November 9th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Ezekiel 20:1-49 ~ Hebrews 9:11-28
Psalm 107:1-43 ~ Proverbs 27:11

Old Testament - Ezekiel chapter 20 verse 12 stands out to me today - "And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I, the LORD, had set them apart to be holy, making them my special people."  I like learning this - the Sabbath days of rest were given as a sign between God and his people.  How are we doing on taking a day of rest each week?  Would taking a day of rest each week - a Sabbath day - benefit our relationship with God?  And with others?  Would it benefit perhaps the other 6 days of our weeks?  Below is an image of THE SABBATH REST by Samuel Hirszenberg (1866-1908) Oil on canvas 1894 -

After verse 12 above, we read this from God in verse 13 - ""But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my laws there in the wilderness. They wouldn't obey my instructions even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the desert." The thing that stood out to me in this verse was "they also violated my Sabbath days."  I know this may sound strange... but as I read this today for some reason my mind went to NFL football...  :)  Really.  It did.  I know I'm going to get in some trouble here from someone for posting this up, but here are my thoughts.  About 3 weeks ago I was invited to an NFL football game on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a free $250 prime time club level seat.  Without evening blinking, I said "thanks, but no thanks" to that invite.  I had that Sunday afternoon free.  I certainly could have gone to the game.  But I honestly did not want to.  I really try hard not to schedule my Sundays with activities - particularly if they are activities that one has to pay for - like you would typically with a football game.  I guess I just feel like Sunday is a day that I would prefer to spend with God - in church, resting, and perhaps with friends over coffee or a meal, but I even am careful about not over-scheduling myself with friends on Sundays.  I have friends that volunteer at a homeless shelter on Sundays.  I think that's great, but I don't go.  I volunteer on Saturdays with World Vision.  I don't know if I'm making sense here - in fact, I'm sure I'm probably not.  :)  I guess my point is that we really should look at 1 out of our 7 days in the week as a Sabbath.  Sunday seems to be the natural day for me and many in the Christian faith, as this is when we typically go to church services weekly - though, I know Adventists or Messianic folks will say Saturday is the day.  Whatever the day is for you - do you have 1 day a week that you consider a Sabbath?  Getting back to NFL football...  I'm so hesitant to go down this path... because I'm sure I'm going to sound judgmental here.  But, just very honestly, I personally find watching NFL football - or college football or really any football - a waste of precious time.  There, it's on the table.  I honestly could think of about 100, or if I thought hard, probably 1,000 things I'd rather do than watch a football game...  I only say this because my hunch is that I'm not alone.  And I only say this because I have good friends who are simply obsessed with football!  They participate in these fantasy football leagues - to the point where I can't have normal conversations with them because they have to check their cell phones every 5 minutes for their "draft updates."  Really, I find it ridiculous.  And now I know I'm being judgmental here... :)  But, my question is this - are we as obsessed with Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit as we are with NFL football?  I know for most people reading this blog, the answer is obviously yes.  But I am afraid for many of us the answer is no.  And I guess as I was reading Ezekiel's readings today about God getting mad because people were not keeping the Sabbath and they were worshiping idols, well, it just made me wonder - is football an idol in our land?   Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying it's the worst thing in the world.  There are a million different idols we might choose to worship other than God.  I guess I've just come see this fall football season that football just might be a national idol.  And now I am ready for the stones to be cast!  :)

In Ezekiel 20:40 we read: “There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.” What are your offerings, choice gifts and holy sacrifices to the Lord? Your life, your thoughts, your finances? Do you tithe 10% of your income to a local church? Would this perhaps be a “holy sacrifice” if you did so? Would this be a bold act of faith? I was recently challenged on this point by a very godly person – 10% to the church and then other charitable gifts on top of that. So, yes, you might end up giving out 15% or more of your income to great causes by going this route. But, wow, I do see the wisdom and blessing of a “holy sacrifice” tithe of 10% to the church. . . it may not be easy – but if it is “easy”, is it a holy sacrifice?

New Testament - Hebrews chapter 9 verses 27 & 28 tell us - "And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people."  This stands in stark contrast to the old covenant where the High Priest had to atone for the people's sins over and over and over again.  With faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven all at once - for eternity - and Christ does not need to forgive us of our sins over and over and over again.  Faith in Christ is the one and only thing that matters.  Do you believe this?

Psalms - Psalm 107 today is a wonderful Psalm of thanksgiving!  Okay, be honest, who started busting out singing the Michael W. Smith worship tune "Forever" when you read verse 1? - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."  I did!  That's a great tune... based on a great verse in a great Psalm.  Listen to a short portion of the tune "Forever" for free at this link here - song #13 at this link.  Sing it y'all! 

Psalm 107 repeats a verse four times - starting with verse 6 here - ""LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress."  (then see verse 13, verse 19, and verse 28 - same verse) This is a great reminder to pray - and yes, it's great to pray during times of distress of course.  But, how about praying during times of happiness & joy?  Or even times of just regular blahs?  I recently read most of the book "The Life you've always wanted" by John Ortberg (great book!), and it has a great chapter on prayer.  It is so true that one of the best ways to truly know and love God is through prayer.  Simple prayer.   5 minutes a day.  Will we pray to God 5 minutes a day?  Another thing these 4 verses remind me of is the author Anne Lamott's 2 most frequent prayers to God, as she tells us in Traveling Mercies - "Help me, Help me, Help me!" and "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"   :)   When the storms of life come, do you cry out for help to Jesus?  Do you know that he will always be there for you in the midst of the storm?

Proverbs - It is interesting to read Proverbs 27:11 as if God was writing this to each of us.  "My child, how happy I will be if you turn out to be wise! Then I will be able to answer my critics."  Are we spending our lives striving to be wise in God's eyes or the world's eyes?  Do you think that God will be happy if you are wise?  Do you want godly wisdom?  Where will you find it?  Below is an image of a young Jesus growing in wisdom - think this made God happy?

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

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Readhead]

They refused to keep my laws and follow my instructions, even though obeying them would have given them life.

Just thinking about the above verse and the question I was asking a friend about some kids at our club. They have shocking behaviour yet punishment seems to have no or very little effect. My friend mentioned how sin has this blinding effect on us. We cannot see that it destroys and harms us and that it is foolishness to follow in its ways. Even as Christians we can continue in sin, in something that is harmful or disrespectful to God. This verse is a perfect example of sins blinding effect on our lives - we can be looking death in the face and have the opportunity of life presented to us yet we can still turn away. I rejoice that God has opened my eyes an I pray that for others. Here's another verse I read today: God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:8

[Jan]

Redhead, that is what you called being deceived/deception...just that, when we are deceived, we can't see the truth before us...we are deceived. Deception is just that...not knowing the truth. We choose life or death...we choose to believe the truth instead of the lie.

jano

[Jan]

Mike, no stones here regarding football. We refer to it as worshiping the pigskin (really not funny at all, considering His judgement on idol worship). Yes, football or anything that takes the place of God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is idol worship for sure. I live in "Sooner" land & I have several people around me & that I work with & have worked with that worship Sooner football. Of course, they wouldn't look at it like that at all...but that is what it is. NOW...if they/you/me/us were spending as much time with God as we are/were with football, then that may be a different issue, or even more time with God than football & enjoying an occasional game of football or whatever.

This is my thought when I have sat in the past in a stadium full of electricty of the crowd...wouldn't it be wonderful & amazing if all this energy where turned toward worshipping God...what an awesome & electrifying thing that would be & that would truly be worship.

One time a few years ago I was privileged to walk by an arena here in Oklahoma City when they were letting out all the men from the Promise Keepers convention & I was so awestruck by the magnificence of so many Godly men coming out of a huge arena/door/gateway. It was one of the most awesome things I have seen/felt in my lifetime...an emotion from Him. To know that I am walking among so many Godly men was astounding to say the least.

jano

[Ramona]

Ezekiel 20:1-49

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Why do you come seeking me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the Sovereign Lord.' (Ezekiel 20:1-3 NET.)

These three verses and a fourth, 13, have given me food for thought and causing me to ask questions about the intent of the entire chapter. Men come to Ezekiel to seek God, and God tells them he will not tell them anything, and then states His case against them: the sins of their fathers/ancestor are being held against them. We have read in a previous chapter, Eighteen, that the soul that sins is the soul that will die (verses 4, 20). No longer will the proverb be true, that the Fathers eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge. (Eze 18:2). So what is God up to is He contradicting His Word? What does God know about these people that He brings up a charge against them from the near and distant past?

If God is not a man that He should lie (Num23:19), then it is our understanding, to be more correct, it is my understanding that is “off” and I must do some intense studying.

Because God has Foreknowledge of our actions and activities, He must know that whatever He tells this group they will not listen, much less obey. If He is bringing up their ancestors sins than I believe the group before Ezekiel, who would know their father’s traditions, will weigh whatever God would have told them against their father’s customs and side with their fathers. One of the hardest things for us to do when we become Christians is to break away from the things we have traditionally followed and choose the path of God. Even when our entire family goes to “church”, many of the traditions of the churches we have found ourselves growing up in or currently attending are not the traditions of God. The thirteenth verse in this chapter, 20, states that clearly,

"But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my laws there in the wilderness. They wouldn't obey my instructions even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the desert.

I don’t believe it was just the breaking of the Sabbath day that got them into trouble, it was their disobedience and rebellion against God that caused them to break the Sabbath. One could conceivable keep the Sabbath and break every other law that God made.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
(Joshua 24:15 AMP)

Psalm 107:1-43

In reading this Psalm, I realized that this is broken up into four sections. Each section describes four types of people who find themselves deep in the consequences of their sin. They may have gotten in their mess by holding different thoughts and views about life, and how to live it but they all found themselves in the same place, despair.

I’m not sure if this classification is right but I will give it a try.

The first group mentioned is in verses 4-9

Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation. Hungry and thirsty, they fainted; their lives were near to being extinguished. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good. (Psalms 107:4-9 AMP)

These guys and gals are the ones trying to get away from evil society thinking if they can just get away from folk, evil sinful folk they will be alright and free from temptation. I guess maybe I see them as isolationist, running from sin into sin: the sin in their own hearts.

Second group: (10-16)

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and in irons, [Luke 1:79.] Because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He bowed down their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled and fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them. [Ps. 68:6; Acts 12:7; 16:26.] Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart. (Psalms 107:10-16 AMP)

For me the clue to the type of people mentioned here is the word “darkness.” Those without God have no light. So there are the folks who have rejected God. This group was the one I belonged to. Having been hurt by Christians and then out of my pain, hurting others, I walked in darkness bumping into every thing in site.

Group Three: Fools (17-22)

Some are fools [made ill] because of the way of their transgressions and are afflicted because of their iniquities. They loathe every kind of food, and they draw near to the gates of death. Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses. He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. [II Kings 20:4, 5; Matt. 8:8.] Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! [Heb. 13:15.] And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!
(Psalms 107:17-22 AMP)

Well this seems to be quite clear on this group, fools. The Book of Proverbs is full of descriptive adjectives and behaviors of fools. In fact in the very beginning of Proverbs, in the Amplified, we are given an understandable description of a fool.

but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. (1:7); And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge?(1:22), and For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of [self-confident] fools shall destroy them. (1:32).

Fools reject and despise godly wisdom, instruction, discipline and knowledge and they are carelessly self-confident.

The fourth and final group (23-30)

Some go down to the sea and travel over it in ships to do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises up the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. [Those aboard] mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the deeps; their courage melts away because of their plight. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits' end [all their wisdom has come to nothing]. Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He hushes the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still. [Ps. 89:9; Matt. 8:26.] Then the men are glad because of the calm, and He brings them to their desired haven.
(Psalms 107:23-30 AMP)

These are the folks who are always looking for and believing that the grass is always greener over there somewhere. Everything is better some where else but here.

What do you see in these four groups of text? Or maybe I’ve just gone off on a tangent.

Grace and peace,
Ramona