Tag: Ezekiel

But You Trusted in Your Beauty | Ezekiel 16

bride walking away with the words of Ezekiel 16:8, 15 (NIV) -"I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the sovereign Lord, and you became mine...But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute."

Daily Bible Readings

*Ezekiel 16-17

Psalm 140

Luke 22

Today’s Devotion by Jeremy Martin

   Ho!*  I suppose I should start out by quoting Job 33:6, “Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. ” (LSB) That’s my favorite translation**, because it shows in one statement who owns us, and where we stand (under God). 

That can make some people either angry or uncomfortable, but it’s just the truth.  Psalms 24:1 reiterates this in the clearest way possible, “The earth is Yahweh’s, and all it contains; the world, and those who dwell in it. ” (REV) Since it is Yahweh God who formed us from the clay, who formed the earth and all that is in it; like every piece of pottery that the potter creates, we belong to Him.  He has seen fit to give us free will in deciding many things in our lives and how we interact with the rest of creation, but that in no way diminishes the act of ownership of the earth and everything in it.  Everything that is, was, or will be, on this earth is God’s. 

Ezekiel 16:1-14 graphically describe how God claimed the freshly born and scorned infant Israel, cleaned it, nurtured it, loved it, and gave it fine things.  Ezekiel 16:15-34 (and continuing on with examples through roughly verse 59) is essentially God explaining how the nation took all the blessings that God gave them and became a prostitute.  This is done in some pretty graphic and scathing language.  Over and over and over.

Nobody likes to be called a whore.  It’s just not nice language to use to a person.  God calls His people this word (or a derivative thereof) about 21 times during a 20 verse stretch (Ezek 16:15-34).  I think it’s fair to say that God is “miffed” (to put it extremely politely) at the people.  It should be noted that this was not just a hurtful word, but accurately described the actions of the people.

Now before you go shaking your head and “tsk”ing the unfaithful Israelites, let me stop you right there.  We’re no better; in fact, it could be argued that we are significantly worse, as a people. Just as Israel forgot she was rescued from nothing and began to trust in God’s blessings instead of God Himself, we (who have been given so much) must guard against pride in our gifts and remember that everything good we have is undeserved, and remain faithful to our covenant God. 

Here is where I’m probably going to offend a few folks, and I’m sorry (that you’re offended).  Let’s hone in on Ezekiel 16:20-21 (reading from the ESV this time***): “And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? ”  Ouch.  I suppose we should touch upon a couple things here that are pertinent.

Firstly, there was a false deity in the canaanite pantheon of the Ammonites (M—ch, see Ex 23:13) who is infamous in the Hebrew Bible for requiring the child sacrifice of infants by fire. Since the medieval period, this has been depicted as a bull-headed idol with outstretched hands over fire***.  This was an abominable practice, and is mentioned about 31 times across scripture, always with an extremely negative connotation, and always involving human child sacrifice by immolation.

Secondly, and most importantly, God claims children as His.  In Ezekiel 16:21 specifically, God questions: ” Were your whorings so small a matter that you slaughtered my children…?” (ESV)  Your children are not yours, they belong to God.

It’s become very popular, and a polarizing political tool, to boldly proclaim “It’s my body, it’s my choice!” about abortion.  That is a lie, according to scripture.  It’s not only not your body, it’s not your choice.  Everything on this earth belongs to God, and while He allows you the freedom of choice to make decisions (and to make bad decisions), that choice does not extend to killing children who belong to God.  Even unborn ones, because everything on this earth belongs to God.  Again, I’m sorry (if you’re offended), but that’s what the scriptures say****.  Hold up though.

Right now, some “pro-choice” people are offended, and some “pro-life” people are nodding along self righteously, but let’s not forget the entirety of the message in it’s context: this isn’t just about children, it’s about faithfulness to God.  Regardless of which “camp” you fall into on that issue, can you honestly say that you’re 100% faithful, 100% of the time?  Scripture says we have all fallen short (Romans 3:23)  Before you go shaking your head and “tsk”ing, remember the following.

As a people, we have all prostituted ourselves.  We give more attention to the “things” of creation than to the Creator who made them.  We are regularly more concerned with promoting our financial or social standing than we are with kneeling before our God.  We are more worried about our “stuff” than the very God who gave all that stuff to us, more worried about our comfort than the Comforter.  We have done nothing to deserve the magnificent favor that God has shown us.  Every single one of us has sinned.  Before you judge another, examine and judge your own heart in the ways which you have been unfaithful to your creator.  Judgment of our fellow vessels of clay isn’t our job, being faithful is.

There is still hope though: in Ezekiel 16:60, God says “Nevertheless, I myself will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. ” (REV)  Remember that there is no sin which you may have committed that is bigger than the love of our God. Use it to grow; that was then, this is now.  We are being called back to God.   Stop, and repent.  Restore your faithfulness.  From the time of man’s separation from God, He has stood with outstretched arms wanting His creation to be reconciled with Him.  Return to God.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. In what ways have you remained faithful to God?
  2. In what ways have you failed to remain faithful to God? (Be Honest)
  3. How can we restore that relationship?

PRAYER

Father God, please forgive me when I am unfaithful to you.  Please help me see clearly, and to hear your whisper to guide me.  Create a new heart in me, and help me to be utterly devoted to loving and obeying you.  Help me to be loyal, and to be a servant who pleases their master.  In Jesus name, Amen.

notes

*To be very clear, this a double entendre.  “Ho” by the classical definition is an interjection that means “Hallooo! Attend!”, but it has another less polite definition in the Urban Dictionary as a slang term.  Both are quite applicable to this devotion.

** Anoher translation states equally accurately and more amusingly: “I am just like you before God; I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. ” (CSB).  I like this one too, but this shows the value of comparing multiple translations: we don’t always get the full flavor of the original text in it’s original tongue, nor understand some of the idioms, but reading multiple translations from different theological camps helps us understand the concepts better when dissecting scripture.

***Rashi (12th c.), in his commentary on Jeremiah 7:31, gives the most detailed and widely known version: a bronze idol with the head of a calf and outstretched, open hands was heated from below until the hands glowed red. The child was placed in the idol’s hands, burned, and the priests beat drums (tophim, the root of “Tophet”) to drown the child’s cries so the father would not be moved to mercy.

**** Additionally, Ps 139:13-14, Jer 1:5, Ex 21:22-25 are frequently cited (among others) to argue for the sanctity of unborn life,  describing God’s active role in fetal formation and the moral weight of killing.

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Lying Down on the Job | Ezekiel 4

Then lie down 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. Ezekiel 4:4 ESV

Daily Bible Readings

Ezekiel 4-5

Psalm 137

Luke 20

Today’s Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

Today’s devotion is another interesting one, and bares (pun intended) a striking resemblance to the devotion on Sep 12, since they’re both dealing with some of the major “Prophetic Signs*” (or symbolic actions) that God had some of the prophets enact (although this one is a bit less…cheeky).  This could also have been titled “So You Want to be a Prophet…”.  Today’s reading shows pretty clearly that being a prophet was incredibly difficult at times.  The thing is, as a prophet, you don’t get to do the things you want to do, you do what you’re told to do (by God).  The one who is sent by God can only say (and do) the things God tells them (per Jesus, John 12:49).

Most of the time when people think about the prophets, they think of long bearded wild-eyed unkempt men, haggard and lean, and booming out with a loud baritone voice “Thus says Yahweh…!”.  That may or may not be the case eventually, but most of the prophets started out just as normal guys: just like anyone else.  Ezekiel was probably just a nice Jewish guy like all the other Jewish guys who had been taken in the capture of Jerusalem during the process of The Exile, but if you imagine his appearance after these events listed here in Chapter 4, you can kind of see where the stereotyped impression may have come from.

In Ezekiel 4:1-3, God has Ezekiel set up a display that is reminiscent to me of playing with army men as a kid: using a brick as the city of Jerusalem and then building little siegeworks against it.  Then, in Ezek 4:4-6 we get to the prophetic sign that is central to our study this morning.  Again, just like Isaiah, it’s such a short bit that if you read quickly you’ll skip past it, but remember: sometimes the nutrients we get from scripture are incredibly dense, and a verse or two of scripture can encompass years or an entire lifetime and have deep lying ramifications.  There are stories within the stories, if you look hard enough, and this is definitely one of those instances.  It’s so quick that you can easily miss it if you’re not paying attention.

Ezek 4:4-6 says: “Moreover lie on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; according to the number of the days that you will lie on it, you will bear their iniquity. For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even 390 days; so you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. Again, when you have accomplished these, you will lie on your right side, and will bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: 40 days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you.” (REV translation used throughout this devotion).  Did you catch that?  Ezekiel’s job is to lie down on his side for 430 days and prophesy against Jerusalem (using his set up army man camp, see v7).

Oh, and if you were thinking about doing that part time, and maybe getting up every now and then to do a little shopping, think again: Ezek 4:8 goes on to say, “And behold, I will put cords on you so you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege. ”   Ready to be a prophet yet?

But wait, there’s more: “Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread out of it; according to the number of the days that you will lie on your side, even 390 days, you are to eat of it.  Your food that you will eat will be by weight, 20 shekels a day; from time to time you will eat it.  You are to drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin; from time to time you are to drink “.  So for over a year, this is what you get to eat and drink every day.  I was curious about this and did a little digging: 20 shekels weight is right at about 8 ounces, and the sixth part of a hin is about 2/3 of a quart (for comparison, 1 qt= @1.06 liters).  Oh yes, and that bread? Cook it over poop (see Ezek 4:12).

That is significantly less than is recommended for an adult male to eat and drink, that is not a lot of food or water.  Imagine eating about half a pound of food and drinking about 2/3 of a liter of water, every day, for well over a year.  Now we’re probably starting to more closely resemble the long bearded wild-eyed unkempt men, haggard and lean, that we generally imagine when we think of the prophets.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries, but Jeremiah spoke primarily to the people in Judah and Ezekiel spoke to the Jews who were in exile.  Throughout the books of both you’ll see some very striking parallels, which makes sense given that they were both speaking what they were told (by God) at the time.  Jeremiah presents the new covenant as a restructured legal relationship (new terms, new medium, new knowledge), while Ezekiel presents it as a restructured human capacity (new heart, new spirit, new power to obey) that makes the covenant relationship possible again.  Both speak of a transforming of the heart, and an internalizing of God’s commands.  Both speak of a restoration, after a rebuke.

In Ezekiel 5, it clearly lays out the reasons for this punishment (in v6, 7, 9, 11), but it also offers hope once again in v13: “Thus my anger will have an end, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I will be appeased; and they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken...”. 

Ezekiel laid down on his side for over a year, basically starving himself because God told him to do so as an example to the Israelites in exile.  Comparatively and to my shame, I complain sometimes when I have to get up just a little bit earlier than I’d like to make it to church on time.  It’s not just me though, this attitude is endemic in our culture and society. We have become so distracted and disobedient in this evil age that many of us are lying down on the job without being told to: maybe it’s time to stand back up and get to work not only by purifying ourselves, but also gathering others in to the kingdom…to the glory of God.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you ever exaggerate your own struggles or problems? If so, is it rarely or often?
  2. Why? What is the reinforcement for that behavior that makes it recur? Is that a good reason?
  3. What can we do to stand up and get back to work?  (Try to think of 3 things you can do for yourself, and then also 3 things you can do for others- we’re not in this alone!)

PRAYER

Father God, please forgive me for being stubborn, stiff-necked, and complaining.  You have given me gifts beyond measure, and it’s still hard for me sometimes to appreciate the amazing generosity which you’ve shown me.  I’m sorry, God.  Please help me to remember the too high price that was already paid for me, and to be appreciative of every small thing that you have given to me: life, breath, and all things.  Your son.  The way out which you have provided me.  Thank you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

* the Prophetic Signs (or symbolic actions) that God had the prophets do are very interesting, and some more intense than others.  These include Ezekiel’s siege and exile Simulations (today’s devotion), Jeremiah’s yoke and property, also linen and broken flask (Jer 13, 19, 27, 32).          Isaiah’s nakedness and naming (Is 8, naming his son**, and Is 20 for the nakedness), and Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute and subsequent naming of his children by her (Hos 1), among a few others that were less intense.

** He named his kid Mahershalalhashbaz.  Say that 5 times fast.  Now imagine having to call him in to dinner: “Hey, Mahershalalhashbaz , time for supper!  Mahershalalhashbaz, time to come home!” etc, etc.

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I Have Made You a Watchman

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and gove them warning from me. Ezekiel 3:17 NIV

Daily Bible Readings

*Ezekiel 1-3

Psalm 137

Luke 19

Today’s Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

Ezekiel 1* gives an awe inspiring account of the vision of the throne of God.  If you are interested, there is a devotion from Aug 5th of this year that has a number of corresponding scriptures that describe the courts of heaven in greater detail.  In every account, though, the description of the throne of heaven is both complex and awe inspiring, something beyond the human ability to comprehend, and surrounded by myriads of the (incomprehensibly powerful) heavenly host offering obeisance to the God Most High (YHWH, who is even more incomprehensibly powerful than all of them).   

I like how right off the bat, in Ezekie 1:1-3, this tells us the exact time and the almost exact place that Ezekiel initially saw God**: this is roughly @593 BC, since Jehoiachin went into exile @597 BC.  The Land of the Chaldeans refers to ancient Babylonia, specifically the southern region of Mesopotamia where the Chebar Canal (also known as the Grand Canal or nāru kabari) was located. This area, situated southeast of Babylon near the city of Nippur, served as the primary settlement for Jewish exiles deported by the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Ezk 2:1-“He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.‘”.  It’s very interesting, and could be it’s own in-depth study, that the way which God addresses humans is “Son of man.”.  What is a son of man?  A man, of course.  A human.  It’s equally interesting to me that this is Jesus’ primary self designation in all of his ministry on the earth.  This is an important distinction, because in scripture (our measuring ruler) there are at least 30 verses*** that state unequivocally that Jesus was born a man, and 0 verses that state directly that he became a man.  Interesting, no?

In Ezk 2:8-10, when I read those verses, I can’t help but think of the phrase “take your medicine”.  In this instance, it doesn’t sound as if the medicine is pleasant (although it is indeed later described as tasting sweet as honey).  He is ingesting lamentations, mourning, and woe, and then told to go and speak to his people, the Jews in exile.

Ezk 3:10-11:  “Moreover he said to me, ‘Son of man, all my words that I speak to you, receive in your heart and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to the children of your people, and speak to them. And whether they will hear or whether they will refuse to hear, say to them, “This is what the Lord Yahweh says.’” This is one of the key things to take away from this, a core principle.  God knows that we’re a stubborn people, just like ancient Israel.  He still attempts to reach out to us, to speak to us in a variety of different ways: whether we will hear or whether we refuse to hear is up to us, but God is trying to say something.

Ezk 3:15-17 “Then I came to the exiles…and I sat there…overwhelmed for seven days. And at the end of seven days the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel, so hear the word from my mouth and give them warning from me.”  This small blurb in v15 lets us know that this vision took it’s toll on Ezekiel.  He sat overwhelmed for 7 days, then the word of God came to him and appointed him as a watchman for his people.  A watchman is defined as “One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a sentinel “.  Someone to keep people safe.

Ezekiel 3:18- 21 are some of my favorite verses in the entire book of Ezekiel, I’ve got them highlighted in my bible.   This is the original “if you see something, say something” statement, by God to Ezekiel, with the caveat that if they chose not to listen then it wasn’t his fault, but if he chose not to say something he would be accountable.  What about us though?

That’s a little bit scary, when you carry it over into our modern lives.  How many times have you seen someone engaging in destructive or even self-destructive behavior, and chosen to keep silent for whatever reason?  I think of some very specific examples in my own life, and the times when I’ve kept silent when I should have spoken, and most of the times I think of are just because I didn’t want to be socially awkward. 

Now listen, it is absolutely not our job (nor our privilege) to hound and harass someone who believes or acts different than we do.  HOWEVER, in this present evil age, it seems as if it has become more of an “every man for himself!” and that is directly contrary to scripture.  The second greatest commandment (according to Jesus) is: love your neighbor as yourself.

A gentle word of correction, a loving nudge in the right direction, perhaps an inspiring and applicable bible verse, or even a simple “Hey man, God loves you.” can alter someone’s course.  Be a good servant, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick or imprisoned, help the widows and orphans, and take no personal credit.  Love and glorify God.  Take criticism lovingly, be unoffendable, and live the love that Jesus exemplified.  I am absolutely not endorsing slamming someone over the head with scripture until they comply, but  shouldn’t we be taking care of each other, in love?  I suppose what I’m really saying here is, “Hey man, God loves you.”.  Pass it along.

The Kingdom is ready: gather them in****.  Is everyone going to listen?  Is everyone going to care?  Is everyone going to immediately correct course by seeing your example and submit themselves to the will and authority of God?  Nope, probably not, but you will have done your job.  Ezk 3:27 “But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says.’ The one who hears, let him hear, and the one who refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How many times have you seen a friend or family member doing something contrary to God’s word?  Think of 1-3 examples.
  2. Did you say or do anything to correct that?  Why or why not?
  3. What are 3 ways you can think of that we could, non-judgmentally, offer a better course of action when we see our brothers (or sisters) going astray? (Be specific)

PRAYER

Father God, please forgive me for all of the times when I was too timid to speak your word when I should have.  Give me the words, and open my mouth when it is needed, to tell others of how very much you love us.  Use me as you see fit, to your glory.  In Jesus name, Amen.

* All scripture quotations will be from the REV translation today.

** It should be noted that since it says in scripture that no man has seen God directly (John 1:18,  1 John 4:12, 1 Timothy 6:16 ), that the instances where this is described in scripture are most likely through an agent (as in Ex 3:2-4 when the angel of YHWH in v2 is then referred to as YHWH in v4, among many other examples), a vision (such as this one in Eze 1, among many others), or a dream (Job 33:14-15, among many others).  This one is clearly stated as a vision, in Eze 1:1.  Agent, Vision, Dream: remember, these are the ways in which man can see God (and live).

*** Luke 2:7, Matt 1:21, Gal 4:4, Heb 2:14, Heb 2:17, Acts 2:22, Acts 17:31, 1 Tim 2:5, Rom 5:15, John 8:40, etc. There are at least 30 verses in the NT that reiterate that Jesus was a human being who was born a man,  appointed by God and empowered by the spirit of God.  This is not counting the @80 times “son of man” was used (primarily as a self identification by Jesus), and in addition to the myriad of verses from the OT describing the requirements of the Messiah as being a human Israelite male descended from David (Gen 3:15, Deut 18:18, 2 Sam 7,Psalms 89, etc).  Pretty solid evidence, particularly when weighed against later “became a man” theories with 0 verses confirming them directly.

**** A message given to my blind father, in a vision.  The one who hears, let him hear.

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Pay Attention

Ezekiel 40-42

Devotion by Rebeca Dauksas (South Carolina)

The Israelites have been in exile for twenty-five years and it has been about fourteen years since the fall of Jerusalem. The prophet Ezekiel is in Babylon when he experiences visions of God. He is taken to a very high mountain in Israel and from the south side he sees buildings that look like a city. He is visited by a man whose appearance was like bronze, an angel. He is holding a measuring tool. He told Ezekiel to closely pay attention to everything he would show him and he was to tell the people of Israel everything he saw.

He was shown a temple complex. It was given with detailed and specific measurements and dimensions including outside walls, gates, alcoves, thresholds, porches, outer courts, rooms, etc. Some say this vision symbolizes an ideal temple where God’s presence resides and God is glorified. Others believe that it is a literal future temple that will exist in the Millennium. There is much discussion on this vision. For instance, if it is a literal temple in the 1,000 year reign of Christ, why are there offerings there? Are these only memorial offerings remembering the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus provided? Though we may not understand everything about the vision, we know that it showed the people of Israel that there would be restoration and reconciliation with the LORD. This vision gave the people hope. They viewed the temple as a place to worship and praise the LORD. They had the same desire that we do. We want to be in the presence of God. We want to experience Him. After all, He is amazing and we love Him. He desires to be with us as well. How blessed we are to know that the LORD is with us. As the apostle Paul states, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? And God’s temple is sacred, together you are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:16&17b) How blessed we are to be so connected to the LORD. 

(As editor, I had been concerned that we had a few weeks with no one signed up to write devotions – so I sent out several emails and God answered with not just one writer for today – but two! So, with no apologies, but many thanks to God and to both Rebecca and Daniel, here is your second for the day…)

Devotion by Daniel Smead (Minnesota)

Today’s text is the start of another of Ezekiel’s visions, in which he again visits his homeland of Israel. It takes place on a mountain by a city, which is presumably a way of referring to Jerusalem, and Ezekiel observes a new Temple. His guide in that building is a shining figure, who sounds something like the figures that moved God’s throne-chariot back in chapter one. This figure measures the Temple and declares the dimensions for Ezekiel to record, having calculated them using a stick a bit over ten feet long.

Interestingly, this vision is one of only two places where Ezekiel states the exact date an event took place, the tenth of Nisan, near the start of the Hebrew year that went from 573-572 B.C. The vision is twenty-five years after Ezekiel was taken from Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple, and about thirteen years after the Temple’s destruction.

In its essence this vision allowed the exiles to look forward to a time when God’s people, again in the promised land, would have a renewed opportunity to worship God at a temple. The passage did not take shortcuts to describe this but went into minute detail. Rather than simply refer to the existence of a temple, we are told about its size and decorations as though the importance of fulfilling every detail is being emphasized. Using some effort, readers could put themselves in the scene alongside Ezekiel.

The building described in this text is quite large, and it is not a prophetic description of the Temple built in the time of Zerubbabel, after the Babylonian exile. Nor, apparently, did the returnees of that generation attempt to follow this design even when doing so would simplify their work. For example, 40:28-37 describes having three gates to the inner courts, and a Jewish Midrash says the second Temple had seven gates. In fact, the small number of gates, and the emphasis on large square rooms, raises the issue of the practicality of the design, and whether this was ever intended as a literal image of a building or just as a symbolic representation – the architectural equivalent of a parable, perhaps.

Ezekiel, as a priest who had ministered at Solomon’s Temple, would have a particular interest in the description this passage provides, whether it was symbolic or a future reality. But Ezekiel was not the High Priest, and even in his vision it seems that he does not enter the Holy of Holies, though he reports its dimensions (41:4). We hear nothing about the contents of that area.

I have written before about John’s measuring of the Temple in the book of Revelation, and how simple it can be for us when reading the figures in that passage to miss the time it would have taken to measure those distances. The same issue applies here. The long period when Ezekiel watched the shining figure go about this task, announcing number after number, can only have felt surreal. Obviously, this scene was leading somewhere, though learning what awaits tomorrow’s text. In the meantime, Ezekiel moved through a nearly empty building, large enough to hold thousands of people, simply recording its dimensions.

How often do you find yourself caught in a moment, feeling incomplete, unsure what comes next? At that time the exiles in Babylon were probably wondering what their next steps would be, and this vision was part of how God laid out expectations for them. Ezekiel, in his vision, must have found it obvious that what he saw was building toward a larger point, although he could have been recording measurements for hours. It may not always seem as obvious to us when God is at work in our lives, or how. But it is to be hoped that we can maintain trust that God is working. I don’t know how often we learn quickly or plainly what our next steps need to be. Sometimes Ezekiel waited years between his visions, visions that we can simply turn pages to link together. And the fulfillment of all that he saw in his visions waited far longer than a few years.

Regardless of all that Ezekiel went through, and how long it took, if the Bible revealed that somewhere along the way he decided not to pay attention to what God was doing with him, that it was not all worth it, we would consider him foolish. From our perspective in history such a choice would appear absurd. But sometimes we, and indeed sometimes I, need to be reminded of this same principle for ourselves. My trust, and my attentiveness for what interests God, need firming up. I can’t expect to maintain the same focus always and in every situation; no one can. Humans don’t have that kind of attention span and focus. I, and maybe you, need to be reoriented when necessary. At times we also need to realize that God still cares about us, continuing to be open and accepting despite our failings. The people God was telling about a new temple had their old one destroyed just 13 years earlier. God is open to offering forgiveness and acceptance, but more than being open to that, God strongly desires to provide it to us, in love.

Reflection Questions

  1. What thoughts and feelings might Ezekiel’s original audience have had before Ezekiel’s temple vision – as they have been stuck in a foreign land far from God with no clear way to worship Him and even no temple to try to return to? Have you ever felt similarly?
  2. What thoughts and feelings might Ezekiel have had as he was getting a tour of this temple? As he was sharing his vision? How might the people have responded?
  3. In what ways might God be asking you to pay attention to what He has done, is doing and will do? Is there anything in your past that you didn’t understand at the time but you can see now how God was using it in preparation for your future?
  4. When do you find yourself needing hope? What gives you hope?
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All Glory to God

In Ezekiel 28 through 31 God continues to condemn all of the other nations around Israel for their evil.  He dedicates a lot of time to Egypt because they did not give glory to God for the blessings that he had given to them.

“9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.“‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” 10 therefore I am against you and against your streams,”

The ancient Egyptians had stumbled upon and settled in one of the most fertile areas on earth and because of the natural flooding of the Nile river at the right times of the year had prospered and grown in numbers and in power in the ancient world.  For all of these blessings they did not thank God and instead had taken the glory for themselves, with their rulers counting themselves as one of the gods, and they took credit for the river and the life that it brought.  

Today we live in a blessed nation that has a history of being mostly God fearing and because of that history God has blessed us for many generations and that has led to us being the most powerful nation on earth.  We do not need to be afraid of foreign nations invading our borders because of the large oceans on either side of our continent, and we do not need to worry about having enough food because the fertile lands of the midwest grow an abundance of food and feed.  We need to remember our roots though, and always give glory to God for the blessings he has given us.  The Egyptians were on top of the world for many hundreds of years and might have thought that their glory days would never end, and likewise many in America feel like we are invincible, but if we stop serving God and giving him glory that can all dry up very quickly.  Covid has shown us how quickly jobs and health can be lost, and how quickly life can change in strange ways.  So let this be a wakeup call to us that we cannot be complacent in the good times, we cannot forget about the one who made the world and gave us all of the good things we have in life.  We can also take this slower time during Covid to dedicate more time to God and work on strengthening our relationship with Him.

Chris and Katie-Beth Mattison 

Sweet & Sour

Revelation Ch. 10

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Every time that I go back and read through Revelation, I think about how awesome it would be to see it in a movie or comic book, since it is full of amazing imagery, suspense, and some humor. I see a little bit of dramatic humor coming out in chapter ten, as we are about to get the information that we have been desiring since chapter five… and then we don’t. I feel as if John wants to keep us on the suspense train as long as possible in order to make his point.

 

After the sixth trumpet sounds, we are introduced to an angel that is holding a “small” scroll in his hand. Now, this scroll is likely the same Scroll that we saw in God’s hand in chapter five, and the same Scroll that had the seven seals broken off through chapters six, seven, and eight. Narratively speaking, we have not learned the contents of that original Scroll yet, so it is unlikely that this is a brand-new scroll that is being introduced into the storyline. The size of the Scroll is not a major point; it is possible that the Scroll had to become smaller for John to later eat it. If the Scroll was the same size as it was in chapter five, being able to fit in God’s hand, John could be eating it for quite a while.

 

Coming back to the dramatics of the story, we are finally going to learn what the Scroll says! This is the moment when we find out what God’s message is to His people!… and then John eats it… and it is sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach… What in the world is going on here?

 

John is acting like one of the Old Testament prophets, Ezekiel, who also was told to eat a scroll from God and then to speak the message of its contents (see Ezekiel 3:1-3). In like manner, whatever John is going to speak next in the story is going to be the contents of this Scroll. Although it is a strange method to communicate to the seven churches, it gets the job done; it is probably better that we don’t question everything God chooses to do, because we could drive ourselves crazy trying to understand it all.

 

What we can learn practically today from this message is that sometimes God’s message can be sweet and bitter at the same time. The gospel is fantastic news that will bring us eternal, perfect life, but is also bitter as we are called to die to ourselves daily as we follow Jesus. Just like everything in life, there are good and difficult consequences to our decisions, and the decision to follow Jesus is no different. I encourage you to look at both sides of the coin before moving forward, because it can become difficult. Is the reward enough for you to go through the bitter consequences?

 

Talon Paul

God’s Presence and the Exile

 

Text: Ezekiel 11

Ezekiel 11 19

This week so far, we’ve talked about creation, the garden, and the tabernacle, exploring how they fit into the theme and story of God’s presence. Today I want to talk about exile, or that feeling you get when you know you aren’t home, and things aren’t right. It’s an ongoing theme for the Israelites. We see it when Adam and Eve are kicked out of the garden, we see it when the Israelites are held captive in Egypt, and now we’re going to see it again as Israel and Judah are given into the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians.

 

Let’s do a quick fly-by to bring us to this point from where we left off in history. Moses and the Israelites wander around in the desert for a while and eventually reach their promised land in Canaan. The Israelites capture the land under the leadership of Joshua. After Joshua, Israel is led by a series of Judges, people who get Israel out of a bind after they have been stupid over and over (and over) again. After that, Israel is brought together under the kingships of Saul, David, and Solomon. David, like Moses, receives plans for a temple from God, and his son, Solomon completes them, the difference being that Solomon’s temple was much more grand and permanent than Moses’s tent. Moving on, after Solomon’s death, the people divide into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms.

 

God’s people at this point have an ongoing problem. They aren’t following their covenant with God. They prostitute themselves to other gods. Even under dire warnings (Dt 29 and Jer 25, among many others), they continue to make their own way. They aren’t even getting along with each other, hence the divided kingdom. They simply do not get the point, and as a result, God, even while being slow to anger (Exo 34:6), has reached a point where he has to serve justice. And by that, I mean allow Assyrians and Babylonians to come clean house on them.

 

And clean house they do. Israel is pummeled and scattered by the Assyrians. Judah is taken by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar sieges Jerusalem in about 598 BC and 587 BC, taking the people of Judah into captivity. The second time, the temple of Solomon is destroyed, too. You can find a particularly devastating account of this siege in Jeremiah 52. It’s great bedtime reading for all the kids.

 

What. In. The. World. At this point, it would sure seem like God’s people are done for. They had a pretty good run, but this must be the end.

 

But not all is lost. In Ezekiel 11:16-20, God shows Ezekiel a glimmer of hope, and has him relay the message to the others who are in exile. Even though they are scattered and captive, God is still their sanctuary (or their temple, if you will). He is going to give them back their land, and turn their hearts of stone soft. They’re going to be his people, and he’s going to be their God. Yet, in verses 22 and 23, God shows Ezekiel that his presence is leaving the temple, in the form of a strange cherubim-driven chariot. So God’s not even in his temple anymore, but he’s still with a few of his faithful people who are in exile, sustaining them.

 

Through Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, among others, we see God making some pretty big promises about coming out of exile, a new temple, a messianic king, and a renewed rule (kingdom) of God, for starters. But for the time being, exile is the reality for God’s people.

 

The Persians eventually conquer the Babylonians in 539 BC, and Cyrus the Great allows the Israelites in exile to go home if they want. Only a small portion go back. Maybe now things will get better, back to the good old days. We can get a new king, build the temple again, and God will be with us. We’ll have rest from our enemies.

 

And they do rebuild the temple (see Ezra and Nehemiah about all of this), but it isn’t anything near what it used to be (Hag 2:3), and there is no indication that God’s presence ever fills it like the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple. Something is still not right. God’s people are back to their land, but it doesn’t really feel like home. They are struggling to find their identity again. They’re still not following God’s covenant. Where’s God? What is going on? It’s like the exile never really ended. And perhaps it still hasn’t ended. It has, at best, been replaced by new exiles into new Babylons over the centuries, and that’ll likely be what we continue to see until everything is restored.

 

If this whole thing makes you feel a little bummed, that’s just a taste of the exile feeling. The exile was massively painful for God’s people, and so much of scripture is dedicated to wrestling with the questions and emotions brought up by it. According to many, the narrative of scripture is shaped around it. And exile isn’t just the experience of Israel, it is a reality we share in, as well. While we give Caesar his due, really we are citizens of God’s dimension, heaven (Phil 3:20). So we remain faithful to our God, and hold on to a hope that there is something better just around the corner.

 

“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” -Malachi 4:2

 

I hope that verse made you smile as it made me smile. There’s hope and a new day. There is indeed a new temple for the Israelites, with the presence of God, even. But it’s not the kind they’re expecting. More on this tomorrow.

 

-Jay Laurent

Responding to the Glory of God

 

Ezekiel 43-44

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Sunday, April 2

How should we respond to God’s glory?

To be able to answer this question, we should know what God’s glory is. A simple definition is His character, holiness, and excellence revealed. It is the essence of God on display.

In today’s passage, we read about Ezekiel experiencing God’s glory in a vision. He hears the voice of the LORD (Yahweh), which sounds like “the roar of rushing waters,” sees the land “radiant with his glory,” and witnesses the glory of Yahweh filling the temple (Ezek. 43:1-6).

You and I will likely never get the opportunity to receive a vision from the Almighty in which we can see His glory in such an amazing fashion. But God has revealed aspects of His character, holiness, and excellence to us in several ways. In these we can experience the glory of God and respond to it.

God has revealed Himself through His creation. This idea is called Natural Revelation. Romans 1:20 says “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” When one looks at nature it is difficult, at least for me, to believe that everything seen came about by chance and was not designed by an intelligent being. While Natural Revelation doesn’t tell us much about who God is, it does show a great deal about what He is capable of and how great He is.

God has also revealed Himself through the scriptures. What Natural Revelation leaves out about who God is, the Bible fills in much more. The writers of each book in the Bible were inspired by God through His holy spirit. They rely stories of the wonderful things He has done and inform readers of what He can do, and some even reveal what He will do in the future. The Bible offers a large portrait of the greatness and goodness of God, but doesn’t give a complete picture. Not until we dwell with Him in His kingdom will we experience the full weight of His glory.

God has revealed Himself through His son. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree is an expression often used to illustrate how a son is very much like his father, this could be said of Jesus. But more accurately it would be said that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree at all, it is essentially still part of the tree. Jesus is the exact representation of His father. If we want to get a better picture or understanding of God, the best thing we can do is to simply read the Gospels that tell of Jesus. The character of Christ is the character of God. The attributes Jesus exhibits are the same of his father. The glory of God is seen in His son.

The question still remains, how are we to respond to God’s glory?

I think our response should be twofold.

(1) We should be reverent. God is not like us. He is perfect. He is holy. He has great power. He created the world in which we live and, when we messed it us, had a way to make it right again. So, he deserves to be praised. He is entitled (it is his right) to be worshiped. This reverence we have for God should lead to not just passive adoration, but active glorification. We can stand in church and say God is great, but if we think this to be a great truth, it should move us to give our lives to him and serve him everyday of our lives.

(2) We should be repentant. When I say God is holy this means two things: he is set apart and he is pure. We, as human being who engage in sin, are not pure and we tend to act the same as everyone else, making us not set apart. That being said, we are called to be holy as God is holy. The first step towards holiness is repentance. We must forsake our sin and choose Jesus instead. He is the only one who can make us holy.

As you read our passage for today, as you go outdoors and see the beauty that is nature, and when you read about Jesus in the gospels, think about how you should respond. After all, you’re experiencing God’s glory.

-Joel Fletcher

Joel Fletcher is a former student of ABC. He currently lives in Minnesota with his wonderful wife Stephanie. He likes to read boring non-fiction books, watch boring baseball, and hang out with his NON-BORING wife in his free time. He is planning on teaching a class at FUEL this year (its topic will not be boring).

In His Sanctuary

 

 

 
Ezekiel 40-42

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Saturday, April 1

Confession time: It is really easy for me to skim over these chapters filled with rich detail and precise measurements of the ideal temple. However, I am trying my best to pull some application out of this beautifully described temple.

I do not believe that God would give Ezekiel this vision for no reason. Perhaps God gave Ezekiel this vision to make a point about how God wants the people in exile to live. As a child I can remember being told not to run in the sanctuary. So, instead we learned to play tag, fast-walk edition. I can remember my parents telling me that we did not want to run in God’s house.

Whether it be a sanctuary in our modern-day church, or a temple during the times of Ezekiel, The Holy Spirit dwells in these places of worship. Perhaps God shares vivid imagery of this temple to express how badly he wants to dwell with the Israelites again. God awaits the reconstruction of the temple because he wants to live among the people. God yearns to spend time with us! However, like my parents had to tell me to stop running in the sanctuary, sometimes we need to be disciplined to put us in our place. God had to discipline his chosen people in hopes that they would turn away from their sin and follow the desires of God. In order to change their ways of idolatry and sin, drastic changes were necessary.

Phew! Aside from the description of the breathtaking temple, we have some application!

I pray God blesses you as you continue your daily walk with Him!

-Amber McClain

From Dry Bones to Streets of Gold

Ezekiel 37-39

Ezekiel 37 amber 

Friday, March 31

What a powerful passage.  If you would like a visual of the valley of dry bones, I recommend checking out this minute and a half Youtube clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dafYxu8cQQ).

 

While we can pull out hundreds of things to say about this passage, I am going to stick to two simple ideas.  Ezekiel 37 acts as a double prophecy.  In other words, we can expect two different things to happen:

  1. God will restore Israel and make a nation again from the scattered people. He will bring his chosen people back to the promised land.
  2. God will establish His kingdom on Earth. We know that Jesus is coming back to Earth again to reign until God Himself reigns above all men.

 

We see in Ezra and Nehemiah that prophecy number one is fulfilled as the temple is rebuilt.  In the New Testament we also get a glimpse at prophecy number two.  When Jesus died on the cross we know that the curtain was torn and we have hope in the future Kingdom! After all, Jesus did preach most about the kingdom of God during his time on earth.

 

As my dad says, he has two major goals in life: 1. To be sure he maintains a strong relationship with God, and 2. To get as many people into the Kingdom as possible.  I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to live forever on the streets of gold glorifying God and Jesus all day long! How are you furthering the Kingdom cause through your everyday actions?

 

Revelation 21:1-4: Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!” God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or morning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

-Amber McClain