Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 25, 2017, for Ezekiel 22-23.
Throughout Ezekiel there are certain themes that keep circling back around: God’s judgment against Jerusalem, Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. In today’s reading we see another very graphic depiction of Israel’s immorality. This time, it’s the northern kingdom of Samaria and the southern kingdom of Judah. They are likened to two sisters who prostitute themselves. They again perform lewd acts shaming themselves before their neighbors. It’s very sad, indeed.
God searches for someone to help: “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” God could find no one righteous to fill the gap and act as the mediator between God and His people.
We know the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ and God’s Kingdom. One day, Jesus would stand in the gap to keep God from destroying the earth. Jesus on the cross fills the gap between a holy God and a sinful people.
I hope that these devotions from Ezekiel will help you to see some important truths with greater clarity. God loves His people very much. God wants His people to be faithful and obedient. Some are and some aren’t. When His people are unfaithful, God brings calamity and judgment, in order to turn people’s hearts back to Him. It’s not the judgment that ultimately turn hearts, but it’s the fact that despite all of our wicked acts that deserve punishment, God is faithful to His promises and His steadfast love remains. Ultimately, it’s God’s mercy that leads us to repentance. May you know His love and His mercy through Jesus Christ, the man who did stand in the Gap for us.
Reflection Questions
What are the main themes of Ezekiel? How can we learn from them?
How does Jesus, a mediator to fill the gap, change the relationship between God and His people? How has it impacted your relationship with God?
Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 24, 2017, for Ezekiel 20-21.
In Ezekiel 20 God reviews Israel’s history. Over and over God provided for His people, over and over He warned them to get rid of their idols, keep His commands and observe His Sabbaths. Over and over Israel failed to obey God and experienced the consequences. Over and over God was compassionate and loving and forgave His people and restored them to blessings.
Israel has repeated this history again. They failed to get rid of idols, they failed to keep his commands and observe his Sabbaths, and now they were about to experience the consequences of their sins. God would once again treat them with mercy, not as their sins deserved and restore them to their land.
Ezekiel juxtaposes God’s promise to be merciful and restore His people with the threat that His judgment is coming and that both the evil and the good will be cut off from the land and the city and the temple. Yes, everyone will suffer the consequences of the evil behavior of some.
There is tension throughout Ezekiel. The wicked will suffer for their sins and the righteous will not suffer, except that at first they will suffer for the sins of others. Sometimes when God brings his judgment designed to bring people to repentance there is collateral damage. Good people suffer when bad people sin. It’s how it was then, it’s still how it is today. God’s salvation is coming, earth will one day be restored and made whole and good, but in the meantime, good people will suffer alongside the wicked. Christians are martyred in places like Pakistan and Syria. Christians sometimes suffer persecution in the United States. Trials may come to God’s people during times of judgment, but those who trust God and repent of their sins will be saved.
Reflection Questions
How often do we fall into the same cycle of disobedience that the Israelites followed for generations? What can be done to help break the cycle for you personally?
How does God’s mercy and justice coexist throughout Ezekiel and today?
What trials are you willing to persevere to avoid disobedience to God?
Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 23, 2017, for Ezekiel 17-19.
God used the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar to enact His judgment against Israel. He carried off King Jehoiachin and 10,000 nobles to Babylon and installed Zedekiah to act as his vice regent or king in Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah warned Israel that this was God’s judgment and that the exiles would not return from Babylon until the people repented. But the people didn’t listen and false prophets gave Israel false hope that Babylon might soon fall. So Zedekiah broke his treaty with Nebuchadnezzar and made an alliance with Egypt. This led to a revolt against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar crushed the revolt. Eventually, Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar and King Zedekiah and family were carried back to Babylon where they faced Nebuchadnezzar’s wrath. Zedekiah had his eyes put out and his sons were executed. Israel did not repent quickly nor easily, and because of her stubborn disobedience they continued to suffer.
In Ezekiel 17 God chose to use the allegory of an eagle plucking up the top of a cedar and then replanting it to depict His judgment against His people and to remind them of His power to build and His power to destroy.
In Ezekiel 18 God gives a very clear teaching to His people on the nature of sin, righteousness, judgement, repentance and forgiveness. Each person is responsible for their own actions. Parents are not held responsible by God for the sins of their children, and children are not held responsible by God for the sins of their parents. Each person is responsible for their own behavior. In the same way, you don’t get credit for your parents good behavior if you do bad. Each person is responsible for their own sin and will be judged accordingly.
There is good news imbedded in Ezekiel 18. God doesn’t take any pleasure in seeing wicked people die. God wants to see people who do evil turn away from their evil. God wants everyone to repent. If an evil person repents, God will not punish them. If a righteous person turns evil, they will be punished for their evil behavior. God is a God of both mercy and justice. He will punish unrepentant evildoers and he will forgive and restore those who repent of their evil. This chapter is best summarized in the final three verses: 30“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
In Ezekiel 19, there is a lament for the end of the Messianic dynasty that came from David. Since the time of David, his descendants, beginning with Solomon reigned as Kings over Israel. But that has been brought to an end. There were no more descendants of David serving as the Lord’s anointed over Israel. Of course, we have the benefit of hindsight. We live on this side of the New Testament. After several hundred years of NOT having a descendent of David as King of Israel, one was finally born in Bethlehem and his name is Jesus. One day, Jesus will sit upon the throne and rule over not only Israel, but all the earth. In the meantime, we have a choice, we can turn away from our sins and turn to God, or we can face the judgment. Jesus Christ is God’s provision for our salvation. We go to him to get a new heart and a new spirit.
Reflection Questions
Why did God provide an allegory for the people in Ezekiel 17?
How often is suffering directly or indirectly an effect of disobedience to God or a lack of repentance?
Is it easier or harder to read, study, believe, and live out the Old Testament teachings now or before the New Testament was written? What are the advantages to each side? How can that impact how we read the Bible today and how should we respond?
Recently, I was involved in a discussion about parasites. (Old people, right?) One person was telling how their house became infested with bed bugs after buying a used car. Exterminators had to come and use equipment that heated up the ENTIRE house to 135 degrees fahrenheit! All plastics, foods, and other meltable items had to be removed from the home and it cost thousands of dollars. But it was the only way to completely get rid of every one of those little buggers! This story popped into my head while spending time in today’s reading.
Chapter 4 starts out almost hopeful. Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that if they just turn to God, God will forgive them and they will live free. That hopefulness lasts for about 4 verses. Then, Jeremiah warns of destruction from the north (Babylon). The rest of our reading is pretty dire. In chapter 5, Jeremiah lists their sins, the reasons the Lord is so displeased with them. His chosen people were being cruel to each other, getting rich through exploitation of the poor, and rebellious towards His decrees. Even the priest and prophets were proven to be cheats and liars and no one seems to notice or care (5:31).
So God promises destruction, similar to what the exterminators have to do to get rid of bedbugs. In 4:11, Jeremiah speaks of a scorching wind that will come and bring ruin to the land, followed by the army from a distant land. While God promises not to destroy it completely, it will be enough that the earth will mourn its loss (4:28).
Jeremiah ends today’s reading by comparing Judah with metal. As a blacksmith tests metal to determine its strength, God has tested the people but finds they are like tin foil (6:28-30).
Or maybe they are like all the plastic that had to be removed before my friend’s house had to be heated up to the extreme to destroy the bugs. They would not be able to survive God’s judgment without his mercy. We will read more about that later.
As we consider these passages today, let’s reflect on the fact that we would be in the same position as the people of Judah without the sacrificial grace we have received through Jesus Christ. Like a plastic popcorn bowl, Jesus has taken us out of the house before the coming heat.. In this case, the second death (Revelation 20:14-15).
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
While the judgement of Your people may be hard to hear, we must so that we can learn from their sins and so that we can also more greatly appreciate the importance of the grace we have received through the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us be aware of the ways the world is trying to turn us to rebellion. Thank you for your promises of peace in this life and everlasting time with You in the next.
In your Son’s name, Amen
-Maria Knowlton
Reflection Questions
What are some of the world’s thoughts on God’s judgment? What does God tell Jeremiah about His judgment?
Who gets God’s judgment? Who gets God’s mercy? What does Jeremiah say?
These chapters are a crescendo of God’s redemptive plan. From the confession of sin in Isaiah 59 to the celebration of salvation in Isaiah 63, we see a God who refuses to leave His people in darkness. Though judgment is real and sin has separated people from Him, God promises to act, not because His people are worthy, but because He is faithful.
Isaiah 59 opens with a hard truth: the problem is not that God is distant, but that sin separates us from Him. Yet God does not abandon His people. In verses 15–20, He looks and sees there is no one to intercede, so He promises to send a savior who will put on righteousness like armor and salvation like a helmet. This is a clear prophetic picture of Jesus, the Redeemer, who comes to Zion and turns hearts from transgression.
Isaiah 60:1 is stated as an enthusiastic command: “Arise, shine, for your light has come!”
God promises a day when His glory will shine on His people, even though darkness covers the earth. This is not merely for dramatic effect, it is the fulfillment of God’s plan to make His people a light to the nations. In Christ, this light has come, and now we are called to shine with His glory!
Isaiah 61 contains one of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture, the mission of the coming Messiah:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…” (Isaiah 61:1)
Jesus quoted this very passage in Luke 4 and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” God promises comfort, freedom, healing, and restoration. He trades ashes for beauty, mourning for joy, and despair for praise.
God is not content to redeem, He delights to rejoice over His people. In Isaiah 62:4 He says, “You will be called Hephzibah (My delight is in her), and your land Beulah (married).” No longer forsaken, no longer desolate, God’s people will be treasured, honored, and watched over like a crown in His hand.
God shows up as a mighty warrior, executing justice and salvation in Isaiah 63. He judges evil but also remembers mercy. In verses 7-9, the prophet recalls God’s faithful love and how He personally rescued and carried His people, to magnify His name in the world. His promises are not cold declarations, they are acts of compassion, flowing from His heart.
God’s promises are not vague hopes, they are guaranteed realities. When sin separates, He comes to redeem. When darkness falls, His glory rises. When the broken cry out, He binds their wounds. And when His people forget, He remembers. He is the God who keeps His covenants forever.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You are the God who keeps Your promises. When I am weak, You fight for me. When I am broken, You heal. When I am in darkness, You shine. Help me trust Your Word, live in Your truth, and walk in the light of Your glory. In your son Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions:
• Where do you struggle to put your trust in God?
• How have you grieved God’s Holy Spirit & have you repented, turned from sin, and gratefully accepted restoration?
• How has God’s light shone through you, in the midst of darkness?
• Are you walking in the identity and mission God has given you?
Psalms 136:1-9(NKJV) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. 3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: 4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; 6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; 7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever— 8 The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; 9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.
(I quoted the above section in the NKJV version because of the familiarity of the phrase “His mercy endures forever” but encourage you to read it in a different version as the word “mercy” is translated many ways.)
The Hebrew word “hesed” is found about 250 times in the Old Testament. It is translated “love and faithfulness,” “unfailing love,” “faithful love,” “steadfast love,” and “loyal love,” depending on the Bible version used. It has a bigger concept than just God’s love or mercy. His love for His people is an central and essential part of God’s character. The core idea of this term communicates loyalty or faithfulness within our relationship. Hesed is closely intertwined with God’s covenant with His people Israel in the OT.
We see this in our section of reading from 2 Chronicles today where Solomon is dedicating the Temple. The Temple in the OT is the dwelling place of God, specifically at the holy of holies, in the ark of the covenant. God’s “hesed” is in the perfect performance of His commitments expressed by the tablets that God gave Moses on Mt Sinai.
2 Chronicles 6:7-11(NLT) Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 But the LORD told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, 9 but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’ 10 “And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel.”
After a dedication service in Chapter 6, in Chapter 7 we see where God approves and accepts the sacrifices made there by the people. He does this by sending fire down, which we see as God’s approval of the sacrifice. God’s fire and presence are put in this Temple building giving His presence to that place.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3(NLT) When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. 2 The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!”
Think about the day of Pentecost at the start of the church that we are part of. God’s fire came down and rested on each of the apostles showing God’s approval and acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ. The holy spirit is given to those that follow Christ from that day. We are the Temple of God’s building, the church of the body of Christ. God’s enduring love is given to us with the same commitment and intensity as He has shown Israel in the OT. Our relationship with God is based on the covenantal sacrifice of the blood of Christ which allows us into the place and presence of Him.
Have a great day today with the mighty hesed of God watching over and keeping you in all you do!
-Tom Siderius
Reflection Questions
What verses of Psalm 136 really stand out to you? Are there any surprising verses? What do you notice about God’s character?
Where have you seen God’s hesed in Scripture? Where have you seen it in your lifetime? Are you confident it will endure forever?
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth… But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.Deuteronomy 28:1;15 (ESV)
Motivating my four children, ages 4 to 12, requires different strategies. My 12-year-old is motivated by rewards, i.e., if you do all your chores and then some extra work, you can have an extra 30 minutes playing the Switch. Consequences, however, don’t seem to faze her quite as much. The other 3 children are less cut and dry and require a more measured approach with rewards and consequences; however, one great challenge is follow-through. As busy parents with hundreds of things to do each day and limited energy reserves, it can be difficult to be consistent and follow through on our threats and promises.
God is not inconsistent. God is merciful, but he follows through on his promises. In Deuteronomy 28:1, he promises a blessing in return for obedience, but in Deuteronomy 28:15, he promises punishment for disobedience. It’s the same as a carrot and stick. Something tasty to motivate or something that brings pain to correct course. We see through Israel’s history that even though God followed through on his promises of blessing, he still had to break out the stick to use on a hard-headed people.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been preaching from Romans 7-8. In Romans 7, Paul writes about not understanding his actions. Paul knows what is right, he knows what God desires of him, and he wants to be obedient, but there’s a problem. Despite the faith in and knowledge of God’s ways, Paul succumbs to human desire and does the things he does not want to do, i.e., the things of the flesh. Can you believe it? Paul, the apostle, was a “slave” to sin in the flesh! Is that hard to believe? Paul is human like us, and despite what we know is right, we often don’t do the right thing. Why, why, why? Because sin is ingrained in the flesh.
There are debates on something called original sin, which is not something we’ll get into here, but it is clear we learn how to sin from an early age. We are naturally selfish as children; we need to be self-focused to survive, but as we mature, we should become less self-focused and more focused on the big picture. In the Christian view, we should be imitating Jesus, who humbled himself (Philippians 2). Jesus was a model of selflessness and submission to God’s will. Jesus did not want to die, yet he was obedient to the point of death so that many could be ransomed from the death that comes from sin; he saw the big picture. Though we can see the big picture, we often fall short of the kind of selflessness that Jesus modeled.
Unlike the Israelites under the old covenant, we have Jesus in clear view. We are not holding out hope for a future savior but rather holding onto the promise that the blood of Jesus has covered our sins past, present, and future. While we are called to obedience, God does not hold our salvation in limbo every time we mess up. We are faced with the present consequences of our mishaps with sin, but we have constant forgiveness through the blood of Christ Jesus. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”1 John 1:9 (NIV). We don’t have to go through the carrot and stick metaphor as partakers of the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. We must strive to be obedient, but fess up when we miss the mark, and move forward in each new day as we are redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
-J.J. Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
Why do you think it is so hard to balance the desires of the flesh with the knowledge of the living God and some pretty clear instructions on his will for us?
Is it easy to become discouraged when we fall short? What are some obstacles to confidence in our faith walk?
Does a tendency toward legalism sometimes impede our ability to deal with flaws in ourselves and others?
Is there a place for carrot-and-stick dynamics in church life and discipline?
What would Paul think about the way that some modern churches deal with reconciling the desires of the flesh with faithfulness to the gospel?
Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. – Deut 19:21
We serve a just God. Since the very beginning, He has worked to keep His justice system in place, while still pouring out His love and upholding His commitment to bring humanity back to Him. In Genesis, it was impossible for Adam and Eve to remain in the good and perfect world that God created for them, for they were no longer good and perfect. They were tainted with sin and death. But it broke His heart to lose His children, so He made a way for them to live out full and meaningful lives, and to someday be eternally reunited with Him in a renewed good and perfect world.
When Abraham’s descendants were established into the nation of Israel, they found themselves tugged toward sin and disorder, godlessness and false-god worship. And so God gave them a nice set of very thorough, very just laws, such as the ones we read about today. Israel served a God of order and righteousness, and was to be a nation of order and righteousness—a beacon among the lawlessness that surrounded them. Some of the laws found within these chapters seem harsh to us today, but this was before Jesus was sent to justify us freely. There had to be a system in place to bring God’s people back to Him when chaos ensued, and to discourage such chaos from coming about in the first place.
The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He. – Deut 32:4
Fortunately, our God of justice and order is also a God of love and mercy. By making His Son Jesus our sacrificial lamb, we are saved. We need not impose justice upon our neighbor by repaying an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, or a foot for a foot. We, the guilty, have been justified—our debt paid. Jesus, the innocent, took our full punishment. He is our city of refuge, where even the most stained by sin can find rest and grace.
In Jesus, justice and mercy collide. The weight of the law, which once demanded life for life, was satisfied on the cross. Because of his sacrifice, we no longer stand condemned, but redeemed. Let us walk in the freedom he purchased for us, extending to others the same mercy we have received, and living as a reflection of God’s righteousness in a chaotic world.
-Isabella Osborn
Reflection Questions:
God’s justice required that sin be dealt with, yet His love moved Him to make a way for redemption. How does understanding both His justice and mercy deepen your relationship with Him?
In what ways can you extend the same grace and forgiveness to others that God has given to you?
Israel was called to be a nation of righteousness and order, standing apart from the lawlessness around them. How can you live as a reflection of God’s righteousness in a world that often rejects His order and truth?
Our reading today starts with Zophar’s reply to Job’s defense of his righteousness.
Job 11:1-6(NLT) Then Zophar the Naamathite replied to Job: 2 “Shouldn’t someone answer this torrent of words? Is a person proved innocent just by a lot of talking? 3 Should I remain silent while you babble on? When you mock God, shouldn’t someone make you ashamed? 4 You claim, ‘My beliefs are pure,’ and ‘I am clean in the sight of God.’ 5 If only God would speak; if only he would tell you what he thinks! 6 If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!
Job fires right back at Zophar with a defense of his words and his position.
Job 12:1-5(NLT) Then Job spoke again: 2 “You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you! 3 Well, I know a few things myself— and you’re no better than I am. Who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying? 4 Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. 5 People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling
Job continues to plead with the comforters and God that he has no iniquity in him for God to judge him so harshly. As the book goes on, we see these themes repeat with the “comforters” replying.
Job 13:20-24(NLT) “O God, grant me these two things, and then I will be able to face you. 21 Remove your heavy hand from me, and don’t terrify me with your awesome presence. 22 Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and you reply. 23 Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin. 24 Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy?
Job 15:1-6(NLT) Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 “A wise man wouldn’t answer with such empty talk! You are nothing but a windbag. 3 The wise don’t engage in empty chatter. What good are such words? 4 Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? 5 Your sins are telling your mouth what to say. Your words are based on clever deception. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your own lips testify against you.
The direction that all these discourses are going is to bring us to an understanding of what is the essence of the book. Job is without “sin” it says in Chapter 1. Job 1:1(NLT) “There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.” But this verse focuses on the works of man in relationship to God, not the righteousness of God and the justice that His righteousness demands from us. We can never accomplish by our own effort or will the goodness or perfection of the righteousness of God. We have a rebellious sin nature that needs to be paid for and atoned for. In order to have a relationship with the just God we need to be changed from what we are. Today we see this section of Isaiah 53 fulfilled in our lives because Christ is the way that God has made payment for our rebellious nature. Only by being changed in Christ can we overcome the crushing defeat of our best efforts to be good. Our lives thankfully are subject to God’s mercy and grace in all we do.
Isaiah 53:10-12 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Praise God for the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ that has given us new life in him. Have a great day with God today.
-Tom Siderius
Questions for reflection:
Do you understand the statement about our “bent” nature and what does that mean (hint Rom 7:17-20)?
How can we start to see God in all His grace and mercy today?
against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.”
Psalm 119:169-176 (LEB):
“Let my cry come before you, O Yahweh;
give me understanding according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your word.
My lips will pour forth praise,
for you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your word,
for all your commandments are right.
Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation, O Yahweh,
and your law is my delight.
Let my soul live and praise you,
and let your rules help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
seek your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.”
Revelation 15:3-4 (LEB):
“And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb, saying,
‘Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.'”
The prophet Zephaniah opens with a solemn warning of the coming Day of Yahweh, a day characterized by divine judgment. The imagery of darkness, anguish, and distress serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of God’s justice. For those who reject His ways, this day brings fear and despair.
Yet, within this stark portrayal lies a call to repentance and an invitation to seek refuge in God. While Zephaniah emphasizes God’s wrath, it is important to remember that His justice is always intertwined with His mercy. In moments of turmoil and judgment, we are reminded of our need for God’s grace and guidance. This day of reckoning compels us to reflect on our own lives, ensuring that we align our hearts with God’s will.
In Psalm 119, the psalmist expresses a deep longing for God’s guidance and salvation. His heartfelt cry for understanding echoes the sentiment of Zephaniah—a recognition of human frailty and the need for divine intervention. The psalmist’s desire to follow God’s commandments illustrates the importance of aligning our lives with His truth.
As he pleads for deliverance and praises God’s statutes, we see the relationship between our obedience and God’s faithfulness. In our own lives, we are invited to seek God’s understanding and mercy, especially when we feel lost or astray. This passage reassures us that, even in our wandering, God is attentive to our cries, ready to respond with love and grace.
Revelation 15 presents a scene of worship in heaven, where the redeemed sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. This song celebrates God’s greatness, justice, and holiness. The acknowledgment of His righteous acts inspires awe and reverence, uniting all nations in worship.
In the midst of judgment, the song of the Lamb reminds us that God’s mercy prevails. The ultimate act of redemption through Christ is the source of our hope and assurance. As we reflect on our journey, we are invited to join in this eternal song, declaring God’s majesty and righteousness. The assurance of His salvation empowers us to face the trials of this world with faith and courage.
-Jeff Ransom
Reflection Questions:
How does the imagery of the Day of Yahweh in Zephaniah challenge your understanding of God’s justice and mercy?
In what ways can you seek God’s understanding and guidance in your daily life, especially during challenging times?
Reflect on the psalmist’s desire for salvation and obedience. How can you cultivate a deeper love for God’s commandments in your life?
What does it mean for you to sing the song of the Lamb in your everyday life? How can you express your worship and gratitude for His redemption?
Seek Grow Love 