(317) November 13: Ezekial
1-3 & Hebrews 9
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what exactly
God calls Ezekial to do.
To ponder:
Ezekial is amongst
the exiles, south-East of Babylon by a tributary of the river Euphrates. We
don’t know what the “thirteenth year” referred to, but are told this was the
fifth year of King Jerhoiachin’s exile (see 2 Kgs 24). And God’s word comes to
Ezekial in the form of a vision of God in heaven (1v1-3).
Chapter 1 describes how him seeing a
massive windy stormcloud coming from the north. It is surrounded by light with
lighting flashing throughout it. These are motifs for God’s presence in
judgement and purity. In the centre are four fiery creatures with human bodies,
but four faces, four wings in addition to their hands, and four feet like a
calf’s, which gleam like bronze. The four faces are of the most supreme creatures
from amongst humanity, wild beasts, livestock, and birds. This reflects the
fact that all creation is to serve God as its king. Beneath each creature is a
wheel on the ground, so that all four creatures could move together in any of
the four directions the creatures faced, or up and down. This might be why they
are pictured with calves feet (for nimbleness) and wings. We’re told the wheels
move because the spirit of the creatures is in them, so when the creatures move
they do too. These creatures are therefore perfectly aligned with the will of
God as to where they should go.
The “eyes” on the wheels may denote
God’s omniscience, or just refer to precious stones. The wheels are certainly
portrayed as ornate and awesome, reflecting the majesty of God. This fits the
fact that above the creatures is a sort of ice-like platform, above which was a
sapphire throne, and high above that, a figure like that of a man. It seems
from the waist down he was just fire, but from the waist up had a body that
glowed as if full of fire, with a light surrounding him like a rainbow – the
sign of his continued favour towards all creation (as Gen 9). We’re explicitly
told Ezekial is seeing an “appearance” of God’s glory or excellence (1v28). And
again, this imagery implies his purity and judgement in particular, with his
sheer height, separated from the world by the ice-sheet, reflecting how
superior and set-apart or holy he is, in comparison with the creation (see Is
6). It seems then, that the creatures and their wheels are like a sort of
chariot that carries the LORD around the creation. We’re told that when moving,
the creatures stretch their wings to one-another, and their sound is like that
of rushing water, the voice of the Almighty and the tumult of an army. Significantly,
the first and last of these are images of judgement, implying the word God
speaks as he comes (as 1v25) might be one of judgement too.
All this makes draws the attention
to God speaking to Ezekial in chapter 2, emphasizing just how awesome this is
and how reverently his words should be heard – by us as by his orginal hearers.
Calling Ezekial “son of man” stresses his mortality and distinctiveness from
God. He is ordered to stand to be spoken to, and the Spirit raises him to his
feet (2v1-2). In some sense this pictures the great need of Israel and all
humanity - for God to speak and resurrect them from our spiritual death (see
chapter 37). God tells Ezekial he is sending him to the Israelites as a
generationally rebellious nation, forewarning him how obstinate they are, and
telling him he must tell them what the LORD says whether they listen or not. He
also tells Ezekial not to fear them, although danger may surround him, and not
to rebel like them (2v3-8a). These are words every Christian needs to hear, and
every preacher in particular.
At this point God tells Ezekial to
eat a scroll containing words of lament, mourning and woe, and then speak to
Israel. These things will therefore form the content of his preaching. But the
fact that the scroll is sweet-tasting reminds us that God’s word is good, and
is pleasant to those who accept it (2v8-3v3). Nevertheless, he stresses that
although there will be no language barrier between Ezekial and the people, and
although even those of a differently language would have listened if he
communicated to them, Israel will not because they are unwilling to (3v4-7).
Likewise, people may say they are rejecting God’s word today because they are
confused about it, but often it is simply that they don’t want it. Nevertheless,
God says he will make Ezekial’s forehead like stone, implying that he will
strengthen him to keep speaking and not be swayed (3v8-9).
Having been commissioned to speak to
the exiles, the Spirit then lifted him up and took him away. It’s not clear whether
the description of the sound of the living creatures’ wings implies they
transported him or that before he was taken away he heard God’s chariot depart,
implying that his vision was complete. It may be that what Ezekial is
describing is simply that he was compelled by the Spirit to get up and head off
to the exiles at Tel Abib near the same river he was already by (3v10-15). His
bitterness, anger of spirit with “the strong hand of the LORD upon me” probably
describes him feeling God’s own anger at the sin of the exiles, and God
compelling him to speak to it.
At this new location, it seems
Ezekial was overwhealmed, whether at his calling or the people’s sin. He is
then told that he has been made a watchman – a sentry who would sound the alarm
to a city. His role is therefore to warn. And he is told that if God declares a
wicked man will die or puts a stumbling block before someone who has turned
from righteousness so that they might die, yet Ezekial doesn’t warn and seek to
dissuade the person from their sin, then he too will be accountable, implying
he will also die, rather than be saved. By contrast, if the person is warned
and stops sinning, he will live, and Ezekial will be saved (3v16-21). It’s a
stark reminder of what is at stake for those who preach the gospel.
Again, under God’s strong
compelling, God sent him to a plain where he saw a vision of God as he had
before. Once again too, the Spirit raised him to his feet. If Ezekial had been
resenting the role he had been given, this could be understood as a second
commissioning. Perhaps as an acted parable of what he is about to be told, he
is commanded to shut himself up at home. God then told him he would at some
point be bound by the people so he could not prophesy amongst them. Moreover,
God would make him unable to rebuke them for their sin, except for when God
speaks to him. Then he is to say whatever the LORD says, and whoever will
listen will listen (3v22-27).
Praying
it home:
Praise God for
preachers and Christians who have been bold enough to warn you about sin and
its consequences. Pray that they would continue to do so, despite the pressure
not to.
Thinking
further:
To read an
introduction to Ezekial from the NIV Study Bible, click
here.
If you receive
this post by email, visit bible2014.blogspot.co.uk
and make a comment.
(318) November 14: Ezekial
4-6 & Hebrews 10:1-23
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note why God
says he is bringing judgement on Jerusalem.
To ponder:
God instructs
Ezekial to draw Jerusalem and act out a siege against it as a sign to Israel.
The iron wall between the prophet and the city, with the ramps and siege works
in place most likely signifies the strength of God’s hostility as he turns his
face to Jerusalem (4v1-3). We should remember that although Ezekial is in
exile, the siege of Jerusalem during king Zedekiah’s reign was yet to happen
(see 2 Kgs 25). Next, Ezekial is to lie on his side to bear the sin of Israel
and Judah respectively. The numbers are much debated. The 390 days probably
refers to the years of rebellion of both the north and south since the days of
Solomon, with the 40 days referring to the extra years Judah rebelled on her
own after the northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria (4v4-6). The point is
that the coming destruction of Jerusalem was a long time in coming, and a
fitting punishment for such persistent sin. Indeed, God himself says he will
tie Ezekial with ropes until he has finished lying on each side, signifying
that the siege of Jerusalem will not end until the people’s sin is fully paid
for (4v7-8). Likewise, the experience of unbelievers at the final judgement
will be in proportion to their sin.
The call of Ezekial to prophesy with
“bared arm” is a military gesture demonstrating that God is fighting against
his own people (4v7-8). The meagre rations the prophet must live on demonstrate
the scarcity of food during the siege, and the use of human excrement
(considered ritually unclean) for fuel, speaks of the defiled food that would
then be eaten in exile, and so the loss of the ritual cleanliness which was
necessary to be a worshipper of God (4v9-16). The point is that the people will
then be just like the nations. In kindness, however, God changes his
stipulations for Ezekial because of his concern at being defiled. Here the
prophet’s anxiety contrasts the flippancy of the Jews with regard to true
worship.
In what follows, Ezekial has to
shave and divide up his hair into three and deal with each in a way that
signified those dying in the city by plague or famine, by the sword outside,
and those scattered to the nations (5v1-2, 12). From the latter hairs, Ezekial
is to tuck some away implying that a remnant of the exiles will be kept safe.
But by then burning a few of these, he shows that God’s anger against Jerusalem
would spread to those amongst the exiles and remnant too – referring, perhaps,
to the final judgement of any who do not truly love God (5v3-4). At this point
God declares through Ezekial that Jerusalem had actually rebelled in her
idolatry more than the countries around her, which is why God will inflict a
punishment on her, the like of which will never again be seen, in which the
people will resort to cannibalism, and God will withdraw his favour without
pity (5v5-12). After this, he says his anger will cease and the people will
know that he himself had spoken through Ezekial, and with zeal, ie. passionate
anger at Israel’s sin (5v13). The city will then be a ruin, rebuke and warning
amongst the onlooking nations, presumably of the consequences of sin (5v14-17).
In speaking to the exiles, Ezekial is no doubt implying that they too should
learn from what they will soon hear has taken place. This is no doubt why the
awfulness of what occurred must be considered and preached today.
In chapter 6 Ezekial is to prophesy
against the land of Israel, declaring how God is going to bring the sword,
destroying the places of idolatry and slaying the people infront of their
idols. The scattering of their bones around the altars implies they are
desecrated. And this is all so that, when recalling the words of the prophets,
the people will know that God is the LORD – and, by consequence, their idols
are false (6v1-7). God goes on to speak of how some will escape death by being
taken into exile, where they will remember him, loathe themselves for their
evil and idolatry, and recognize that he is the LORD and didn’t threaten the
calamity in vain (6v8-10). Again, this urges those already in exile to the
same. Indeed, it is the result meditation on these things should bring today,
with an awareness of how certain judgement is when God predicts it.
At this point the LORD instructs
Ezekial to highlight the awfulness of what is coming by clapping, stamping and
crying out “Alas” because of Israel’s sin and the destruction it has provoked.
He then declares his wrath will reach all – those “far away” and already in
exile, those “near” and so living around Jerusalem, and those who “survive” the
destruction of the Judean towns around the city only to die of famine in the
siege (6v11-12). The point is that all who have sinned will we punished, until
God’s wrath is spent. He reiterates what this will mean in the land, making it
a desolate waste, and again asserts that this is so that the people will know
he is the LORD (6v13-14). Alongside all the evidence surrounding Christ, the
fulfilment of all the prophets’ predictions in the exile, as recorded for us in
scripture, is yet another proof to us that the God of Israel is the one true
God.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
concern that people are not left in their denial of him. Pray that your faith
that the LORD is the true God would be strengthened as you read Ezekial.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(319) November 15: Ezekiel
7-9 & Hebrews 10:24-39
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what has
so provoked God.
To ponder:
God’s word now
comes to Ezekiel, declaring the end of the land under God’s anger, and his
judgement without pity at the practices conducted there – again, so that the
people will know he is the LORD (7v1-9). Here God pictures a rod, which would
be used for punishing children, budding with arrogance and violence. This may
refer to how these sins have led to the punishment, or how God will use the
arrogance and violence of Babylon against the people. God’s promise is that the
time for punishment has arrived, no people or wealth will be left, and those
who have sold land will not be able to recover it as they will die. And so even
though the people may prepare for battle, it is pointless as they will not be
able to fight (7v10-14).
Once more we see the division
between famine and plague in Jerusalem, and the sword outside it. What is added
is a description of those escaping to the mountains moaning in terror at what
their sins have brought on them, and acting as those who are in mourning. Their
silver and gold is described as unclean because they used it to make idols and
images. But they are told that on the day of God’s wrath they will discard it
as useless as it won’t be able to save them. Rather, the foreigners attacking
them will take it as loot and defile it, and most serious of all, they will
desecrate God’s treasured place – the temple (7v15-22).
What we are seeing, is just how
utterly God’s judgement destroys all the false securities of this world. Only
his word, and our relationship with him that is based on it, endures forever.
At this point Ezekiel is told to
prepare chains as a symbol of the people being taken into exile. Because of the
violence in the land and in Jerusalem, God says he will bring the most wicked
nation against Israel, taking their houses, humbling the mighty, and
desecrating their sanctuaries – presumably their places of false worship. The
people are told that they will seek peace but will receive only calamity and
rumour – perhaps rumours of more to come that will leave them constantly
unsettled. They will be without God’s word or wisdom by prophet, priest or elder,
and so without guidance or hope. So the king, prince and people will despair
and tremble, as God judges them by their conduct. And only then, on
experiencing God’s wrath at their sin in fulfilment of his word, will they know
he is the LORD (7v23-27). We should note here, that a lack of those who teach
God’s word in the church today implies it is a church under judgement.
Chapter 8 begins a new section. By
noting the date of what follows, Ezekiel stresses its importance. Whilst
sitting in his house with some elders God’s hand came upon him and he was
transported in a vision to the temple in Jerusalem. He describes a figure matching
the one in the earlier chariot. This is God himself, which is why he is careful
to say the figure had an “appearance” of a man and “what looked like” a hand,
for God is spirit and only embodied in the Lord Jesus. Ezekiel records God
lifting him by the hair and the Spirit lifting him between heaven and earth –
probably meaning that he was up high in the air. He is taken to the temple gate
the king would pass through, where God tells him to look north and see an idol
that had been set up (8v1-4). It is “of jealousy” presumably because it
provoked righteous jealousy in God for inhabiting his temple and drawing the
affections of his people. There is a sense in which all idols can therefore
take this title. God asks Ezekiel if he sees the detestable things being done
here, no doubt in worship of this idol, and explains it is this that will send
him far from his sanctuary. He then gets Ezekiel to dig through a wall where he
sees what seems to be a secret doorway to a room. There 70 elders and a
prominent leader offer incense in front of idols and carvings of detestable
animals, which may have been the snake-gods of surrounding pagan cultures
(8v5-11). God notes that these people each have their own idol and assume the
LORD doesn’t see and has forsaken the land. Returning Ezekiel to the north
gate, he then points out women engaging in the cultic practice of mourning Tammuz,
a Sumerian god. The note with each scene that Ezekiel will see even more
detestable things, highlights just how bad Israel’s idolatry was. And so,
Ezekiel is finally brought to the inner court where he sees 25 men with their
backs to the temple, the place of God’s presence, bowing to the east in worship
of the sun (8v12-16).
Even in the church of today, the
gods of other religions are worshipped and prayed to in so called multi-faith
services. Although it is considered intolerance in our pluralistic culture, we
should note that this too is detestable to the Lord.
In the light of all this, God asks
Ezekiel if it is trivial that Judah are doing these things, adding that they
also fill the land with violence. It is for these reasons, he says he will act
in anger towards then, not showing pity even if they shout in his ears
(8v17-18). The meaning of “putting a branch to their nose” is uncertain.
Perhaps it refers to them bringing harm upon themselves. Whatever the case, we
are being shown that the terrible destruction of Jerusalem that we have read
of, was a just punishment for the most appalling idolatry and evil.
At this point God calls 6 guards to
come from the north with deadly weapons. With them is a man in linen, the
priestly garment. God’s glory then moves from above the cherubim (as in chapter
1) to the threshold of the temple. The sense is that he is about to leave as he
tells the man to put a mark on the foreheads of all in the city who grieve over
the idolatry, calling the guards to kill everyone else without pity, starting
with the elders in the sanctuary, and fill the temple courts with the slain, so
defiling it. This idea applies to the final judgement too (see Rev 7v3, 1 Pet
4v17). In response Ezekiel cries out, asking God whether he is going to kill
all those remaining from the once significant Israel, and the LORD replies that
he will not show pity because of how great the people’s sin is (9v1-11).
Praying
it home:
Praise God that he
is a jealous God, loving his people that intently. Pray that the church in the
west would be clear in its rejection of other religions and gods.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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this post by email, visit bible2014.blogspot.co.uk
and make a comment.
(320) November 16: Ezekiel
10-12 & Hebrews 11:1-19
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read consider the
significance of God’s glory leaving the temple.
To ponder:
From his
chariot-throne God now tells the man in linen to take coals from amongst its
wheels and scatter them over the city (10v1-2). If the coals represent coals
used in burnt offerings, they stress the penalty of sin being paid in
judgement. What follows is the presence and glory of God moving from the south
of the temple to its threshold, whilst filling the inner court with a sort of
radiant cloud (as chapter 1). The note that the wings of the cherubim could be
heard at the outer court implies the LORD moving away (10v3-5). Again, God
tells the man to take the fire (presumably the coals), and one of the cherubim
gives it to him with what looks like a man’s hand (10v6-8). This detail might
be to highlight the role of angels in judgement.
10v9-17 repeat the description of
the cherubim and chariot from chapter 1. The substitution of a face of a cherub
for the initial face of an ox, may therefore a scribal error in copying. The
mention of the cherubim and wheels being covered in eyes probably stresses the
fact that God moves and acts according to what he sees throughout the earth.
The repeat of the description emphasizes what follows: God’s glory departed
from the threshold and sort of alighted upon the chariot-throne. The chariot
was then carried by the cherubim to the east gate (10v18-21), ready to continue
east to a mountain (see 11v23). The sense is that having dispensed judgement,
God is going to leave. One might consider here how Jesus walks amongst his
lampstands (churches) in Revelation, but threatens to remove those who don’t
repent of their sin (Rev 2v5).
After this, the Spirit took Ezekiel
to the temple gate that faces East, where he sees 25 men including some
prominent leaders (11v1-2) who God says are plotting evil and giving wicked
advice. 10v3 suggests this advice was to urge the people to fight the Babylonians
in contradiction of his word through Jeremiah to surrender. The footnote shows
the uncertainties with the verse. The reference to “meat” probably implies the
men saw themselves as the best part of the inhabitants of the city, who could
be protected from the fires of war as the meat is by the cauldron. Advice that
seems sensible is wicked if it contravenes God’s word.
God calls Ezekiel to prophesy
against these people, declaring that the good meat is actually the people these
leaders have killed within the city. So for breaching his laws and conforming
to the standards of the nations, God is going to drive them out to face the
sword at the borders of Israel, where they will then know he is the LORD
(11v4-12). As this is all a vision, and Ezekiel is still in Babylon, this
prophesying was not heard by the people, but significant in explaining the
destruction of Jerusalem to the exiles and later readers.
As he prophesied, one of the leaders
died and Ezekiel again cried out over whether God would destroy all that
remained of Israel. God replied that the people of Jerusalem say that Ezekiel’s
family and the others with him in exile are far from the LORD, and so by
implication, rejected, whereas God has given the land to those in Jerusalem.
Yet Ezekiel is to declare that God has actually been a sanctuary to those in
these foreign countries – implying that they are not rejected. The LORD adds
that it is these people who will be given back the land as he will bring them
back to it. So he will not destroy everyone. Indeed, these Israelites will
remove all the land’s idolatrous items. By his Spirit, God will then give them
a heart that is singly devoted to him, rather than being hardened against him.
And they will therefore keep his covenant by obeying his laws, so that they
will be God’s people and he will be their God. By contrast, those who are
devoted to their images and idols will suffer for what they’ve done (11v13-21).
This obviously compacts the return from exile with the work of Christ, looking
to the new covenant work of the Spirit (see Heb 8). We should be thankful that
in him we are kept from falling into such sin. But the event also reminds us
that church leaders may pronounce self-righteously that they are the ones who
have God’s favour, perhaps because they are part of establishment Christianity.
But this is simply untrue if they are not obeying the Lord. Rather, his favour
is with those who seek to do his will.
With this clarified, God’s glory finally
leaves Jerusalem and stops over the mountain in the east, which is on route to
Babylon. The Spirit then returned Ezekiel in his vision to the exiles, to whom
he told everything. The removal of God’s glory from the city is hugely
significant, demonstrating how utterly he had rejected the people. It also reassures
the exiles that God’s presence is mobile, and so he is still with them, as long
as they look to him. This is the key purpose to the whole vision, which began
in 8v1.
In chapter 12 Ezekiel is told that
in exile he is nevertheless living amongst a rebellious people who do not see
or hear what God is speaking about. So the prophet is to act it out. In the
daytime, whilst seen, he is to bring out his belongings packed for exile, and
then in the evening leave through a hole he digs in the wall, covering his face
so he cannot see the land. After doing it, the LORD asked him whether the
rebellious Israelites asked what he was doing, telling him to explain it is a
sign of what will happen to the prince of Jerusalem and the whole house of
Israel who are still in Judah. He adds that the prince will be brought to
Babylonia but die before seeing it, whilst his staff and troops will be
scattered throughout the nations, pursued by the LORD. God says they will then
know he is the LORD, and he will spare some so that amongst the nations they
will acknowledge him and the detestable things they have done. Next, he told
Ezekiel to tremble as he ate and drank as a picture of the anxiety that will
accompany meals in Jerusalem when the land is stripped bare. Here he corrects
two sayings: Of one that states prophetic visions are not fulfilled, he says
his words will be fulfilled – implying his words of judgement will come to
pass. And with respect to another that says Ezekiel’s vision is of the distant
future, God says it will not be delayed any longer (12v1-28). We should
remember that because some of what is to be fulfilled in Christ has not yet
occurred, this doesn’t mean it will not. God acts according to his perfect
timing (2 Pet 3v1-9).
Praying
it home:
Praise God that he
is with those who love him wherever they are and whatever they face. Pray that
those suffering hardship would be comforted by this.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
If you receive
this post by email, visit bible2014.blogspot.co.uk
and make a comment.
(321) November 17: Ezekiel
13-15 & Hebrews 11:20-40
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note the traits
in those who are false prophets.
To ponder:
Ezekiel is now to
speak against false prophets that are in exile with him. They are those who
prophesy from their own imagination and spirit, rather than God’s Spirit. So
Ezekiel is to condemn them as foolish, and like jackals among ruins – ie.
seeking prey to devour, when they should be metaphorically repairing the breaks
in the walls – ie. strengthening crumbling faith so the people will stand firm.
God is adamant that despite the fact they actually expect their words to be
fulfilled, he has not sent them and they have seen nothing from him, so their
visions and divinations (future-telling) are false (13v1-7). It’s a stark
reminder of how easily people can assume what they feel in their spirit is from
God’s Spirit, and actually be convinced it is a word from God – whether
expressed as a prophecy or sermon. A key question to ask those who claim to
have a message from God is therefore what makes them think it is genuinely from
him. With prophecy, one would at least expect an undeniable clarity and potency
of vision; with a sermon, that it is true to scripture.
Because of these false visions, God
declares he is against these prophets, stating they will no longer be included
in the inner circle of Israel, nor have the rights of those listed as true
Israelites, nor return to the land when the time comes. As previously, he says
that the fulfilment of this word will show them that he is the Sovereign Lord
(13v8-9). The way the LORD says these prophets lead the people astray is in
declaring “peace” where there is none. So they erect a flimsy wall of false
hope that they whitewash – covering over the harsh realities of Israel’s
situation. 13v16 implies they were sending messages to Jerusalem, no doubt
proclaiming it would not fall. To this, God declares he will unleash his anger
in such a way that their wall of false hope will fall and the prophets be
destroyed, yet knowing he is the LORD (13v10-16). In our day such false
assurance comes from those within the church who trivialise sin and scoff at
the idea of judgement or the wrath of God.
Ezekiel is also to prophesy against
the prophetesses who ensnare people to their lies through feigned magic, just
so they can receive a little more food. It’s a fitting description of how
fortune tellers and the like still ensnare. It seems these women killed those
who shouldn’t have died in the sense that they encouraged the wicked not to
turn from their ways, so that they would die when they would otherwise have
lived. Sparing those who should not live may therefore refer to them declaring
that the wicked deserved life, even though they didn’t. Whatever the case, they
disheartened the righteous in this by giving no encouragement to them for their
uprightness. God declares he is against these women, will free the people from
them, and cause them no longer to carry on their practices. Then they too will
know the LORD (13v17-23). It is unclear whether these false prophets actually
saw false visions. In the wider context it seems more likely this is just a way
of describing them speaking the impressions of their own imaginations and
spirits.
When some elders came to enquire of
God through Ezekiel, God’s word then came telling him they were worshipping
idols (the stumbling block before their faces) that would lead them into sin.
God implies they should not be allowed to enquire of him and declares he will
answer them in keeping with their idolatry in order to recapture their hearts.
This is God’s intent in rebuking us for our sin. And so he calls them to
repent, stating he will not answer them whilst they commit idolatry, but cut
them off (ie. cause their death) – saying the people will then know he is the
LORD. He adds that if the prophet the idolater enquires of does respond, this
will be because God has enticed them, no doubt to bring ruin to the enquirer.
But as the prophet is speaking his own ideas rather than a message God had
actually given, he will be counted guilty and destroyed. God promises that
through all this the people will cease their straying and so be his people with
him as their God (14v1-11). The point is that the people will be refined as
some repent and those who don’t are destroyed.
In what follows God states that when
he acts in judgement against a sinful country with famine, wild beasts, sword
and plague, even the most righteous, like Noah, Daniel or Job, would be able to
save only themselves and not the country itself. So, God says, how much worse
will it be for Jerusalem in facing these four things. Nevertheless, he promises
that some will survive and join those already in exile. The sense is that when
those with Ezekiel witness the evil actions of these survivors, they will be
consoled about the destruction of Jerusalem, seeing how right and just it was
(14v12-23). The section stresses that no matter how terrible God’s judgement
may seem to us, it is right. How much we need to hold to this with respect to
hell. No doubt in glory we will be consoled in recognizing that God has not
condemned people there without cause. We also learn here that at times God does
bring disaster on the nations of the world in judgement for their sin. As the
righteous do not always escape, 14v14 must simply mean that if they were to be
saved (as Lot from Sodom), they could only save themselves.
Chapter 15 stresses that the wood of
a vine is not even as good as other wood, as nothing useful is made of it. And
it is even more useless when burned. So just as God has given vine wood to be
used in fire, although the people of Jerusalem have come out of one fire, in
surviving previous threats, fire will still consume them in the coming
destruction. Again, God says, they will know he is the LORD, as when all that
God predicts comes to pass.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that he
has revealed his word clearly for us in scripture. Pray that those who confess
faith but love things more than God, would repent and give their hearts to him.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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(322) November 18: Ezekiel
16 & Hebrews 12
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note why
Jerusalem’s sin is so serious.
To ponder:
Ezekiel is now to
confront Jerusalem with an astonishing but quite explicit oracle in which God
outlines the seriousness of her unfaithfulness when considering his care for
her. He begins grounding the city’s birth in the Canaanite peoples who first
built it and then despised it through lack of care (16v1-6). No doubt, this is
to stress that its greatness is wholly down to God’s favour. He describes
himself as seeing the city as a baby kicking in its blood, and said “live” – so
that it grew and became like a beautiful woman. This may refer to how the city
fared before the Israelites took it. But God then notes how later he passed by,
saw it was like a woman ready for love and entered into a marriage contract
with it. The image of covering with the corner of his garment implies a
commitment to provide for her, but also, here, cover her shame – perhaps that
of belonging to pagans. The day she became his would therefore be the day she
became an Israelite city (16v7-8). God then describes how he washed and
beautified his new bride, providing the best clothes and food so that she
became a very beautiful queen, whose fame spread amongst the nations (16v9-14).
We might consider Jerusalem in the days of Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba
being overwhelmed at his wisdom, palace and temple. The point is that God made
Jerusalem the greatest of all cities, not least with its unique privilege of
his husbandly love and care. And all these things are equally and more
wonderfully true of the new Jerusalem, which is the church.
Yet Jerusalem forgot who she was
dependent on and trusted in her own beauty. So she turned from the one who had
passed by and married her, instead prostituting herself to anyone else (ie.
other gods) who passed by so her beauty became theirs. She used the wealth God
had given, to make high places and idols, and used the garments, oil and food he
had especially given, to clothe and make offerings to false gods. In this pagan
worship she even sacrificed some of her sons, that were born to God in the
sense that they were a gift from him and intended to grow up with him as their
father. In all this, she didn’t remember her infancy when she had nothing
before God took care of her (16v15-22). It’s an intimate picture of how
appalling the people’s rejection of God was, just as ours is when we consider
every good thing we have is from him. Yet it also reflects how his anger is a
jealous anger provoked by his deep love for his people.
At this point God declares “woe”
against the city because of what this will mean. He adds how she even erected a
mound, with shrines throughout the city where she prostituted herself to
whoever came her way, and especially with Egypt, Assyria and Babylon
respectively. Here the stress is probably not so much on worshipping their
gods, but looking to them for protection when she should have looked to her
divine husband. In response to the first we are told she was handed over to the
Philistines who were themselves shocked, perhaps at how ready she was to ally
herself with others. And we are told her desire for anyone but God was
insatiable (16v23-29). God states how weak willed she was. Indeed, declaring
her an adulterous wife, he says she was so filled with desire that she would
actually give gifts to her lovers and scorn payment, so being worse than a
prostitute. This must refer to her approaching and bribing the above nations to
enter into alliances with her (16v30-34). It is similar when the Christian
looks into other religions in order to find something they prefer to Christ.
In response, God states that he will
gather all the city’s lovers against her, including those she hated –
presumably because their alliance worked against her. God says he will strip
her so that they see her nakedness. This would symbolise him divorcing her, and
must refer to her losing the glory he had given her, so the nations see how
utterly needy she is without God. He adds that in his jealous wrath he will
give her the punishment due for adultery and murder, so handing her over to
these lover nations, who will strip her of her finery and put her to death,
burning down her houses. Stating this will be in the sight of many women must
refer to the watching nations. And by this means God will stop the prostitution
of her idolatry as she will no longer be able to pay her lovers. This is his
ultimate purpose in her judgement. So he declares his anger and jealousy will
then turn away and he will be calm (16v35-42). All this, we are told, is
because Jerusalem did not remember her youth (16v43). It’s a reminder of the
importance of remembering what we would be, but for the grace of God in Christ.
In what follows, God states
Jerusalem is proving herself not only like her Canaanite mother, who herself
despised her husband and children – perhaps referring to her rejection of the
true God and readiness to engage in child sacrifice. She is also even worse
than her sisters who are named as Samaria (older as bigger) and Sodom (younger
as smaller), with their daughters (ie. surrounding villages). This would all be
truly shocking to a people who considered themselves descended from the
righteous Abraham and Sarah, and who felt themselves above the nations around
them. The sin of Sodom is listed as arrogance and excess that led to a lack of
concern for the needy, which is always a temptation for those who have much.
God’s point is that he did away with Sodom, so how much more should he do away
with Jerusalem. Likewise, Samariah, that was destroyed by Assyria in judgement
committed only half the city’s sins. God therefore declares Jerusalem should
bear its disgrace as its acts have given a degree of justification to these two
sisters by making them appear relatively righteous (16v43-52)! Within the
church too, there are those who can fall to depths of depravity that make the
non-Christian world look good by comparison.
Here God promises to restore to
well-being not just Jerusalem, but Sodom and Samariah, but all so that those in
Jerusalem might be ashamed that their sin was so bad as to put those cities in
a better light – especially when she wouldn’t previously have even mentioned
Sodom because of the assumption that she was so depraved. As for now, she is
despised by the towns of Edom, Philistia and the other nations around her
(16v53-57).
The chapter ends, with God declaring
how she will bear the consequences of her sin and breach of his covenant, but
also that he will remember that covenant and so establish another, eternal one
(ie. a new marriage). God will then make Samaria and Sodom subordinate to her
even though he did not make a covenant with them. And Jerusalem will know the
LORD is God, he will atone for her sin, and in response, she will be ashamed
and humbled (16v58-63). Again, we must see the new covenant here, that Gentiles
are given a share in, even though it is made with Israel. And we should note
that it is when God’s people experience his forgiveness through the cross, that
they see their sin for what it is and hang their heads in shame. Indeed, Jewish
Christians see that they may even have acted more appalling than Gentile
Christians before their conversion.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
care of his bride, the church, which he beautifies through Christ. Pray that
you would maintain a deep sense of your sin, and what you would be but for
Christ.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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(323) November 19: Ezekiel
17-19 & Hebrews 13
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note the
qualities God displays.
To ponder:
God now instructs
Ezekiel to use a parable. His later words (17v11-15) interpret his earlier ones
(17v3-8). So Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon) is the great eagle carrying
off the Jerusalem’s king (Jeoiachin) and nobles (top of the cedar of Lebanon)
to Babylon. His taking a seed from Israel and planting it so it becomes a vine
turned towards him but with roots underneath, refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s treaty
with one of the royal family (Zedekiah), so that the kingdom (vine) could only
survive by reliance on his. Yet the sense is that the kingdom could have
thrived under these circumstances (17v8). However, the vine instead stretched
out and sent its roots to a second eagle (the king of Egypt), to whom Zedekiah
sent envoys for horses and an army, breaking his previous treaty. In response,
because of this breach of oath, God declares all new growth on the vine will
wither and be easily uprooted, with Zedekiah dying in Babylon, and Pharaoh
unable to help when Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem (17v1-18).
The reason the breach of oath is so
serious is because it was taken in God’s name (see 2 Chr 36v13), so God can
declare he will bring “his” oath and covenant on Zedekiah’s head, have his
fleeing troops fall and the survivors scattered. Moreover, he will take a shoot
from the cedar (ie. another member of the Davidic line) and plant it on a high
mountain in Israel, so that it will produce branches and fruit as a great
cedar, with birds nesting and finding shelter in its branches. As with the
vine, the tree refers to the kingdom of which the king is its topmost shoot
(see 17v3-4). It is portrayed as able to shelter all those who seek it – of
whatever kind (ie. country). It is then compared with other trees (kingdoms)
which will then know that God uproots great kingdoms (the tall tree) and grows
lesser ones (the low trees), implying that they should acknowledge him
(17v10-24). Jesus himself taught that this is fulfilled in his kingdom, that
will spread through his word (Matt 13v31-32). The point is that no matter how
fallen God’s people seem to be, his kingdom will one day fill the earth and his
king be acknowledged by the nations.
Next God urged Ezekiel to question
the people’s proverb that suggests that in the destruction by Babylon the
current generation is suffering for their father’s sins (18v1-2). Of course, we
have seen there is a sense in which that was true, and it was a principle
within Israel’s law (Ex 34v7, see notes there). But God’s response clarifies
that it doesn’t warrant the assumption that the current generation are somehow
innocent, or that it is futile for them to repent. Rather, it remains true that
the one who sins who will die. The sense is that because everyone belongs to
him, God is concerned with each individually, so he will not allow the guilty
to be pardoned or the innocent to be punished. He therefore states that despite
this principle, the righteous man will surely live, challenging the reader by
defining the righteous as one who acts justly, does not commit idolatry, obeys
the law in matters of sex, does not oppress others for monetary gain, but who
gives to the needy, keeps himself from wrongdoing, deals fairly with people,
and keeps God’s laws. He adds that if this righteous person has a violent son
who does any of these things, he will be put to death with his blood being on
his own head (ie. being accountable for his own guilt). He continues, that if
this man’s son sees this and so refrains from the things his father did, then
he will not die for his father’s sins, but live (18v3-18). To those that ask
why he doesn’t share his father’s guilt, expecting that this is what should
happen, God responds, he does not, because he has been careful to keep God’s
decrees, and “the soul who sins is the one who will die.” So each person’s righteousness or wickedness
will be charged to their account only (18v19-20). Indeed, when a wicked man
repents, he will live and none of his offences will be remembered, for God
takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but would rather they received
mercy. Yet if a righteous man turns into sin, he will die and none of his
righteous acts will be remembered (18v21-24). We must conclude then that God
punishes the children for the sins of their fathers only if they continue in
them, but not if they turn from them. And it is true that the righteous in
Jerusalem could have obeyed the prophets by surrendering to Babylon as Jeremiah
did, and so being taken into exile rather than starving under siege.
No doubt all this was stressed to
reassure the exiles that the destruction of Jerusalem was entirely just, as God
does not punish the upright. However, God anticipates them charging him with
being unjust, still, it seems, assuming that the current residents of Jerusalem
were wrongly being punished for their fathers’ sins. God’s declaration that the
exile’s ways are actually unjust may be a reference to their assumption that
these people should be acquitted. So God again asserts the principles he has
outlined. His point is that the people need to turn from their sin rather than
presume their innocence. He affirms that he will judge each according to his
ways, but calls them to this repentance because he takes no pleasure in the
death of the wicked, and promises that those who do will get a new heart ad
spirit so that they can obey him (18v25-32). It’s a marvellous demonstration of
God’s reluctance in judgement, and the love that moves him to call people to
himself.
The lament of chapter 19 presents
Israel as a lioness rearing kings (see Gen 49v9 for the image of lion for
king). So we read of Jehoahaz becoming strong and ruthlessly oppressing his
people before being carried to Egypt (2 Kgs 23v33). The second cub is probably
Jehoiachim (although possibly one of the two succeeding kings). He also grew
strong, oppressed his people, and sacked their towns, before being captured,
taken before Nebuchadnezzar and imprisoned in Babylon (2 Kgs 23v36-24v4, 2 Chr
36v6). Ezekiel then speaks of the nation as mother to these kings with the
familiar imagery of a fruitful vine (Gen 49v9-12) with strong branches that bore
the ruler’s sceptre, and so represent kings. It was high, perhaps implying
arrogant. And was uprooted, shrivelled by the east wind (Babylon from the east)
and stripped of fruit (those taken into exile). It’s strong branches (Jehoahaz
and Jehoichim) were weakened and consumed, it transplanted to the desert
(Babylon), with fire spreading from a main branch (Zedekiah) to consumer the
rest of its fruit (the destruction of Jerusalem that he provoked). The lament
highlights that there is no davidic king left, calling into question God’s
promise (19v1-14, see 2 Sam 7v10-16).
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
reluctance to judge and leaning towards mercy. Pray that you would never turn
to wickedness.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(324) November 20: Ezekiel
20-21 & James 1
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note the form
God’s judgement takes.
To ponder:
Chapter 20 records
another time (as 14v1) when elders came to enquire of God through Ezekiel.
God’s response is that he will not let them do so, asking Ezekiel whether he
will judge and confront them for their idolatry. He relates how he chose
Israel, revealed himself to them as the LORD when in Egypt, and swore to bring
them to the promised land, calling them to get rid of their idolatry. But they
rebelled by not doing so. God therefore said he would pour his wrath out on
them, but for the sake of his own reputation before the nations, he continued
with them, taking them into the desert and making known to them his laws by
which those who obey might live. He gave them the Sabbath as a sign of his
covenant agreement with them too – a reminder that they were holy and so to be
set-apart and different for God, just as the seventh day is (20v1-12).
But in the desert the people
rebelled, rejecting God’s laws and desecrating is Sabbath (see Numbers). Again,
God therefore said he would pour out his wrath on them. And again, to keep his
name from being profaned amongst the watching nations he continued with them.
He swore not to give them their land, but looked in pity on them and did not
destroy them. Instead, he told the children not to follow the ways of their
fathers, but carefully keep his laws and Sabbath, so that they will know that
he is the LORD their God – presumably by what he would do for them (20v13-20).
Now, we read that the children
rebelled too, as their fathers had. So God promised to pour his wrath on them,
but withheld it for the sake of his reputation amongst the watching nations.
With hand uplifted in readiness to strike Israel, he swore that he would
scatter them, and gave them over to their sinful practices, letting them even be
defiled by their sacrificing of their firstborn children to the god Molech. His
intention was that this would so horrify them that they would know he was God
after all (20v21-26). The whole section demonstrates how the people had always
sinned as they now were in Jerusalem and even in exile, and so how justified
God’s judgement was, having again and again held it back in the past. It
reveals the nation of his wrath in handing people over to sin (see Rom
1v18-32). It also shows God’s concern throughout Israel’s history that the
watching world would acknowledge his reality and holiness through his acts for
Israel, just as he now desires that as they see his acts through Christ.
At this point God tells Ezekiel to
tell Israel how their fathers also blasphemed God’s name, by forsaking him and
turning to idolatry in the land. He is to challenge the exilic elders over
whether they will sin in this same way, and declare that because they do God
will not let them enquire of him (20v27-31). It is presumptuous indeed if we
persist in sin to think that God will hear or respond to our prayers. God adds
that whereas the Israelites do this because they want to be like the nations in
the form of their religion, that will not happen, as he with a firm hand he
will assert his rule over them and actually separate them from the nations they
have been scattered to. As in the Exodus, he will take them into a “desert of
the nations” (perhaps the land between these nations and Israel) where he will
judge them. The “rod” refers to the means of discipline, and “bond of the
covenant” to him dealing with them according to their agreement (see Deut
28-30). The sense is that during the return, he will purge the rebellious
Israelites from the people, so only a faithful remnant reach Israel itself
(20v32-38). It’s unclear how this was fulfilled. It may refer to an event not
mentioned in scripture during the return, or to Ezra’s punishment of those not
keeping the law as commanded by Artaxerxes (see Ez 7v26). To certainly looks to
how Christ will separate the sheep from the goats on the last day (Matt
25v31-46).
God continues by telling Israel
through the elders to carry on in their idolatry, but promising that when
finally on Mount Zion, they will listen, no longer profane his name, but serve
him. And he will accept them, and so require right worship from them, and show
himself holy to the nations – presumably by the holiness he works within his
people, as then, they will know he is the LORD and loathe their previous
conduct. What is striking however, is that we are told this will take place
because God does not deal with them as they deserve, but for his name’s sake –
that is for the sake of his own reputation and glory (20v39-44). This is of
course the only grounds for his willingness to show such mercy to us. And it
makes our holiness that bit more important, that it would display his holiness
to the world.
With all this said, Ezekiel is
called to preach against a forest in the south, that it is about to be consume
by an unquenchable fire. Previously the kingdom of Israel has been referred to
as a cedar (17v3-4), and this is no doubt a prophetic prediction of the coming
devastation of Jerusalem and Judea.
In chapter 21, Ezekiel is then told
to preach against the sanctuary (temple) and land, declaring God’s sword will
come against both the righteous and the wicked throughout the land. Although
chapter 18 has affirmed the righteous will not suffer specific punishment,
because this one is against the nation they are included. We’re told that on
experiencing this, the people will know God is acting in judgement. Ezekiel is
to groan before those in exile, explaining how what will happen will cause
every heart to faint. What follows states that there will be no rejoicing in
the kingly line from Judah as God’s sword is against them too, causing the
fulfilment of God’s promise to David to come into question (21v1-13). Having
been called to stress the coming slaughter (21v14-17), Ezekiel seems to be
required to draw a map with two roads, one to the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and
one to Judah and Jerusalem, with a signpost to the city. He is to say how
Nebuchadnezzar will consult his idols for guidance at the crossroads and God
will ensure the lot signals for him to besiege Jerusalem. This will seem a false
omen to those in Jerusalem who have made a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar (ie.
Zedekiah), but his actions in enslaving them will remind them that they are
guilty before God (21v18-24). Ezekiel continues, that Zedekiah’s time for
punishment has come. So those exalted in Jerusalem will be brought low, whilst
the lowly, who trust God will be exalted, presumably in their return from
exile. The king is therefore to remove his crown. And it is stressed that it,
and by consequence, the kingly line, will be a ruin until the one to whom it
belongs comes. This refers to the awaited Messiah (see Gen 49v10). And Zedekiah
was the last king of Israel before Christ. (21v25-27).
The final oracle is against the very
Ammonites who seem to have been spared because God moved Nebuchadnezzar against
Jerusalem (see 21v20). The LORD declares that they too will be slaughtered by
the sword despite false prophecies that they would not be. However, he then
declares that the one wielding the sword (Nebuchadnezzar) will return to his land
of origin (Babylonia) where he himself will face God’s wrath, being judged and
killed by others so that he is no longer remembered in the sense of not being
acknowledged (21v28-32). None escape God’s judgement.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that in
his concern for his own glory he doesn’t treat us as we deserve. Pray that you
would nevertheless acknowledge your sin before him.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(325) November 21: Ezekiel
22-23 & James 2
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note the sins
Samaria and Jerusalem are condemned for.
To ponder:
The LORD asks
Ezekiel if he will judge Jerusalem for her bloodshed and detestable idolatry.
He is to declare that she is doomed and will become an object of scorn to the
nations because of the guilt this has led to (22v1-5). The princes in Jerusalem
in particular are denounced for holding their parents in contempt, oppressing
foreigners and the needy, despising the things of the temple, and breaking the
Sabbath. Different categories of men are then condemned: those who shed blood,
those who commit idolatry and immorality in breach of God’s laws on sex, who
take bribes, who engage in extortion and forget God (22v6-12). Signifying his
anger, God says he will clap his hands at the unjust gain and bloodshed, asking
if the people will have sufficient courage to endure the day he deals with them.
He promises to put an end to their uncleanness by scattering them amongst the
nations where they will be defiled – presumably by the nations’ uncleanness.
Then, he states, they will know he is the LORD (22v13-16).
He continues that Israel have become
like the dross left in a furnace. So he will deal with them accordingly -
burning them up and melting them in his wrath. He states the land has
experienced a drought in this day of his wrath. He then condemns every category
of person: (1) Israel’s royal princes for devouring people like a lion, and
plundering them; (2) her priests for doing violence (perhaps twisting) to the
law, profaning God’s holy things in the temple (no doubt by allowing idolatrous
practices), teaching no difference between clean and unclean, and not caring
about people keeping God’s Sabbaths; (3) her officials for killing people for
gain; (4) her prophets who justify these practices with false visions; (5) the
people more generally, for exhortation, and oppressing the needy and foreigners
(22v17-29). Using a military metaphor, God declares that in all this he looked
for someone who would build up the people’s broken walls (their spiritual ruin)
and stand in the gap (their lack of godliness) so that God as the enemy would
not be able to break in with his wrath. But he found none, and so will destroy
them. The point is that there was no-one who could bring the people to true
repentance. Of course, this highlights the need of Christ who both renews our
hearts into holiness and takes the full force of God’s wrath upon himself so
that we might be protected from it.
What follows is a story of two
daughters who became prostitutes in Egypt when young. They are named as Samaria
(the northern capital) and Jerusalem (the southern), who as the united kingdom
of Israel first went after idols when in Egypt before Moses. Whilst still
God’s, Ohalah (Samaria) then lusted after the upper society of Assyria, no
doubt in desiring an alliance and shared culture with them, and defiling
herself with their idols. Therefore, God says, he handed her over to them so
they striped and killed her, taking her children away – into exile. Despite
seeing this however, Oholibah (Jerusalem) was actually even more depraved, not
only prostituting herself to Assyria in this way, but with the Chaldeans (ie.
Babylonians), who then came and defiled her. She is said to have turned away in
disgust – referring to Judah’s rebellions (see 2 Kgs 18-24), yet still
increased her prostitution, recalling her idolatry in Egypt. This is described
in the most graphic way to emphasize its depravity and intensity. And we are
told that because of all this, God turned from her in disgust (23v1-21). There
is a sense on the individual level too, that those who come to belong to God
can long for and return to their past sins, bringing judgement upon themselves.
To Oholibah (Jerusalem) God promises
that in his fury at her sin, he will bring her Babylonian and Assyrian lovers
against her in punishment. The very soldiers she lusted after will therefore
attack her, taking away her children into exile, burning and plundering those
remaining, and leaving Jerusalem naked, exposed, and shamed for what she has
done. The reason seems to be that by this means God will ensure Jerusalem will
no longer look back to Egypt or engage in her prostitution (23v22-31). He is
prepared to use even the greatest hardships to draw his people to himself from
their sin.
Here God uses the familiar language
of “cup” to describe his judgement. The image stresses the depth of judgement
Jerusalem will drink – so much so that she will smash her cup having drained
the dregs. It also stresses the consequences of the judgement in sorrow and
ruin like those of the drunkard. So Jerusalem will tear the breasts in mourning
that were once fondled in grief. God is clear, because she thrust him from her
she must bear the consequences of her sin, whereas she might have been forgiven
if she had only returned to him. So Ezekiel is commissioned to confront both
Samaria and Jerusalem for their adultery, violence, idolatry, child sacrifice,
defiling of the Sabbath – and of the temple by entering it after committing
idolatry. 23v40-45 pictures the two cities sending for the envoys of other
lands and preparing themselves like lewd women to offer them what should be
offered to God. It adds that they also received from them goods, no doubt to
give a false sense of commitment by way of an alliance. But although they
entered the relationship like adulteresses, God then determined that the cities
in punishment should be used like prostitutes, so the nations metaphorically
slept with them, gaining from them what they wanted. Picturing a court in
Israel, God declares that righteous men will sentence them to the penalty of
adultery and murder – which is death. Perhaps the sense is that the righteous
should recognise the fitness of their destruction. So God calls the mob (ie.
the nations) to stone them and cut them down as would have been done with an
adulterer. And again, as with that punishment, it is so that such lewdness
ceases in the wider land, other women (cities) take warning, and these two
cities know that God is the LORD (23v46-49). It’s a warning against such
practices in our day, and a reminder that the most extreme penalties in Israel
were not vindictive, but intended to ensure purity amongst the people and deter
others from the same acts.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for
sending Christ to stand in the gap. Pray that the church today would learn from
what happened to Jerusalem.
Thinking
further:
None today.
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(326) November 22: Ezekiel
24-26 & James 3
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note why other
nations are condemned by Ezekiel.
To ponder:
The
next oracle comes on the very date Babylon besieges Jerusalem in fulfilment of
Ezekiel’s prior prophecies. In the parable he is given, the city is a cooking
pot, with the fire beneath it being the siege, and the choice bits of the
animal being cooked, the city’s inhabitants. Because of their bloodshed, which
God has seen, in wrath he commands they are taken out into exile. The deposit
on the cauldron may be rust denoting the corruption of the city. The absence of
lot by which God revealed his will in Israel perhaps emphasizes his rejection
of the people. Instead he promises he will pile the wood high and cook the meat
well, so intensifying the siege, until the impurities of the city that could
not previously be removed are burned away (24v1-13).
God continues by saying that he will
not show pity or relent, judging the city according to her actions. An event
with tragic prophetic symbolism is then recounted. God promises that he will
take away Ezekiel’s delight – which is his wife! But he is commanded not to
mourn publicly. Instead, when the people ask what this has to do with them, he
is to speaks God’s word, stating that God is about to desecrate the temple,
which is the delight of the people’s eyes, and have their sons and daughters
left behind in Jerusalem killed. Yet the people will not mourn. This seems to
be a command that they shouldn’t because the city’s destruction is deserved.
But it could be a description of the fact that they won’t because they don’t
truly care. Whatever the case, Ezekiel’s actions are a sign so that when a
fugitive from Jerusalem arrives with the news, the people will recognise
Ezekiel is a true prophet, and that his words are therefore the LORD’s. We are
told that at this time Ezekiel will no longer be a sign and will be permitted
to speak in a way previously forbidden – signifying the culmination of his
prophecies of judgement as the city is finally destroyed (24v14-27).
What follows are therefore
prophecies against other nations. The first is against the Ammonites. Because
they rejoiced at what happened to Judah, they will be conquered and settled by
people from the east. Then they are told they will know God is the LORD. Yet
they are also told that they will be given as plunder to the nations, and be
totally destroyed as a people group (25v1-7). The same is predicted for Moab,
with the fortified cities it gloried in taken. And all because, in witnessing
Judah’s destruction, it rejected their unique place before God (25v8-11). Edom
are condemned for taking the opportunity the Babylonian troubles brought to
attack Judah themselves. Here, God promises that the people of Israel will lay
the land to waste and kill its people with the sword (24v28-14). The Philistines
are charged with the same opportunism, and also told they will be destroyed
under God’s wrath, so they will know he is the LORD (24v15-17). It is
noteworthy that Ammon and Moab were overrun by tribes people, Edom’s
descendents were destroyed by Jews in the second century BC, and the
Philistines simply disappeared from history around the same time. God’s word
always comes to pass.
These judgements on the nations show
that peoples will be held to particular account for their attitude to God’s
people. And this is especially so for Tyre, who rejoices at Jerusalem’s
destruction as the trading gate to the nations, because this will cause Tyre
itself to prosper. Three chapters are given to this city because of its
significance. So the LORD declares he will bring Nebuchadnezzar and his army to
reduce it to a ruin like waves from the sea around it. Much detail is given
about what this will entail. Ezekiel says that Tyre will permanently become a
bare rock, suitable only for fishing, with her settlements destroyed by the
sword, her merchandise plundered, and all joy gone (26v1-14). Again, reflecting
God’s grand purpose of the nations coming to acknowledge him, he states they
will then know he is the LORD. This pervasive idea reminds us that on the last
day when all are judged, all will acknowledge God after all.
God continues by describing how
the coastlands and their kings will tremble to witness the fall of such a
significant power, telling of it in a lament (26v15-18). Echoing the flood, the
judgement is described as covering the city with the ocean, and bringing it
down to the pit – the place of the dead, never to be found again (26v19-21).
This links such temporary judgements with the eternal judgement. To suffer
death now is to face the second death beyond.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for
acting in justice against those who harm or rejoice in the harm of his people.
Pray that as non-Christians face disaster they would come to know that the LORD
is God.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(327) November 23: Ezekiel
27-28 & James 4
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what led
the king of Tyre into his sin.
To ponder:
God’s
word against Tyre continues with a lament. Her supremacy in trade is noted
because of her location by the sea (the western coast of modern Lebanon). And
her pride is outlined: She considers herself perfect in her beauty, and is
described as a ship, built with materials from all over the known world. In
this, she benefited from the seamanship, skill and military service of those
from the whole earth, with all on the sea coming to her for trade, paying with
great wealth, slaves, animals, ivory and ebony, fabric, coral and jewels,
natural products, wine and wool, iron, spices, saddle blankets, livestock, rugs
etc etc (27v1-24).
This all proves that the prosperity
of a nation isn’t a sign of it being right with God. Rather, in his immense
grace, God may grant a nation the sort of glory that will only rightly mark his
kingdom. Yet when that nation takes pride in what they have, as if they had
gained it for themselves, they in danger of a judgement that will humble them.
So the metaphorical ship that is Tyre, is described as if in high seas, heavy
with cargo. And here Ezekiel predicts the east wind (Babylon in the east)
breaking her to pieces with her merchants and all the people and goods above on
board. She will therefore sink into the sea, with all shorelands and seamen
mourning her passing. Seeing the one who satisfied nations and enriched the
kings of the earth gone, the inhabitants of the coastlands and their kings are also
said to shudder in fear – no doubt because this could happen to them too
(27v25-36). It brings home again that no matter how secure the nations of the
earth assume they may be, their existence is subject to God’s will, and at
Christ’s return, all that the world esteems will be lost.
Next Ezekiel is to speak against the
ruler of Tyre himself. Whether the ruler considered himself divine or not, he
is said to presume he is equivalent to a god in his arrogance at the wisdom he
exercised in enabling Tyre to prosper (see 28v4). Ezekiel is clear that he is
not only just a man, but not wiser than Daniel, because he is not privileged to
revelations from the true God. This description suggests the Daniel of our Old
Testament is in mind (so also 14v14, 20), and was well known by this point,
having been taken into exile in 605BC, twenty years earlier. Here God affirms
the ruler’s wisdom and skill in trading, but denounces the fact that his heart
has grown proud because of it. Because of this, he is going to bring the Babylonians
against him, and they will bring the city down to the pit in the heart of the
seas – referring to the geographical location of Tyre. The sense is that the
ruler will not then be able to claim divinity, seeing he is nothing more than a
man, dying like the uncircumcised that are not chosen of God (28v1-10). Only at
the final judgement will all see just how weak and reliant on God they are.
What follows is a famous oracle that
seems patterned on the pride of Adam that led to his fall. This is wholly
appropriate as he was to be ruler over the creation, and so is the paradigm for
all human rule. God affirms the king of Tyre as a model of perfection, full of
wisdom and beauty, living in Eden, and adorned with jewels like Israel’s
priests (Ex 28v17-20), that were prepared on the day he was created. No doubt
this refers to the wealth he enjoyed and the luxurious nature of the city he
lived in and was to care for. He is therefore also pictured as the cherub from
Eden, perhaps picking up his role of guarding his paradise-like city against
invaders as if it was God’s holy mountain. The “fiery-stones” may be the coals
of the altar in Israel’s temple, stressing this care was a priest-like role. Whether
it is or not, he is said to be blameless until wickedness found him. Obviously
this is an exaggeration to stress the pattern to Eden. The point is that
trouble started when the king’s trade led him to do violence to others, no
doubt in greed for more. This is described as corrupting his wisdom, because it
was a corruption of right ways to go about trade. We are also told the king
became proud at the beauty of Tyre. And it is for these reasons that God
expelled him from the city, reducing him to ashes, and making him a spectacle
of horror before other kings. The fall of this ruler is a salutary lesson to
all engaged in business of how a desire for more and pride in achieving it can
so easily lead to doing wrong to attain it. Indeed, there is a sense in which
this desire for personal gain and proud assumption that we know best in how to
achieve it lies behind all sin.
28v20-24 records an oracle against
Sidon, further up the coast from Tyre. We’re not told what their sins were. But
Ezekiel declares God will gain glory within the region as its people come to
know he is the LORD when he displays his holiness by inflicting punishment
against them with plague and with sword. This means that Israel will no-longer
have neighbours just to the north who will cause them harm like thorns, and on
witnessing this they will know the one who speaks through Ezekiel is the LORD
their God. This oracle seems placed here as God then speaks of gathering Israel
from the nations, affirming that they will then be able to settle safely in the
land because God will have punished the neighbouring nations who spoke against
them (28v25-26). This is a key purpose to the many judgements we have read of.
At one level they justly punish sin. At another they protect the returning
remnant so that the Christ can eventually be born and God’s promise to Abraham
(Gen 12v1-3) be finally fulfilled. In the same way, the final judgement will
destroy the wicked so God’s people can live in safety within the new creation.
God says that the return will be a
means by which he shows his holiness amongst Israel to the nations. This
probably refers to how he will show his holy anger at sin in his judgements on
the nations and on Babylon, which will enable the people to return. But it may
include him showing how superior to the false gods of the world he is in having
the power to work such a deliverance. We should note his holiness in both these
things.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
holiness seen in judging sin and securing an everlasting kingdom for his
people. Pray that you would not be tempted to sin by greed and pride.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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(328) November 24: Ezekiel
29-31 & James 5
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what provoked
God in Egypt.
To ponder:
The
next oracle is against Pharoah and Egypt. Pharoah is pictured as a sea monster
claiming the Nile is his. As with the King of Tyre, his problem is one of
arrogance. So God promises to pull him out with his fish (the people of Egypt)
sticking to his sides, and leave him in the desert as food for beasts – so that
the people of Egypt will know Israel’s God is the LORD (29v1-6). Although this
aim has been stressed throughout the book, here we can note it was God’s great
concern in the Exodus. Even in times of temporal judgement he seeks
worshippers.
Pharoah is pictured as a staff of
reed. Israel sought to lean on him through their alliance, only to be injured
as it splintered (29v6-7). It is because of this unfaithfulness as well as
Pharoah’s arrogance, that God says he will bring the sword to kill both men and
animals, causing Egypt to be desolate for forty years, with the people
scattered throughout the nations. This time period is fitting when once
considers the years Israel had to spend in the desert having escaped Egypt. At
its end, God promises to bring the Egyptians back to their land from captivity
to be a lowly kingdom that will never exalt itself again above nations. The
point is that Egypt will no longer be a place Israel seeks to rely on, but a
reminder of her sin in turning from God to seek Egypt’s help. And so they will
know, as Ezekiel’s words are fulfilled, that God is the sovereign LORD
(29v8-16). Only reliance on God is secure and safe. What follows is a word in which
God explains to Ezekiel that because Nebuchadnezzar got no reward from Tyre for
his hard campaign there, God will bring him against Egypt to carry of its
wealth a reward (29v17-20). It’s another affirmation of Nebuchadnezzar as the
LORD’s servant.
29v21 seems to say that one day
(which can be a period) Egypt is humbled a horn (symbolising power) will sprout
up for Israel. This is the language of he promised Davidic king as a
flourishing branch. It is therefore intended to give Israel hope that with
although the one they relied on will be humbled, God will give them sufficient
strength through his own king. And then they will know that what he enables
Ezekiel to say in their present, was from him as God. It is as Christ fulfils
the prophets that we find our faith strengthened, and recognize God spoke
through them.
A lament follows that describes the
destruction in and around Egypt. On a day of doom for the nations in general we
are told anguish will hit Egypt, her people will be killed, wealth taken and
foundations destroyed. The fall of her allies including God’s covenant people
will accompany this, so that they know God is the LORD. On that day messengers
will bring the news to Cush causing fear. God will do this through
Nebuchadnezzar, and it is described as a drying up of the Nile. By this means
he will therefore destroy Egypt’s idols and royal line, and the distress of the
various regions of Egypt is then stressed. It ends once more with a note that
this will be to put her pride – or proud strength – to an end, and so break the
yoke she puts on others. The language of fire, storm, darkness and cloud echoes
that of Sinai, stressing God’s awesome presence (30v1-19).
30v20-26 ensures Judah doesn’t keep
relying on Egypt. It speaks of how God had already severely limited Pharoah’s
ability to fight (no doubt through Babylon), yet adds that he will
metaphorically break his second arm so he cannot wield a sword at all. He will
then scatter the Egyptians, contrasting his action on Pharoah with a promise to
actually strengthen the arms of Nebuchadnezzar and put a sword in his hand, all
so Egypt know God is the LORD. Sometimes the loss of something we rely on when
we should rely on God, is in order to ensure we look to him.
A little later God’s word came again.
Perhaps with some sarcasm, Ezekiel is to ask of Pharoah and his army who can
compare with their majesty. He is then to describe Assyria as like a cedar in
Lebanon, tall, thick, and nourishing other trees (nations) too which it
majestically towered over, with all the great nations living in its shade and
so under its protection. The description of how abundantly it was watered
showed how it was blessed by God. Indeed, he says he made it so beautiful that
none of the cedars in Eden could rival it (31v1-9). Yet, God says that it is
explicitly because it was so high and took pride in that, that God handed it
over to “the ruler of the nations” (ie. Nebuchadnezzar) to cut it down. The
picture of its branches falling in mountains, valleys and ravines probably stresses
its geographical size, and how the whole empire fell. So all the nations lefts
its shade. This meant leaving its protection, implied perhaps by the beast now
being able to get at the birds in its branches (31v1-13). 31v14 implies that in
the light of the fall of Assyria others trees (nations) by waters (ie. blessed
by God) should take warning, recognizing they are never to so proudly tower
high, considering themselves above other trees, as that would likewise mean
death among mortal men – a reminder that kings of even the greatest nations are
mere mortals. God adds that on the day Assyria was brought down, he restrained
the waters (of blessing) in mourning, bringing gloom to Lebanon and causing the
nations to whither in fear, as all the best trees of Lebanon (ie. nations of
the world), its allies, were “consoled” at Assyria’s fall in the grave, being
killed by the sword too. Bracketing the chapter with 31v2, 31v18 asks which of
these trees can compare with Egypt in splendour, yet Egypt will be brought down
to lie with the other uncircumcised too. It’s yet another reminder that the
seemingly greatest kings and nations are subject to God for any greatness, and
can be removed in a moment if arrogant. Here, we might remember that through
all Ezekiel’s prophecies God speaks as the “Sovereign LORD.” They stress that
he is the true and only ultimate ruler.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that he
rules everything and all are subject to him. Pray that you therefore be kept
from pride at what he has given you.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(329) November 25: Ezekiel
32-33 & 1 Peter 1
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what sins
God condemns.
To ponder:
The
lament of chapter 32 is given almost two years after the previous oracle.
Pharoah is likened to a lion or sea monster. He causes danger and turmoil, but
God will use many people to net him, haul him onto land where the birds and
beasts will feast on him. The description of his remains covering mountains and
valleys portrays the fall of Egypt as total, throughout its region. And the
terror of the event is stressed by the language of darkness that is also a
motif for God’s judgement. The event will cause many to be appalled for their
own life, in seeing how susceptible to God’s justice they are too (32v1-11).
God explains the attack will come from Babylon, which will humble Egypt’s pride,
overthrow her hoards, destroy her cattle and strip the land. 32v14-15 implies
that contrasting the thrashing of Pharoah in Egypt’s streams (32v2), after this
Egypt will know the peace that stems from more stable rule, because they will
acknowledge the LORD. This may look to the inclusion of Egyptians with
Israelites through faith in the Christ. Whatever the case, the lament will be
sung by the daughters of the nations on seeing what will happen (32v16). No
matter how justified judgement is, we should lament the fall of peoples and
nations.
Two weeks later God’s word came
again, telling Ezekiel to wail or mourn for the great multitude of Egypt,
consigning her and the women lamenting her from the nations, to the pit of
death. The point is that presumed greatness doesn’t mean favour from God.
Rather, Egypt will lie with the other Gentile (uncircumcised) nations, whose
leaders will acknowledge this from the grave. What follows is a list of the
great nations who are there: Assyria, surrounded by her army who once spread
such terror; Elam with those from her who were slain, bearing the shame of the
terror they brought on others; Meschech and Tubal too, receiving punishment for
their sins; Pharoah also; Edom, despite her power; and the princes of the north
and Sidonians – slain in disgrace despite their power. The stress is on the
fact that those who create terror in life will all die, with a hint that they
will receive the just punishment for their sin. Indeed, they will lie with the
uncircumcised, implying they are not privileged in the grave with the favour of
God’s covenant people. God does not show favouritism. Those who abuse the much
they now have, will have little then.
As earlier in the book, the next
oracle plays on the illustration of the watchman. Those who refuse to heed his
warning trumpet are responsible for their own blood as they could have saved
themselves. But if the watchman doesn’t sound the warning, although the man who
suffers the sword will die for his own sin, God will hold the watchman accountable.
God tells Ezekiel as his spiritual watchman, that the same principles apply to
his role of dissuading Israel from their wicked ways when God gives a word that
they will die. Indeed, if he seeks to warn, even if a man dies for refusing to
repent, Ezekiel will be saved – presumably from being put to death because of
bringing about the death of others through his negligence (33v1-9). It’s a
sobering parable for the preacher.
Here Ezekiel is to express the
exiles’ sense of wasting away because of their sin. As they wonder how they
will survive, God declares that as surely as he “lives” he takes no pleasuring
the death of the wicked, but desires that they turn from sin and live. He
therefore calls them to do so. His point is that their despair still displays
an unwillingness to repent and trust God for life. The principles of justice
are then outlined: Those who are righteous but who then disobey will not be
saved from death, even if they were told they would live when righteous.
Whereas the wicked who turns from that wickedness will be saved, even if told
they will die when wicked. The sense is that one’s previous life will not be
taken into account. One’s spiritual state when the accounting comes is what
matters. Repentance is described as doing what is just and right, putting right
what one has done wrong, following God’s decrees and doing no evil (33v10-16).
To all this God anticipates the exiles saying this is unjust – perhaps because
they felt God should not condemn those who were once righteous if they turn to
sin, or forgive those who were wicked if they turn from it. If this is correct,
they are wrongly assuming a scales of judgement in which the good must outweigh
the bad. God simply states it is those who think this who are not just, whereas
he judges according to people’s ways (33v17-20). But what we see is that this
accounting accounts for one’s response to God – whether turning from him in
complacency or to him in need.
33v21-22 records how word finally
came to the exiles of Jerusalem’s fall. God had prepared Ezekiel for this the
previous evening, by giving him back his ability to speak freely (fulfilling
24v26-27, see also 3v26-27). God’s word comes first about those remaining in
Judah. They were reassuring themselves that just as Abraham was given the land
as a possession, surely they have been given it too. To this God asks “why,”
when they break his food laws, commit idolatry, rely on violence and are
immoral. Perhaps by sending a message, Ezekiel is to declare that the sword,
wild animals and plague will kill those in the city’s ruins, the surrounding
countryside, and stronghold towns or caves respectively. The phrase “as surely
as the LORD lives” not only affirms its certainty, but the fact that it is
because God lives this will happen, because it comes by his hand. The point is
that none will escape his judgement. So he declares he will lay the land waste,
humbling Judah’s pride, and the people will then know he is the LORD
(33v23-29).
God adds that Ezekiel’s countrymen
in exile are saying to one-another throughout Babylon that they should go and
hear God’s message. They therefore come and sit before him. But they do not
practice what he says. As with false worship today, their mouths express
devotion whilst their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. It’s a challenge to
those who feign spirituality by talking the talk. Prophets used to prophesy to
music. So these people’s spiritual blindness is seen in the fact that they see
Ezekiel’s prophecies about God’s concern for his people as nothing more than
love songs sung by an able musician. They are like those who esteem the
rhetorical skill of a good preacher or the capabilities of a great worship
band, but do nothing about putting what they hear from them into practice. But
God declares that they will know Ezekiel is a prophet rather than a celebrity
when his words come true.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that in
grace he judges us according to our current response not past deeds. Pray that
you would put what you hear from preachers or worship songs into practice.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(330) November 26: Ezekiel
34-35 & 1 Peter 2
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what God
promises to do for his people.
To ponder:
Ezekiel is now to
prophesy against Israel’s religious leaders who should have cared for the
people like shepherds for sheep. They are condemned for instead caring only for
themselves, taking a milk product, wool and meat from the flock – which implies
getting what they can from the people, whilst failing to actually give back by
strengthening the weak, healing the sick or binding up the injured – a
reference to practical care. Nor have they brought back those straying or lost
(probably a reference to those who had turned from the LORD), but have ruled
them harshly. And what this resulted in was the whole flock being scattered
into exile, where they have been subject to attack from other nations (34v1-6).
It is this imagery that Jesus used for the pastor, and here there is a rebuke
for those who are greedy for gain and fail to actually minister to their flock.
All this demonstrates that God’s sheep
lack a true shepherd. So God says he is against the shepherds and will hold
them accountable, removing them from their position so they can no longer feed
themselves at the sheep’s expense, and so that the flock might be rescued from
them (34v7-10). No doubt this was fulfilled in exile, but it looks to Jesus’
rejection of the leaders in his day.
In what follows, God declares that
instead he himself will do what the shepherds failed to do. He will search out
his sheep, care for them, rescue them from the nations they are scattered to,
and bring them back to their land as pasture. There he till tend them, and they
will lie down and feed on the best grass. Moreover, God himself will bind up
the injured and strengthen the weak (34v11-16). Yet he will also justly destroy
the sleek and strong – because their good health has been at the expense of the
others (see 34v3, 20). One cannot but think of Psalm 23 and John 10, where
Jesus declares himself the “good shepherd,” and displays this in his healing
miracles. It is in him that God shepherds his people, once more showing that
the rescue from the oppression of exile was ultimately achieved when Jesus drew
Jews to faith in himself, bringing them to the green pasture of the new
creation. Yet he also shepherds them through his under-shepherds – the apostles
and church ministers who fetch, feed and care for the flock with God’s word.
The LORD adds that he will judge
between sheep, and between rams and goats. Here he charges the shepherds with
not only feeding and drinking the best of the pasture, but of ruining the rest
so the other sheep don’t benefit. The picture is of how strong sheep bully the
weaker ones, taking the best food and water (34v17-21). Jesus’ application to
him judging on the basis of whether people display a true faith in caring for
his people is therefore entirely apt and profoundly challenging. Not to, makes
people liable to hell itself (Matt 25v31-47). And so through Ezekiel, God
states he will judge between the fat and lean sheep, saving the weak so they
are no longer plundered. And it is here he explicitly states he will place a
Davidic descendent as shepherd over them, to tend them whilst he acts as their
God. In the light of his prior promise to shepherd them himself, there are
hints to this shepherd-king also being divine (34v22-24).
In this context God promises a new
covenant of peace, in which he rids the land of wild beasts so his people can
live in safety, and be blessed with showers that will ensure good pasture. Here
he moves from the illustration to simply state that the people will enjoy
abundant harvests, and security in no longer being plundered. In being freed
from their captivity to this, they will also know God is the LORD, and that he
is with them as his people – the sheep of his pasture (34v25-31). This is a
picture of the final judgement in which all who might oppress are excluded from
the new creation so that God’s people can live not just in a world of
abundance, but one of security. This should encourage us as we face evil in the
present.
Chapter 35 sees Ezekiel prophesying
against Mount Seir – the geographical location of the Edomites. God declares he
will stretch out his hand in judgement, making it a waste and causing its towns
to be ruined, after which Edom will know he is the LORD. The reason is that,
because of a long standing hostility to Israel, Edom somehow handed them over
to Babylon – perhaps by joining the fight against them. God therefore swears by
his own life that he will give them over to bloodshed (the punishment fitting
the crime) and pursue them – no doubt a reference to an enemy chasing them. He
adds that the slain will cover the land of Edom, stressing again that they will
then know he is the LORD (35v1-9).
What follows implies the reason for
their betrayal of God’s people was a desire to posses their land – both north
and south. God denounces this in particular because it expressed jealousy at
Israel’s land, and anger at the Hebrew people despite the fact that God was
with them – in the temple. He therefore says that as he judges Edom he will be
making himself known to his people. Edom will then know the LORD heard all the
things they said against Israel by claiming that in being laid to waste, the
land was being given over to Edom to devour. God describes this as boasting
against him, no doubt in presuming to be able to take the land he desired that
Israel have. So he declares that because they rejoiced when Israel was
desolate, they will be desolate when the whole earth rejoices (36v10-15). This
may imply that Edom’s demise would occur when the rest of the world was
celebrating the fall of Babylon. Once more, however, we see the punishment
aptly fit the crime. We also see the seriousness of acting against God’s
people.
The reason for the prophesy against Edom
being here is probably because of her particular sin with respect to the fall
of Jerusalem which has just been noted, but also to display God’s commitment to
remove the wild beasts who might otherwise devour his sheep when he gathers
them from their exile (as 34v28).
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
care in coming to shepherd us himself in Christ. Pray for the raising up of
faithful shepherds throughout the church.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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(331) November 27: Ezekiel
36-37 & 1 Peter 3
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what God
says about the future of his people.
To ponder:
These chapters are
two of the most important in the book for understanding the New Testament.
Ezekiel is now called to speak against the mountains, and so land of Israel.
Just as Edom had coveted the land (35v10) so God says Israel’s enemies had,
claiming the heights as their possession. But he responds that they hounded the
people in order to take the land, and slandered it – by implying Israel’s exile
from it resulted from impotence or rejection by their God (see 36v13-15 below).
The LORD therefore declares to the various features of the land and the ruined
towns that he has spoken against the nations, so they themselves will suffer
scorn. This stems from his burning zeal which seems synonymous with his jealous
wrath – implying that he is passionately outraged at the nations taking his own
land to be theirs. He then promises that after acting against the nations, the
land will be fruitful, as his people will soon return and he will multiply them
(and their livestock) so the towns will be rebuilt, and the people not only
settle as they had before, but be even more prosperous. Then the land will
metaphorically know the one speaking through Ezekiel is the LORD – ie. he will
have proved himself the living God (36v1-11), just as he will have when we find
ourselves raised to enjoy this to the extreme within the new creation.
God continues that the land will
again be his people’s inheritance and it will never again deprive them of their
children – no doubt a reference to it spitting them out because of their sin in
fulfilment of God’s covenant promise (36v12, 17, see Lev 18v24-28). This
theology of land in which its fruitfulness and security was a reflection of the
power and nature of its god, pervades this section. So the people are portrayed
as taunting the land for loosing its inhabitants to exile, and God declares it
will no longer hear those taunts because he will ensure this doesn’t happen
again (36v13-15). The LORD goes on to explain that the people were scattered
because they defiled the land by their bloodshed and idolatry so that he judged
them accordingly and poured his wrath on them. Yet wherever they then went,
they profaned God’s name (ie. reputation) because of the assumptions about gods
and land the nations had. They would have assumed that either God had proved
unfaithful to people, or unable to defeat the gods of other nations so they
could keep their land (36v16-21). The godless person who claims faith in
Christ, should recognize the same seriousness accompanies their action. If they
suffer judgement for it, as some do (see Acts 5, 1 Cor 11v27-34) this can
profane God’s name as non-Christians might assume he has abandoned the person
without reason or is incapable of keeping them from such trial.
In response to all this, God
stresses that what he is about to say he will do is not for his people’s sake,
but for the sake of his name. Their actions have desecrated that name so that
it is no-longer regarded as set-apart and so holy. He is therefore going to
sanctify it, and show how set-apart in his purity and power he is, so that the
nations will know that he is the LORD. He is going to do this by (1) returning
the people to the land in a sort of second Exodus, (2) cleansing them from the
guilt of sin that has defiled them – where the sprinkling with water picks up
ideas of ritual washing and the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifices, (3)
giving them new hearts that are no longer hardened to himself because his
Spirit lives in them, moving them to obey his laws (36v22-27). It is this twofold
work of dealing with guilt and then grip of sin, that lies behind Jesus’
teaching of new birth by water and the Spirit in which he draws a parallel with
his work on the cross and his gift of life (Jn 3v5, 15). Although the people
returned to the land in the fifth century BC, we therefore see a hint that
Ezekiel’s prophecy would only be truly fulfilled in Christ.
The point is that then God’s
covenant relationship will be able to be maintained. The people will live in
the land as his people and no longer be unclean. So they will experience the
covenant promise of fruitfulness to the land being fulfilled, and no longer be
disgraced in the eyes of the nations because of a famine that implies their God
is unfaithful or impotent. Then, God says they will remember and loathe their
prior practice. And, as if it ensure they don’t presume this future implies
their actions have been anything less than disgraceful, he reminds them he is
not bringing these things about for their sake (36v28-32). They are acts of pure
grace.
God adds that on the day of Israel’s
cleansing, they will be resettled and become secure, the land will be
cultivated until it is like Eden, and the nations will know the LORD has
rebuilt what he destroyed. He states that this will be in response to a plea
from Israelites, and implies they will then live in worship of him, as the
cities will be filled with people like the flocks that are gathered as
offerings during Israel’s feasts (36v33-38). We should not get too caught up in
the timing here. The point is that although the people did resettle in the
fifth century, God’s act of cleansing his people and restoring the kingdom to a
supreme state is one “day” (ie. period) of God’s action. Through Christ we know
it spans his two comings. As he says to Nicodemus (Jn 3v3), it is only those
who have been born again (fulfilling 36v25-27) who will see the kingdom
(fulfilling 36v28-31).
In chapter 37 God’s Spirit
transports Ezekiel to a valley of bones. Their dryness shows they have been
long dead. God asks if they can live to which Ezekiel affirms only God knows.
Ezekiel is then told to prophesy to the bones, that God will make breath enter
them and cause them to become enfleshed and alive. As Ezekiel prophesies, the
bodies are re-constituted but not yet alive. He is then told to call breath to
enter the slain so they live, and they come to life as a vast army. This is
then explained: The bones represent dead Israelites (no doubt recalling those
slain by Babylon) with a sense of this meaning that they are cut off from God’s
promises (just made) of a glorious kingdom in the land. So God promises to open
their graves, bring them to life by his Spirit, and settle them securely in the
land (the inference of being an army), where they will know he is God (37v1-14).
Verse 1 implies this is a vision. A metaphorical fulfilment in which this
simply stresses there is still hope for the nation, or that looks to faithful
Israelites coming spiritually alive in order to submit to Christ as king, is
quite possible. However, the descriptions of life in the land (36v25, 37v22-28)
these people will then enjoy, imply the final state, making a more literal
fulfilment as faithful Israelites are raised from death more likely (see Jn
5v28-30). This would suggest that the full restoration of the kingdom Ezekiel
has prophesied lies the others side of the resurrection (see chs 47-48). 37v12-14 are critical here. These Israelites will be dead long before the incarnation and so never experience new covenant regeneration in this age. So it is in resurrection that the restoration to the land and experience of new birth promised in 36v24-38 will comes to pass.
Ezekiel is then instructed to
symbolise God uniting the northern and southern kingdoms in the land by the
uniting of two sticks as one. He adds that they will be forever united under
one Davidic king and shepherd, and having been cleansed, will no longer defile
themselves as they had. The inference that they will be there forever with
their children and children’s children under the same king, implies the eternal
life of the resurrected state, and also that God’s intent for faith to be
passed to each generation will have been fulfilled to some extent by this
group. To them, he promises an everlasting covenant agreement, security,
increase of numbers, his temple presence (see chs 40-46), and the relationship
in which he is their God and they his people – and all so the nations know that
God’s presence makes his people holy (ie. it sets them apart as an obedient
people). This all looks to the great multitude inhabiting a new creation that
is filled with the presence of God (Rev 21v22-27), and those cast out forever aware of it.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
readiness to raise and renew his people to inhabit the kingdom. Pray that you
would faithfully teach this hope to the next generation.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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(332) November 28: Ezekiel
38-39 & 1 Peter 4
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note why God is
going to act as these chapters predict.
To ponder:
These chapters are
notoriously difficult to understand, and we should note they come as the book
becomes increasingly figurative in nearing its end. Ezekiel is to set his face
against a king called “Gog” of “Magog” (literally, land of Gog), who also rules
over Meshech and Tubal. Most likely these three lands refer to places far north
of Judah, that were known for their barbarity (see Ps 120v5-7). Through Ezekiel
God declares he is against Gog and will force him to do his will with hooks,
like a captured beast or monster, bringing him and his army (described in a way
that stresses its greatness) to invade Judah (38v1-9). The significance of his
allies is probably that they are from the extremities of the known world from
Judah’s perspective. And there are 7 of them (38v2, 5-6), implying
completeness. The sense may therefore be of the whole world gathering against
God’s people. This is supported by the names coming from the lines of Japheth
and Ham, but not Shem, from whom Israel were descended (Gen 10v2-3, 6).
The picture is of a vast hoard
covering Israel as it advances on God’s people, with God stating that Gog will
devise the evil scheme in order to plunder the richness of the land, which, in
context, is a sign of God’s covenant blessing on his people. The onlooking
merchant nations (38v13) are also a selection from the extremities of the
world, and seem to represent those seeking an opportunity to gain materially
from Gog’s attack. It is stressed that the land had recovered from its
devastation by Babylon, and the people now lived in safety and without
protection, no doubt because they trusted the LORD to be their refuge
(38v9-16). The question, then, is whether Israel will be cast from the land
again, or whether God’s promise that they would dwell there forever will be
kept (see 37v25-28). So we are told that God is bringing this invader so that
he may show himself holy to the nations – ie. show he is set-apart in being the
only true and powerful God (see 37v23).
37v17 records God telling Gog that
his prophets had for years predicted him coming against Israel. As the timing
of this is a future date, this stresses the importance of Israel referring back
to Ezekiel’s own prophecy here. It may also suggest that the many prophecies
predicting the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests from the north were
paradigmatic for a final attack by the nations of the earth. And what God
predicts is that in anger, there will an earthquake that will mark his presence
and cause all creatures and peoples to tremble, and he will bring a sword
against Gog in the form of causing his troops to kill one-another. He will also
execute judgement on him and the troops of the nations with him, with plague,
bloodshed, rain, hail and sulphur. These are pictures of judgement, but may be
literal as sulphur was for Sodom and Gomorrah. The point is that God’s people
don’t need to lift a finger, God fights for them, and by this means makes known
to the nations that he is the LORD (37v18-23).
Revelation 20v8-9 teaches this is
fulfilled as the nations of the earth are gathered against God’s people by
Satan, just before the final judgement. Some see this preceded by a millennium
in which the people enjoy a secure and righteous life with Christ, fulfilling
Ezekiel’s words in 37v15-28. The alternative would be to see Ezekiel’s
description of life in the land as fulfilled in the church, as Christians
anticipate the eternal state in their fellowship. Gog’s invasion would then
imply a final great persecution of the church. However, we have seen hints that
the account is figurative. So it could simply refer to God’s ultimate
protection of his people from such threats whenever they come after the return
from exile (as Rom 8v35-39). This would mean the events of chapter 38 don’t
follow chronologically from those of chapter 37.
God continues reiterating that he is
against Gog, and will drag him against Israel only to defeat him, causing his
army to be food for animals, and even sending fire against those who live
safely in Magog and haven’t engaged in the battle. It’s probably a picture of
his judging all. By this means he will cause his name no longer to be profaned,
as Israel and the nations know come to know that it is holy – ie. that he is
set-apart from all others (39v1-8). The picture of Israel using their enemy’s
weapons as fuel for 7 years, stresses God’s supremacy in actually using the
invasion for the good of his people, who are able to plunder the army
(39v9-10).
39v11-16 describes how Israel will
carefully ensure all the slain are buried east of the Mediterranean sea in
Israel, so that the land is cleansed. They will complete the work in 7 months,
but then begin a search for any bodies that have been missed, ensuring they are
buried too. The sheer amount of bodies is highlighted, as the mound will hinder
travellers. But the focus seems to be on the fact that nothing of these people
will remain in Israel. This is further stressed by the burial being preceded by
scavenging animals feasting on the bodies as they lie on the ground (39v17-20,
see 39v4). Ezekiel is to call them as the feast is portrayed as one God has
provided, with the army being a sacrifice to him, like the fellowship offering
the people would feast on as a sign that through the penalty for sin being paid
they are at peace with God. This may be intended to stress the supreme
fellowship the people will enjoy now the unbelieving world has been punished
for its sin. However, the animals are invited to eat the fat and blood which
was usually reserved for God (Lev 3v16-17). This emphasizes both how utterly
destroyed the enemy are, and how degraded in this destruction – as will be the
case with hell.
We are told that the day God is
glorified in this defeat of Gog, will be a memorial – so forever remembered
(39v13). And by this means God will display his glory (his excellence) to the
nations, and from then on Israel will know he is the LORD. This has been God’s
intent throughout. When Israel went into exile, the nations assumed this was
because their God had rejected them or was unable to protect them. But now he
has displayed his faithfulness in defeating the greatest army, the nations will
know that the exile could not have been for these reasons, but must have been
because the people’s sin caused God to hide his face and hand them over to
their enemies (39v21-24). So God declares he will bring the exiles back from
their captivity, have compassion on them, and act in passionate concern for
that his name is seen as holy. It is uncertain whether 39v26 refers to Israel
forgetting or bearing their shame when in the land, but the latter has been
stressed previously (36v31). Whatever the case, when they are in the land, God
will show himself holy to the nations through what he has done in gathering
them, and pouring out his Spirit so that they will follow his law and therefore
receive his blessing (see 36v24-32). Then Israel will certainly know he is
their God (39v25-29).
Whatever our uncertainties, the key
point throughout is that faithful Israelites, who after Christ are marked out
by the fact they have become his followers, can be sure that God will never
turn against them as his people (nor against Gentiles, who have joined them in
following Christ). Their inheritance is therefore certain. They will never be
ultimately overcome by the forces of evil. And when God judges the world and
raises them to inhabit it, the world will see that their exile (and any
subsequent trial Jews or now Christians might suffer) was not because of the
unfaithfulness or inability of their God. The prophecy would therefore have
caused the exiles to keep hoping in the LORD, as it would those who returned to
the land, when oppressed by Persia, Greece and Rome. And it should cause us to
do the same as we face oppression too.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that he
has defeated evil through the cross and so this final deliverance of his people
is certain. Pray that those who are persecuted would be encouraged by it.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(333) November 29: Ezekiel
40 & 1 Peter 5
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note how God’s
holiness and inapproachability is stressed.
To ponder:
As usual a date is
given (40v1). It could be significant. The 25 years is half the cycle to the
Jubilee year, signifying renewal. The date and month recalls the Exodus (Ex 12v12),
and the 14 (2x7) years may look to two complete periods until the setting up of
the temple to be described. In a vision Ezekiel is taken to Jerusalem, which he
views from a mountain. His note that the buildings looked like a city reminds
us this is a vision, and that there is something different from the actual
Jerusalem. We should not therefore presume what we read are instructions for a
literal temple that must be built. Most likely, God is using the idea of the
temple to portray truth about him coming to dwell with his people as he did in
the previous temple. This is rather like his using a detailed image of a new
city of Jerusalem (with dimensions) in Revelation, to portray truth about the
bride of Christ which is the people of God (Rev 21v1-21).
Ezekiel first sees a man (as chapter
8) whose bronze-like appearance resonates with the creatures and God in chapter
1 (1v7, 27). He was standing at the entrance to the city with tools needed for
measurement. He tells Ezekiel to listen and pay attention, as that is why he is
there – and that he is to tell Israel everything (40v1-4).
Ezekiel then sees a wall enclosing
the whole temple complex like a wall around a city. The man measures it as ten
feet high and ten foot thick – perhaps suggesting it is impenetrable. He then
goes to the gate facing east – the direction of sunrise and so salvation –
measuring the threshold at 10 feet deep. This threshold leads into the gateway
itself, which consists of a passage leading into the outer court (40v1-16, see
diagram here). It has three square recesses on either side, which were
probably for guards, implying the temple is secure and only those who should
enter could enter. At the end of the passage was a roomy sort of porch, which
led into the outer court. All in all, the gateway was 25 cubits (43 feet) wide
and 50 (86 feet) long. This symmetry, which will find throughout the account,
probably signifies the exact perfection of God’s plan for his people, and the
utter holiness and order that accompanies his presence. The palm tree
decoration implies the temple is like a mini-Eden and a picture of the new
creation to come.
The man led Ezekiel into the outer
court, which had a pavement around its perimeter that was as wide as the
gateways, stretching between them. (A diagram of the
whole temple can be seen here). Thirty rooms were built into the wall
around the outer court, opening onto this pavement. They were probably for
worshippers or Levites who served in the temple. We’re told that there were
identical gates on the north and south sides of the outer court too, all three
gates having 7 steps leading up to them, the number of completeness and
perfection. Across the outer court from each gate was a corresponding gate to
the inner court. The distance across the outer court to the inner court was a
hundred cubits (172 feet), the same distance as the length of the outer and
inner gates combined. The inner gates were identical to the outer gates, except
that they were a mirror image of them, with the porch being the first part you
enter from the outer court. They also had 8 steps leading up to them, rather
than 7 (40v17-36). The sense in all this detail is that you would ascend two
stories, through two sets of guards, and with increasing difficulty, to where
God was especially present. This stresses the increased degrees of holiness in
coming closer to God, and so his inapproachability too.
Because of this, a room was at the
porch entrance of each inner gateway where burnt offerings were washed
(40v37-43). There is then a description of twelve tables that seem to be in the
porch of each gateway too, eight on which offerings were slaughtered, and four
on which the implements used were kept. It may be some were also hung on the
hooks on the wall. In seeing this portrayal of the temple as figurative of
God’s future presence with his people that is ultimately fulfilled in Christ,
we should note that this will involve no animal sacrifice as this has been
superseded by Christ’s own sacrifice. Rather, we should understand this
description as using concepts that would have been familiar to the Israelites,
to make the point that sufficient means of atonement would then be instituted
to ensure God’s presence could remain with his people. The “twelve” tables in
particular stress that what is instituted is sufficient for all Israel (the twelve
tribes). We now understand that all this was ultimately achieved in the cross.
Moving through the inner gate we
come to the inner court, seeing two rooms adjacent to the north and south inner
gates respectively (40v44-47). The former was for priests overseeing the
general running of the temple that is in the centre of the complex, and perhaps
guarding it too. The latter was for priests in charge of and perhaps guarding
the altar. The note that these are only those qualified to draw that close to
minister before God again stresses his holy purity. The inner court was
measured as a hundred cubits square, corresponding with previous measurements.
And it is noted that the altar was in front of the temple, as sacrifice was the
only means one could approach the LORD.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for
achieving a way for us to approach him through Christ. Pray that you would
better appreciate his holiness, and how necessary the cross was.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(334) November 30: Ezekiel
41-42 & 2 Peter 1
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note consider
what the recording of the temple’s design is intended to portray.
To ponder:
From 40v49 onwards
we are taken to the temple itself in the middle of the temple complex. The
measurements are significant numbers – multiples of 10 (symbolising many),
multiples of 7 (symbolising perfection or completeness), 12 (symbolising
Israel) and 3 (another number of completeness). The temple essential consists
of the outer and inner sanctuaries. Taking Ezekiel with him, the man first
measures the portico (porch), then the outer sanctuary, followed by the inner
one – the most holy place, which was half the size of the outer sanctuary. The
decreasing size of entrances towards the inner sanctuary stresses its holiness
and exclusivity. We should only the man enters it, as it is forbidden for any human
but the High Priest. The man must therefore be either a representation of God
himself or an angel. Next he measured the temple wall and the thirty side rooms
on each of three levels, along the north, south and west sides. These are
probably store rooms for equipment, tithes and offerings. The rooms on each
successive level get wider. And they could be accessed from the area around the
temple, by staircases on the north and south sides. (You
can see a plan of the temple here). Around the temple was a raised paved
area, and then an open area stretching to the priests rooms to the north and
south. To the west, there was a large building, perhaps also for storage. In
terms of overall measurements, the length of the temple, of the yard and
building to its west, and the breadth of that building and the inner court were
all 100 cubits. Such detail seems strange to us, but it all symbolised the
perfection of the temple itself. And the desire to describe and meditate on it
should be likened to our desire to eagerly show pictures of a tour we had
around Buckingham Palace. It should evoke wonder that God himself would
actually return and live amongst his people. (All the above explains
40v48-49v14). (Compare
its size with the temple of Solomon and the temple built later by Herod here).
It seems the inner walls, porches and
thresholds of the temple were covered with wood, much of which was covered with
carved cherubim and palm trees – again alluding to Eden and stressing the
presence of God (see Gen 3v24). The cherubim only had two (rather than four,
chapter 1) faces, perhaps because of the demands of two dimensional art. They
were of a man and a lion, the most noble of God’s creatures. In the outer
sanctuary, in front of the doors leading into the most holy place, was a wooden
altar-like table. This was called “the table that is before the LORD,” but was
the table of presence from the original temple, on which twelve bread cakes
were put ever Sabbath as a reminder that God’s was the people’s provider. Both
sanctuaries had double doors, but only those of the outer sanctuary were carved
with cherubim and palm trees (49v15-26).
42v1-14 describes the priests’ rooms
on the north and south of the inner court, opening onto the temple courtyard,
facing north and south respectively. They are identical, being perfect
rectangles (100x50 cubits) within a perfect square, again stressing symmetry.
Each side included two sets of buildings. One consisting of changing rooms and
rooms for eating and storing offerings. The other was a three story block. The
dimensions are similar to those used elsewhere. And the focus stresses how
sacred these places are because of their purpose and vicinity to the temple
itself. This is supported by the fact that the priests must leave their
garments before they go from the inner to outer court, because they are holy in
having been so close to God. The sense is that they would otherwise spread
holiness to the people, which could prove problematic if the people were not
consecrated to God, as his wrath might then break out at their sin - as when
Uzzah was struck down for coming into contact with the holy ark (see 2 Sam
6v7).
Finally, the man takes Ezekiel
outside via the east gate and measures the whole complex (42v15-19). It is
surrounded by a wall in a perfect square of 500 cubit (850 feet) sides. 42v20
highlights the purpose of the wall. It is to separate the holy from the common.
In other words, not only does this temple symbolise God’s presence with his
people, but true and untainted worship being offered him, in which his
regulations are kept, he is revered by bringing nothing unseemly close to him,
and in which his dwelling place is not defiled by sin (contrast 22v26). We
might consider the beauty of its design speaking of the final beauty of the
church as the temple of the Holy Spirit, or the new creation that God’s glory
will one day fill. Both are holy and set-apart, and in both, worship that is
true, obedient, reverent and undefiled is to be offered.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
beauty and majesty pictured in some way by the architectural beauty and majesty
of this temple-palace. Pray that you would offer worship with your lips and
life that is fitting to him.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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and make a comment.
(335) December 1: Ezekiel
43 & 2 Peter 2
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note why God
says he has revealed all these details to Ezekiel.
To ponder:
Ezekiel is now
brought to the gate facing east, from where he sees God’s glory coming. We
should note east is the place of Eden, of the dawn and so of hope, but also
where Babylon is situated, suggesting he may be returning from being amongst
the exiles. This is a reversal of the direction in which he left (11v19, 23)
and enables him to go straight ahead into the temple. The awesomeness of his
presence is stressed in the roar of his voice – which is to be obeyed, and the
brilliance of his glory – so brilliant that lights the land as it goes, perhaps
implying how it will one day transform it. We’re reminded this is a vision, and
the sight of God’s glory is the same as that in chapter 1 (43v1-4). Having seen
God enter the east facing gate of the temple, the Spirit takes Ezekiel to the
inner court where he sees the temple filled with God’s glory – confirming he is
now in residence, as in the days of Solomon (43v5, 1 Kgs 8v10-11). It suggests
the potential of a new golden era.
We should note here the delight this
vision would have brought to the exiles. Solomon’s temple had been defiled and
then destroyed, and God had abandoned Jersusalem. Yet in this vision, the
people are reassured that God will return to the city and worship will begin
again in a temple there, patterned in some way on this vision.
Ezekiel then hears someone speaking
from within the temple. The note that the man is beside him suggests it is not
him and he is not divine. Rather, it is God himself, who declares the temple is
the place of his throne and feet – implying dominion. He states he will live
amongst the Israelites forever, and that they and their kings will never again
defile his name with their idolatry. 43v8 implies that the kings either lived
in some way within the previous temple complex or were buried there. Either
way, it showed no recognition of the need for the common to be separated from
the holy (as 42v20), and so displayed an irreverence and lack of concern for
the LORD that provoked him to destroy them in anger. At this point God declares
that Israel should put away their idols, again, promises that he will then live
with them forever. He then tells Ezekiel to write down and describe what he has
seem for the people, detailing the temple, and especially its exits, entrances,
regulations and laws. He states he wants Ezekiel to do this for two reasons:
First, to make the people ashamed of their sins. Second, so that they will be
faithful to its design and regulations (43v9-11).
This is all particularly instructive
in how we understand the whole vision. 37v15-28 predicted Israel as a cleansed
nation united under a Davidic king, that would no longer commit idolatry, and
that would live forever in the land with God’s “dwelling-place” with them
(37v27). In the light of this, the original recipients of Ezekiel’s temple
vision must have understood it to be the “dwelling-place” that would be central
to this future kingdom. We should therefore view it as a portrayal, using
concepts that were understandable to them, of the ideal temple and worship that
would be central to that coming order, just as God’s presence and right worship
at the temple had always been necessary for Israel to flourish as a nation. In
particular, the vision is intended to remind the people just how holy God is,
and just how serious their idolatry was in previously failing to respect that
holiness through disregarding the set-apartedness of the temple and the
regulations that protected that (see chapter 8). To this end, the regulations
for this temple stress areas whether there was previously specific compromise,
and even update prior laws accordingly. This concern is confirmed by God’s
statement that the key law or instruction about the temple is that the area
around it is to be most holy (43v12). In other words, no-one who is not
qualified and fit to do so, is to come close.
To be “faithful” to the temple’s
design and regulations then, may have meant that the returning Israelites
should have established temple worship according to Ezekiel’s blueprint as they
prepared for God to establish his everlasting kingdom. The detail throughout
certainly implies this. In which case, the failure to institute these things was
yet another sign of their sin, and so of the fact that that kingdom was some
time off, and that God would have to do what they could not do for themselves.
However, being “faithful” to what Ezekiel saw could equally mean that just as
their (and our) perception of God should be faithful to Ezekiel’s vision in
chapter 1, without viewing that vision literally, so their (and our) worship
should be faithful to this vision in a similar way. This enables it to apply at
numerous levels depending on one’s place in salvation history as God
progressively fulfils his promise of chapter 37. For the Israelites in
Ezekiel’s day, it speaks of how they cannot expect God’s presence to remain
with them and fulfil that promise, unless they conduct the worship of any
future temple in purity, as instructed. For us, it speaks of how, when Israel
failed to do exactly that, God enabled his presence to be permanently present
and ensured true worship in and through Christ. We are therefore reminded that
we cannot serve God in the church or draw close to him in heaven, unless we are
fully cleansed and set-apart as a holy priesthood through Christ’s blood (Heb
9v11-10v25).
In 43v13-27 God describes the
temple’s altar to Ezekiel, together with the regulations for offerings. He even
commands him to give a bull as a sin offering for the priests and purify the
altar over seven days, getting the priests make offerings too. God’s declaration
“then I will accept you” (43v27) implies the worship of the temple is then able
to commence so that he can accept the people despite their sin. This section
supports the less literal view of the temple. 1v1-2 suggest Ezekiel may have
been born around 622BC (1v1-2), whereas the second temple in Jerusalem was
completed and dedicated in 516BC with no mention of Ezekiel (Ezra 6v13-22). It
seems that he is therefore being commanded to reinstitute Israel’s temple
worship in his vision, as if he were there. This may be a sort of symbolic act
that is intended to foretell the coming reality rather like when he was
commanded to act out the siege of Jerusalem (see chapter 4). Alternatively, God
may be addressing Ezekiel as a representative of the people and what they are
to do to institute the temple’s worship.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for
fully cleansing us through Christ so that we can draw near to him. Pray you
would offer yourself in service reverently, recognizing his holiness.
Thinking
further:
None today.
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(336) December 2: Ezekiel
44-46 & 2 Peter 3
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note what
principles lie behind the regulations.
To ponder:
The man now takes
Ezekiel to the entrance to the temple – ie. the outer room. The door is shut
and to remain shut because God has entered. In context, it seems this is to
ensure no-one goes in and so defiles the place of God’s presence. Only the
“prince” could, and he only to the outer room and in order to eat in God’s
presence – presumably having made a sacrifice. (Priests could enter too, v16).
Next Ezekiel is taken to the north gate of the inner court from which he sees
God’s glory in the temple and falls face down, stressing the reverence with
which the reality of God’s presence should be considered (44v1-4). God then
tells Ezekiel to listen carefully to the regulations he is about to give
regarding the entrance and exits. These are the regulations the people are to
follow (see 43v11). First, where the Israelites rebelliously allowed foreigners
in and permitted them to carry out the priests’ duties, desecrating the temple,
no foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh is now to enter. The point is
that those who can draw close to God must be from amongst his people, and truly
love him. Second, the Levites who committed idolatry are required to bear the
consequences of their sin. So, they may serve in the temple, having charge of
the gates (caring for and guarding them) and slaughtering offerings, but are
not allowed to serve as priests or come near the holy things or most holy
offerings. This downgraded their duties, meaning that they could only stand
before the people and not before the LORD. The sense is that worship in the new
order will protect against the compromises of the past, to ensure they are not
repeated. Third, only the descendents of Zadok who were faithful in their
duties when Israel went astray are to stand before God offering sacrifices in
the sanctuary (44v5-16). The point is that order is re-established to the
temple, with only those qualified able to draw close to God.
Regulations for the clothes, hair
and marital allowances of the priests follow that are similar to those in the
law (44v17-27, Lev 21v1-9). The point is that they are to teach the difference
between the holy and common, helping the people distinguish between clean and
unclean. And they do this in part by their own set-apartedness. They are to
judge disputes, keep God’s laws and feasts, and regulations about going near
dead bodies. It all stresses that God is so holy that those who serve him up
close must be fit to do so, ensuring nothing merely normal (common) or
imperfect and so unacceptable (unclean) is allowed in his near presence. This
highlights just what Christ has achieved in making us holy and clean.
Next God declares he is to be the
priest’s inheritance, providing for them from the offerings and whatever is
devoted to God. So they are not to be given any inheritance in the land. The
best of the people’s firstfruits are to be theirs, which will bring blessing on
the people’s households. Yet the priests are not to eat what will make them
unclean (44v28-31).
45v1-8 records how a section of the
land is to be kept as a sacred space. In the center is to be the
sanctuary/temple with an area of open land around it. The wider area is for the
priests and Levites who serve at the temple to live in. Alongside this will be
a section of land for the city, and so for all Israel to live in. And adjacent
to the sacred space and city land will be land given to the princes. It is
added that they will no longer oppress the people but allow them to posses the
land according to their tribes. The sense is that they will no longer be taking
the people’s land to themselves. What follows is an exhortation for the princes
to give up violence and oppression in order to do what is just and right,
engage in honest commerce. It seems the outline of the temple and land for the
new order is expected to be a motivation for the rebellious princes to make a
new start of their practices (45v9-12). Knowing we are destined to be glorified
should be its own motivation to us, to live accordingly in the present.
45v13-17 record the princes’
responsibility to provide the offerings to atone for Israel’s sins at the
feasts, but notes that the people are to provide what is necessary for them to
do this. What this entails for New Year’s Day (atoning for the temple and
altar), Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles follows (45v18-25). All this
highlights the king’s responsibility for worship, looking to Christ giving
himself to atone for his people’s sins.
Chapter 46 includes further
regulations. Only on the Sabbath and day of the new moon is the eastern inner
court gate to be open. On these days the prince would enter from the outside,
present his offerings at the gatepost as detailed, worship at the threshold in
sight of the sanctuary and then leave. Critically, he is not permitted to enter
the sanctuary itself. On these days the people are also permitted to come up to
the entrance to the gateway, standing just outside it in the outer court
(46v1-8, see
here). 46v9-10 explain that there is to be an orderly flow of worshippers,
including the prince, from the north gate to the south or vice-versa. No doubt,
this too expresses something of the order that should mark worship. The offerings
the prince must offer at festivals and feasts is then outlined, noting they are
to be offered as his offering on the Sabbath. The daily morning sacrifice is
then detailed – a reminder of the need of constant atonement if God is to dwell
amongst a sinful people (46v11-15).
Regulations on property given by the
prince (from his inheritance) to his sons or to servants follow (46v16-18). The
former belongs to his descendents and so should be passed on. The latter can be
kept, but must be returned at the year of freedom (probably Jubilee, Lev
25v10-13). The prince is not to take property from the people for his sons. The
point is that whatever God has allotted as an inheritance for the princes or
the people should be maintained. It all reminds us that the land, indeed, the
earth, is the LORD’s. It reassures us too, that he will ensure we receive our
inheritance.
Next the angelic man took Ezekiel to
the priests’ sacred rooms facing north, to see where the sin and guilt
offerings would be cooked and the grain offering baked. He then took him around
the outer court, where Ezekiel saw an enclosed rectangular court in each
corner. The man explained that they were kitchen’s for cooking the people’s
sacrifices (46v19-24). As with the layout of the land (above) we see order
highlighted again. But we also see God’s concern to keep the holy and common
apart, lest by coming into contact with the holy, God’s wrath breaks out
against the people (46v20). Yet, what is most striking is God’s grace in
welcoming people to his table to eat with him – something pictured in the
Lord’s Supper, and that looks to the heavenly banquet.
Throughout this section we see the
assumption that rather than being a spiritual picture of something that will
mark a perfect future kingdom, Ezekiel’s vision presupposes the people are
still sinful and so seems intended for those returning from exile. Protections
are not only put in to keep the people from holy things, but reminders are
needed so foreigners are not again brought into the temple and the prince
refrains from oppressing his people. Indeed, rather than being a messianic
figure, the prince is severely limited in the degree to which he can approach
God, having to stop at the gate to the sanctuary, and so being third in
importance behind the priests and Levites.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
gift of Christ who offers himself as the sufficient sacrifice for sin. Pray
that the church would shape its worship in a way that acknowledges the holiness
of God.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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(337) December 3: Ezekiel
47-48 & 1 John 1
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read note how God’s
grace is necessary for the fulfilment of each part.
To ponder:
Ezekiel is now
returned to the entrance to the temple, where he sees a small stream of water
coming out of the south side of the threshold and heading east, south of the
altar and then out of the temple just south of the east facing outer gate
(47v1-2). It seems Ezekiel exits via the north gate as the eastern one was
closed. The meaning of the water flowing on the south side is unclear. But it
flows towards the place of exile, perhaps symbolic of God’s blessing being
accessible to those in Babylon, and paradigmatic of it being accessible to all
exiled from his presence because of sin. In what follows, the man travels
eastward measuring the water’s depth every 1500 feet, as it gets deeper and
deeper until it becomes an un-crossable river (47v1-6). With no tributaries
causing this, we’re seeing that this is simply due to its source in the temple
– signifying the abundance of blessing God pours out. The water has two
results: It causes trees to grow on its banks that will never wither, and with
leaves that bring healing; and it makes the salt water of the Dead Sea fresh,
enabling swarms of living creatures to live along it and in it.
The symbolism is echoed by other
prophets, and cautions us against reading the rest of the vision too literally.
But nor should we be too quick to spiritualize it. In reality, the picture is
of God bringing not both biological and spiritual life to that which is barren.
First and foremost it would have been understood to promise the returning
exiles that God is well able to renew them so that they lovingly worship and
obey him, centred on their temple, and experience the covenant blessing on the
land promised in Deuteronomy 28-30. It therefore also looks to that renewal of
Israel (and others) by his Holy Spirit through Christ (as 36v24-27), and looks
further ahead to the new creation, in which they will live forever in a world
of abundance, and free from all sickness and death (Rev 22v1-5). We should
remember too, that Jesus stood up in the temple and called all to come to him
and drink, promising that streams of living water would then flow from them.
John tells us this was a reference to the Holy Spirit (Jn 7v37-39). So
Ezekiel’s vision is fulfilled in Jesus as the true temple-dwelling of God, from
whom the blessing of God’s Spirit comes to those of all nations, who then
themselves become a temple-dwelling of God, from which that blessing flows to
others as they share the gospel.
The man also tells Ezekiel that the
swamps and marshes of the land will still be left for salt (47v11). This could
be a practical act of provision, in which God leaves sufficient salt for the
people to use for seasoning and preserving food. However, it may imply a set
place apart from the place of God’s blessing, where curse is still experienced.
47v13-48v29 records the division of
the land, but not just for Judah, for the northern kingdom too (two portions
are to be given to Joseph because his two sons were originally given a tribe’s portion
each). This is significant as the northern tribes no longer existed in any
definitive form in Ezekiel’s day, having been scattered by Assyria in 722BC.
God cannot therefore be talking about a literal proportioning of the land to
each tribe. He is predicting the reunification of the nation in Christ,
incorporating returning exiles from Judah and any descended from the north who
might join them, as well as those from other nations too. It is just this that
we see in the book of Acts. And the man tells Ezekiel that the latter group in
particular are to be considered as equal as native-born Israelites, sharing
equally in the inheritance. It is not impossible that if the new creation is a
renewed heavens and earth rather than a different one, Israelites who owned a
true faith in Christ might receive the land as specified. But it seems more
likely that Ezekiel’s vision is using the concepts familiar to the people in
his day to stress that the nation will be united and receive just the
inheritance God has determined for them, whatever form that might take (as 1
Pet 1v3-9). Indeed, Jesus teaches the meek will inherit the whole earth. We
should be much encouraged.
48v8-14 repeats earlier teaching
about the portion of the land set-apart for the sanctuary and priests and
Levites, which must not pass hands, as God has apportioned it. 48v15-20 then
describes the land to be given to the city, and as land to supply food for
those who work there. 48v21-22 specifies the land that would be the special
portion of the prince. By including this earlier material here, we must
recognise that the earlier vision of the temple’s design, those who served in
it, and the segmenting of the land around it, has an ultimate symbolic
reference in terms of what is received through the gospel of Christ, even if it
also referred to the ideal the people should have aspired to when they first
returned from Babylon.
Finally, we read of how the gates to
the city will be named after the tribes of Israel, and the city itself be a
square of 4500 cubits on each side (about 1.5 miles). This is far smaller than
the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21, but the note about the gates is the same
(Rev 21v12). The point in Ezekiel is that the city represents the entirety of
God’s people. And critical is its name: “The LORD is there.” This is the key
thrust of Ezekiel’s vision and his entire message of hope. God will return to
his people, and his presence is what will guarantee the fulfilment of his
promises. We should marvel that just as the New Jerusalem is the bride of
Christ (Rev 21v9-10), this title now refers to the church, guaranteeing all
God’s promises to us.
Praying
it home:
Praise God for his
presence with his people by his Holy Spirit. Pray that you would be active in
sharing the gospel so that this blessing might come to others.
Thinking
further: Ezekiel’s vision
The vision
stretching from chapters 40-48 is extremely hard to understand and commentators
differ hugely on what to make of it. Any thoughts we have must therefore be
very tentative. But from what we have studied, it seems to work on two key
levels: First, we mustn’t forget the impact it would have had on the exiles. To
them it would probably have been understood to be an idealistic picture of what
they should aspire to as they re-populate the land and re-establish worship.
It’s portrayal of these things as actually happening, would have given them
confidence that by these things God would at some time bring the Davidic king,
renew them and the land, and establish them as a united eternal kingdom with
his temple-presence central to that (37v22-28). Second, whereas the people
would not have known exactly how these things would be achieved, in the light
of Christ, we must read the vision through him, and so understand it as also
picturing God dwelling amongst, renewing and uniting his people as this eternal
kingdom through Christ and in the church. Whereas the detail about the
offerings, priests and Levites would have applied directly to the vision’s
first fulfilment, these things would apply to the second only in affirming the
church as an entity where lives are offered to God, and all his people serve
the church according to his designation.
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