November 8th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14 ~ Hebrews 9:1-10
Psalm 106:32-48 ~ Proverbs 27:10

Old Testament - Ezekiel chapter 18 is a powerful chapter.  I think what we are seeing in this chapter is the Old Covenant - which I do believe was compassionate & "fair", but different from the New Covenant, which I believe is compassionate & graceful (which may not necessarily be "fair" - but which is good news - Gospel - for us sinners!).  Verse 30 is a good look at the Old Covenant - "Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn from your sins! Don't let them destroy you!"   Verse 4 of course stands out too with - "And this is my rule: The person who sins will be the one who dies." You read this at a high level and you'll get a bit nervous, no?  :)  Indeed this is the Old Covenant:  your actions will dictate your death or your life.  It's up to your actions.  It's up to you.  You'll get what you deserve.  And this is certainly "fair."  However, this changes through Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins once and for all on the cross.  Under the New Covenant, through God's gift of grace, we now simply need to have faith that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, died for our sins and rose from the dead.  As we've been reading in Hebrews currently - we simply need to have faith in Christ as our High Priest.  God's grace and our faith becomes the key (regeneration).  Not our actions on their own.  This being said, after our salvation (justification) through grace and faith, God is very interested in our actions and wants us to live a life of holiness (sanctification).   This is some pretty heavy theology here... (which probably each of our Christian denominations has slightly different takes on) and more than I can blog on without goofing it up - actually I probably already have.  :)  Check out a good overview of justification and sanctification (and regeneration!) on bible.org at this link.    Also, I'll copy this image below, which I found interesting.  I may not agree with every point on this image, but overall I find this useful -

Zondervan's commentary is wonderful on verse 32, saying that this verse can be argued to be the single most important point in all of the book of Ezekiel - "I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!"  This is a powerful verse.  Think this verse shows us that God is compassionate?  Think this might be the single most important point in the book of Ezekiel?  Think this verse can apply to our lives today? Are their areas of sin in our life where God is calling us to turn back from?  Calling us to turn toward true Life?  And to be free from the slavery of sin?  Will we turn back?  Will we repent?

Ezekiel Chapter 19 is a funeral song / allegory about the land of Judah and Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is the lioness and the lions are two of her sons, two kings - one who ended up trapped and deceived by Egypt and the other by Babylon.   The last sentence of verse 14 is a sad one...  "This is a funeral song, and it is now time for the funeral." As we know, it is now time for the funeral for Jerusalem in Ezekiel's time.  (however, of course, there is the redemption to come and the continuation of the house of David.  The promise to Abraham won't die here!)

New Testament - Hebrews chapter 9 is a fairly brief reading today on the Old Covenant rules for approaching God.  One thing that stands out in my mind when reading this chapter today is a scene from the movie "The Passion of the Christ".   Just after Jesus dies on the cross there is an earthquake, which shakes the Temple in Jerusalem where I believe the Most Holy Place in this chapter is located.  In that scene the curtain separating the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple is torn in two.  Imagery that shows that no longer is the Most Holy Place and an earthly high priest the only way to God.  Jesus has torn that veil in two and Jesus is the new and eternal High Priest ushering in the New Covenant.

Psalms - Psalm 106 verse 44 through 46 stood out to me today as another amazing example of God's compassion, even after we sin against Him - "Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries. He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his unfailing love. He even caused their captors to treat them with kindness."

Proverbs - Proverbs 27:10 is interesting and not something I would think of on my own - "Never abandon a friend--either yours or your father's. Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relatives for assistance. It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away."  I would of course think it's better to ask a distant relative for help than a friend.  But, this Proverb tells us differently...  Why do you suppose this is?  I guess as I think about it, it is probably because when our "time of need" comes we will first turn to our neighbors - to call the fire department or call the police or call the paramedics or whatever the case may be.  We'll need our neighbors during that time of need initially.  And then, longer term, yes we'll need our relatives who live far away.  But that unforeseen time of immediate need is just one more reason to love our neighbors as ourselves!  :)

What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Vance Brown]

Atonement is what the "Holy of Holies" is for; the sacrifices in our place, for our sins.

"Salvation", surrender" and "service" are the purposes for which we are saved from sin.

~~~

Thus, I want to submit this study I found EARLY this morning before I came to work. It is called CLEANSING FOR SERVICE - TO DO GOOD

2 Timothy 2:21

" If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto
honour, sanctified, and meet for themaster's use, and prepared unto every good work."

Purge
GREEK: Ekkathairo, pronounced
"ek-kath-ah'-ee-ro"

This means: to cleanse out,
clean thoroughly, to cleanse

***
A. Matthew Henry Complete Commentary,Whole Bible for 2 Timothy 2:21

"Now we should see to it that we be vessels of honour: we must purge ourselves from these corrupt opinions, that we may besanctified for our Master's use..."

"Some dishonour the church by their corrupt opinions andwicked lives; and
others honour and credit it by their exemplary conversation..."

"Sanctification in the heart is our preparation for everygood work. The tree must be made good, and then the fruit will be good."

***
B. Hebrew verb: Taher, pronounced " taw-hare' "
Definitions:
a. to purify, be clean
morally, made clean
b. to be cleansed, be
pronounced clean
c. morally: to present
oneself for purification

***
C. Greek noun: Katharismo, pronounced
" kath-ar-is-mos' "

NOTE: from which we get English word "catharsis"
Definitions:
1. a cleansing from the
guilt of sins wrought by
the expiatory sacrifice
of Christ

***
D. Greek verb: Katharizo, pronounced "kath-ar-id'-zo"
Definitions:
1. In moral sense: to free
from defilement of sin
and from faults
2. to free from guilt of
sin, to purify
3. to consecrate by
cleansing or purifying

PRAYER: I present myself for Your purification, O Lord. I cannot do it
myself; I know, for I have tried. I know that I am notclean inside, where the “real me” is—not what others see.

Psalm 51:2 (NKJV)

Wash me thoroughly from myiniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

I John 2:2 (CEV)

Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the
world's people.

PRAYER:

* Lord, I want to do good
for others—my family,
other people, and
society.
* Lord, I now realize that
I have been working
backwards: By trying to
help others, I find that
I am cannot. I unable to
help them, and I get
frustrated.
* Lord, I ask You to
cleanse me. I receive
Your death in my place
for forgiveness and
cleansing.
* Lord, I also now receive
Your life in me by Your
Spirit, to enable me to
do the good I am unable
to do on my own.

Vance

[Jan]

Good morning Vance, this is what I have to say about your comment & repentance: Ezekiel 16:6 - Verse 6 in this chapter jumped out at me - "But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, `Live!'"

The Zondervan commentary said this one word - Live! - is God's basic desire for all humans. How powerful is that realization? How very beautiful... Live! Let us Live!