of the evil one. Have mercy on us. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

QT 6/5/2023 Ezek 2:3-7, Being uncomfortable for service

Ezekiel 2:3–7 (ESV) —

3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

 

NOTE: In God's call to Ezekiel, three times he uses the phrase "…whether they hear or refuse to hear …" (3rd usage is in 3:11). Ezekiel had his orders, and they were not dependent upon the results. In fact, God goes out of his ways to make it clear that he did expect the recipients to listen. God calls them: a nation of rebels; rebelled against me; transgressed against me; impudent; stubborn; a rebellious house (x3); briars; thorns; scorpions; [they will reply with negative] words; and [they will reply with negative] looks. In short, God is saying, "I am calling you to do something that no one will like and no one will give you kudos." The important thing, as always, is not the results, but the obedience. I think I will call this 'Advanced Discipleship,' where obedience transcends reputation. It is hard to live life like Ezekiel. And God is aware of what he calls certain people to do. But all of us must remember Jesus' statement in this regard:

 

Matthew 19:29 (ESV) — 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

 

PONDER:

1. How willing am I to serve God even knowing that no one or few will respond?
2. God calls some to the impossible task of giving up a comfortable life for an earthly life of rejection by others. Why can't I give up a few things for others?

 

PRAYER: Father, I'm not sure I could take on Ezekiel's mission. I certainly am not that strong. But I do realize that I need to be obedient even if the results are not what I had hoped. I need to do what you have called me too, and not worry about what you have called other to. Give me strength to follow through on the things I believe you have called me to take on.

 

[Note: Ezek 1:22-28 is found in https://rationalstudy.blogspot.com/2023/06/ezekiel-11-28-vision.html ]