Ezekiel 18
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
What an important scripture. Later it says that if a wicked man changes his ways his sins will be remembered no more. All of us have the chance to be pleasing to God. God is just and merciful.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
August 18th
This has been a very powerful day of reading for me.
First, how powerful was the part where God said that even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in Jerusalem, they could not save it, but they themselves would be saved. More powerful was the part that even their children could not be saved from the punishment that was coming. This reminds us of Sodom and Gomorrah. What a powerful statement that Jerusalem had become so wicked that it was worse than Sodom!
Secondly, I had not remembered the story in Ezekiel where God compares Israel to an abandoned child that he found and rescued. She grew with His help and became beautiful. He entered into a covenant relationship with her (married her) and gave her fine cloths and shoes, fine food and drink, perfumes, gold jewelry and a crown. She became beautiful and renowned with God's care. Then God says that she gave herself away to any one that would look at her. She used all of the good things that God had given her to build and worship idols. She was worse than a prostitute, because she refused pay, but instead chased after all of her lovers (other nations) throwing all of her wealth at them like a starved for love, depraved, lewd degenerate. How very hurt God was by all of this! This is so powerful to me, because it tells me that we can really hurt God when we are unfaithful to Him. Let us ever be careful to really be true to him.
First, how powerful was the part where God said that even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in Jerusalem, they could not save it, but they themselves would be saved. More powerful was the part that even their children could not be saved from the punishment that was coming. This reminds us of Sodom and Gomorrah. What a powerful statement that Jerusalem had become so wicked that it was worse than Sodom!
Secondly, I had not remembered the story in Ezekiel where God compares Israel to an abandoned child that he found and rescued. She grew with His help and became beautiful. He entered into a covenant relationship with her (married her) and gave her fine cloths and shoes, fine food and drink, perfumes, gold jewelry and a crown. She became beautiful and renowned with God's care. Then God says that she gave herself away to any one that would look at her. She used all of the good things that God had given her to build and worship idols. She was worse than a prostitute, because she refused pay, but instead chased after all of her lovers (other nations) throwing all of her wealth at them like a starved for love, depraved, lewd degenerate. How very hurt God was by all of this! This is so powerful to me, because it tells me that we can really hurt God when we are unfaithful to Him. Let us ever be careful to really be true to him.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
August 16th
In today's reading I was fascinated by God's taking Ezekiel by means of a vision to the Temple in Jerusalem to watch the detestable things that the people and elders were doing there. I was also impressed with the story of how God removed His presence from the place. The stories of retribution of terrifying. It's an awful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. Indeed, how could he have left it there any longer? I still wonder what happened to the Ark.
Monday, August 15, 2011
August 15th
Amazing things in today's reading:
-Ezekiel 1
25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
What an awesome description of God! God wanted to impress upon the people just how powerful He was.
-Ezekiel 3
16 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 people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[b] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
What a heavy burden that he and we have when we know the truth! If we don't let them know of their sin, then part of the guilt rests upon us as well. What a convicting concept.
-Ezekiel 4
God has Ezekiel lie on his side for over 300 days! The pain that he must have endured to be obedient! God required a lot from him and somehow I think that He wants total devotion from us as well.
-Ezekiel 1
25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
What an awesome description of God! God wanted to impress upon the people just how powerful He was.
-Ezekiel 3
16 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 people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[b] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
What a heavy burden that he and we have when we know the truth! If we don't let them know of their sin, then part of the guilt rests upon us as well. What a convicting concept.
-Ezekiel 4
God has Ezekiel lie on his side for over 300 days! The pain that he must have endured to be obedient! God required a lot from him and somehow I think that He wants total devotion from us as well.
August 14th
Several things that I like about today's reading:
-God reveals that it is the Medes that will bring about Babylon's downfall and it actually happens.
-God says that the capital of Babylon will be completely destroyed and never rebuilt. I thing that Sadam was trying to excavate and rebuild the capital, but was stopped by the war. Is this true?
-God reveals that it is the Medes that will bring about Babylon's downfall and it actually happens.
-God says that the capital of Babylon will be completely destroyed and never rebuilt. I thing that Sadam was trying to excavate and rebuild the capital, but was stopped by the war. Is this true?
Saturday, August 13, 2011
August 13th
Jeremiah 23
33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the LORD?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ I will punish them and their household. 35 This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the LORD’s answer?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘a message from the LORD’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the LORD’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ this is what the LORD says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the LORD.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”
I'm starting to gain new understanding as to why God hates false teachers and prophets. They drown out the truth that God is trying to get to his people. A few days ago in the reading Jeremiah complains that no one is listening to anything that God is saying to them, because they have all of these false prophets running around. This gets to why it is a serious thing to be a teacher. It is a sin to mislead the people.
33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the LORD?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ I will punish them and their household. 35 This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the LORD’s answer?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘a message from the LORD’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the LORD’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ this is what the LORD says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the LORD.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”
I'm starting to gain new understanding as to why God hates false teachers and prophets. They drown out the truth that God is trying to get to his people. A few days ago in the reading Jeremiah complains that no one is listening to anything that God is saying to them, because they have all of these false prophets running around. This gets to why it is a serious thing to be a teacher. It is a sin to mislead the people.
August 12th
Jeremiah 23
23 “Am I only a God nearby,”
declares the LORD,
“and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places
so that I cannot see them?”
declares the LORD.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the LORD.
God's omnipotence. God's omniscience. God's omnipresence.
23 “Am I only a God nearby,”
declares the LORD,
“and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places
so that I cannot see them?”
declares the LORD.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the LORD.
God's omnipotence. God's omniscience. God's omnipresence.
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