Ezekiel 21:1-22:31 ~ Hebrews 10:1-17 ~ Psalm 108:1-13 ~ Proverbs 27:12
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Old Testament - In Ezekiel chapter 21 today we read about the Lord's sword of judgment! Which, in this case is Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. I did not realize until today that there is actually a "sword song" in the Bible - a song that warriors may have sung and even danced to before going out to battle. Unfortunately, this sword song in verses 9 through 11 was being sung for Jerusalem because of her many sins... "A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished. It is sharpened for terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Now will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power! Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished; it is being prepared for the executioner."
Okay, so Ezekiel Chapters 21 & 22 are the types of chapters where you might you think about stereotypes of the Old Testament - a "grouchy/mean" God perhaps one might say about these two chapters... However! - context of course is key to keep in mind. We must also know the book of Jeremiah or Ezekiel prior to these chapters. God has been slow to anger, compassionate, asking - no, begging - people to repent. And they have not. And things just keep getting worse and worse and worse. Check out chapter 22 verses 1 through 16 for how bad the sins of Jerusalem have gotten... All of this reminds me that the consequences for sin are very real. Let us never forget the truth of Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
And, once again, in verse 30 of chapter 22 we see God's compassion and God seeking an opportunity to stop the coming judgment: "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one." No one was found... This verse makes me think about this - sometimes I think we tell ourselves, "What difference does it make? What difference does it make if I'm good or bad? What difference does it make if I serve and love others in need?" Check out verse 30 above again. Think one person could have made a difference then? What about now? Will you make a difference today? Will you stand in the gap?
New Testament - Hebrews chapter 10 is powerful today! I did come across a great learning, which I hadn't really picked up before. In verse 9 we read this about Jesus: "He cancels the first covenant in order to establish the second." At first glance you might think, wow, the old / first covenant is over. Things like the Ten Commandments don't matter anymore. Well, not so fast! Tyndale's One Year Bible companion tells us that this verse refers to the doing away (canceling) of the system of sacrifices contained in the ceremonial law. However, this does not mean canceling / eliminating God's moral law (the Ten Commandments). Only through faith in Christ we can fulfill the moral law, as Jesus lives in us. Good to know, eh? I'd never really picked up this distinction before of Jesus canceling the ceremonial law but not the moral law. Do you see this distinction? As I've done some more reading on this, I realize this is a bit of a contentious point for many Christians. Check out this great overview of the Mosaic Law in light of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection - including a disagreement on my point above about the moral law - at bible.org at this link.
Psalms - I love Psalm 108 verse 1 today: "My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises! Wake up, my soul!" Is your heart confident in God? Do you sing God's praises? Is your soul awake? Or does your soul need a wake up call? Where do you suppose you can find that wake up call for your soul? The Bible? Jesus? The Holy Spirit? God? Will you answer the call today? Will your soul wake up?
Proverbs - Proverbs 27:12 reminds us that it's good to be a defensive driver on the roads! :) "A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." Honestly, I do think that we do well when we are "defensive" drivers or defensive walkers or defensive workers or this list could go on. I am afraid that all too often we can drive or walk or work like we are #1 and there is no one else in this world... well, guess what? The person you crash into with your car, or get in a fight with when you walk, or get in an argument with when you work is thinking the exact same thing - except they are thinking that they are #1! This is where Jesus wisely encouraged us to consider others before ourselves. Imagine if our world operated this way - in Jesus' way of humility and service to others - instead of everyone thinking they are #1? How would our world be different if this was the case? Are you helping our world be different? Are you humbling yourself to be a #2 or #3 or #4 instead of being #1 all the time? Think this is prudent? A good way to foresee the dangers ahead? And a good way to take precautions? Or are you going on blinding as a #1 and suffering the consequences? (I have to admit - this kiddo below does appear to be #1 in his household at this very moment... and suffering any consequenses is probably not going to happen in this case! :)
YouTube - Today's readings in Hebrews reminds me of the Big Daddy Weave song, "What Life Would Be Like:"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3CVswshwNs
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Comments from you - What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
Ezekiel 21-22:31
Am I a person of my word? Do I fail to watch over my word to perform it and then expect others to do what they have promised? How often do I expect from others what I fail to do, judging others by a different standard? We don’t keep our promises to God, to friends or family. We will even at times struggle to keep our word to strangers before we honor our own with what we have sworn to do for our family, husbands, wives and children.
The 23rd verse of chapter 21 speaks of Jerusalem thinking that an attack by Babylon must be a mistake because she had a treaty with her; however, she didn’t keep her side of the contract. When two parties enter into a contract, if one side or both don’t uphold the terms of that contract, the agreement, the treaty becomes null and void. Thus Jerusalem should not have been surprised when the other party to her contract, Babylon, showed up to collect.
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork of the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens; he shakes arrows, he consults idols, he inspects animal livers. Into his right hand comes the lot for Jerusalem. He sets up battering rams, to give the signal for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall. But they will view it as a false omen; they have sworn solemn oaths. However, he will accuse them of guilt and capture them.
(Ezekiel 21:21-23 NET.)
God has given us His Covenant, when we violate that Covenant we suffer the consequences, a simple cause and effect. If one violates the laws of gravity, one will die if they believe they can walk or fly off a twenty-story building. You can cry out all you want as you descend, “I didn’t know that I couldn’t walk off the building,” you will be a stain on the pavement, grass or dirt when you hit the ground. However, unlike a contract, a Covenant remains in effect even when violated. Maybe that is why God hates divorce so much. Marriage is not or should not be a contract between two people it is a Covenant. We need to be a people of our word, like our Father God.
Posted by: Ramona | November 09, 2009 at 08:15 PM