I have heard Ezekiel chapter 37 about the dry bones preached on many times. I had never heard it preached on in context before though. It was always applied in so many other ways. In context though, it makes a whole lot of sense. Israel had become so wicked and evil that they would not listen to anything God was trying to tell them. Consequently, God had released his wrath and punishment on them. Many of them have been killed and the rest of them had been put in exile. It was definitely a hopeless situation for the Israelites. It seemed like they would never have life again in the land of Israel. It also seemed like they would never have spiritual life in knowing that the Lord is God ever again. This is why the vision of dry bones with never a chance of life was such a great example of the situation.

However, God was promising that he was once again going to bring life to the Israelites in this land. He was going to once again help them know that he is the Lord.

What does this show us about the character of God? It shows us that he is incredibly merciful, faithful, and loving. If you ever find yourself in a time of discipline and  it feels like all hope is lost, you can trust in the character of God and know that he will carry you through and bring you back to the place where you know that he is Lord.

Starting in Ezekiel 34:11-13, the Lord says “I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock.  I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.  I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations.  I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live.”

Now enters Jesus in John 10:14-18 (NIV), “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Need I say more? 

Have a blessed and wonderful Labor Day weekend…………Larry

                    

Today's reading:
JEREMIAH 42:1-44:30
EZEKIEL 33:21-33

Just like a stubborn, spoiled, hard headed child who does what he wants in spite of what he is told not to do, is what the Judeans do as they enter Egypt.  God warns through Jeremiah to remain in Judah trusting that God will do what he says, and protect His people from the King of Babylon, but the people follow their own fearful hearts and in doing so turn their hearts from God.  When God they tells of the impending consequences of their actions He says the following in Jeremiah 44:26,

"But listen to this message from the Lord, all you Judeans now living in Egypt: ‘I have sworn by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that my name will no longer be spoken by any of the Judeans in the land of Egypt. None of you may invoke my name or use this oath: “As surely as the Sovereign Lord lives.”

God says NO MORE!  No Protection, No Life. No Hope. No More. Simply put, don't call on me, you've made your choice. 

I remember a life filled with personal choices that brought No protection, no real life, and no hope. Maybe you do to;  If so, let us take the time right now to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for saving us.

Maybe you are reading this and are in the grip of fear, wondering what has happened to your life and feeling hopeless. Then it is time to stop looking at your self and look to the one who bore your sin, your shame, your selfish decisions and took them to the cross so that you could live.  Jesus knows your heart and is waiting to save you, but you have to ask.  Unlike the Judeans you can call upon His name.  What are you waiting for?

In His Grip,

Art

Today’s reading starts out with Israel praying for restoration. They don’t cry out to the Lord until they are in the depths of despair and disgrace. Their inheritance has been turned over to strangers; foreigners occupy their homes; the price of water and fire wood is exorbitant; slaves have become their master; the men are abused, women violated; and joy has left their heart. Ultimately they recognize that the Lord “remains the same forever!” and ask “Why do you continue to forget us?” 
 
Part of me feels like the Lord is giving them what they have earned and deserves.

After Judah is taken over by the Babylonians. Gedaliah is setup as a puppet regime. King Nebuchadnezzar makes him governor over the poor people left behind. Gedaliah tells them not that the Babylonians means them no harm; humble yourselves to them and everything will be okay. But after Johanan and the guerrilla leaders assassinate Gedaliah, they become fearful of what the Babylonians might do to them for going against their authority. So they prepare to for flight to Egypt.
 
I noticed that Johanan and the guerrilla leaders are operating on their own. They haven’t asked about God’s will or
direction. Now they find themselves in a situation that will make them fugitives and vulnerable to the Babylonians and obligated to Egypt. 
 
The price for acting on our own without God’s direction frequently puts us in the same situation – It leaves us vulnerable, obligated, and fearful.

Jeremiah 32:27 says, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" (ESV) I have always liked this verse because it is like God just laughs at the things that we find difficult and hard. It is true in context here too.

God was promising that he was going to punish and wipe out Jerusalem because of their evil, wicked sin. At the same time, God was telling Jeremiah to buy land because he was promising to bring them back in the land so that they could once again buy and sell land. I don't know about you but if I knew America was going to be destroyed and another country was going to take over, I wouldn't think things were ever going to return to normal. I especially wouldn't think things would return back to our laws and ways of doing things. This is the same concern that God addresses with, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?"

What are you facing in your life today that seems difficult? May you put your faith in God and how great he is and laugh with him at the difficulty. Acknowledge that it is not too hard for him and that he is with you to help you with it.

A lot happening in today’s reading as we find Ezekiel’s “dearest treasure” (his wife) (24:15), taken from him.  Inspired by God, he tells the people of Israel that they too will lose the dearest treasure (the temple), and their sons and daughters (24:25).  If you read Ezekiel 24, you saw how displeased the Lord was with Jerusalem, referring to them as a “city of murderers” (24:6).

We then see Ezekiel address the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Egypt.  These chapters (25, 29, 30, & 31) describe impending disasters that are to overtake these different Gentile nations and territories. 

Also in today’s reading, Jeremiah had a message for King Zedekiah about the collapse of Jerusalem, and freeing of the Hebrew slaves.  God had already addressed the issue of enslaving his people many years ago, and was not going to stand for more disobedience in this area any longer (34:17-22).  In desperation, King Zedekiah sends his emissaries to Jeremiah to beg God for help, but as we see in 21:8-10, he informs them that that they are better off surrendering to Babylon, because Jerusalem will be reduced to ashes.  Jeremiah finishes by telling them how the Lord will bring utter destruction upon Jerusalem if they do not bring justice to the kingdom. (21:11-14).

These verses really highlight the sovereignty of the Lord, and regardless of what we think or want, he has our best interests at hand (that eternal perspective thing again).  When the Lord says “Give justice each morning to the people you judge!” (21:12), this should be a wake-up call to those who are in power, elected or appointed.  Their responsibility is not only to the masses, but to our Lord Himself.  He commands that those who have been robbed or oppressed be given justice, otherwise, (and read this carefully) – “my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins” (verse 12).

We have seen the results of the Lord’s anger against sin and oppression of His people, and if “He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23), we need to pray for those on the receiving end of His wrath who inflict harm on those that He loves and cares for. 

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend………….Larry  

Today's Scripture reading
EZEKIEL 22:17-23:49
2KINGS 24:20-25:2
JEREMIAH 52:3-5
JEREMIAH 39:1
EZEKIEL 24:1-14

I remember as a child when I was denied something from my parents, ( a frequent occurrence) I would retort with the common child response, "Well George, (fill in your own childhood friend's name) gets to." The parental response would be, "Well if George jumped off a cliff would you follow?"  I KNOW I'm not alone here right?

As simple as the answer to the parental question seems, all too often we do see people jumping off the proverbial cliff.

So was the case with Samaria and Jerusalem.  In Ezekiel 23 Samaria and Jerusalem are illustrated as two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem).  They were married to a man, gave him sons and daughters, but then the older sister Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of her husband.  She gave her love to the Assyrian officers.  So the husband handed Oholah over to the Assyrians, who stripped her of everything, took away her children, and then killed her. The younger sister Oholibah even after witnessing what had happened to her older sister chose to follow in her footsteps, even being more depraved. (verse 11)

Verse 22 then tells of the punishment that Jerusalem will suffer,
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction—those very nations from which you turned away in disgust."
Jerusalem falls into captivity as punishment for turning from God.

I would love to say that I always listened to the advise of my parents, sadly I can't. I found that disobedience comes with a price often times injuries from poor decisions. But I can say that before I was placed in the captivity of my bedroom, or suffered the punishment of restriction I was told that I was loved, my wounds treated, and ultimately released from my punishment.

We too have the opportunity of redemption and restoration in Jesus.  Thank you Lord.

In His Grip,

Art

What a depressing and gloomy passage. We see the destruction and punishment upon Israel that is to come. It is made very clear why though. They had started worshiping other things and practicing all kinds of evil.  I think the greatest reason though is because he wanted them to know that he is the Lord. We see this phrase, "and they shall know that I am The Lord" (ESV) all throughout the reading today. Knowing the Lord is where they will find life, peace, hope, and joy. That is why he wants them to come back to this because he wants them to experience these things in him. So though it looks dark throughout this passage there is an amazing love that flows through it all. So if you ever find yourself saying things like the Israelites said, "The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land." (ESV) then ask yourself if you have been doing anything wrong that has been pushing the Lord away. Repent and come back to the Lord. You'll find that all you have been longing for and seeking for will be in his arms.

“Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel.  Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately.” Ezekiel 3:16&17. 

A pretty heavy task indeed!  As I read the responsibilities placed upon Ezekiel by the Lord, and the consequences of failing to carry out His wishes, I thought about how we as Christians would stack up against this type of command.  Where would we be placed on the scale as “Watchman?”

Then I was drawn to Christ’s ministry, the ultimate Watchman, and more specifically Matthew 28:18-20, the “Great Commission”, and the implications it has on us as believers.  Our Lord starts out by saying – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Who else could it be given to?  Christ had died and was resurrected, and God granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him (John 17:2).  “Therefore go”, sounds like a command to me, take some action, do something.  “Make disciples of all the nations”, be my mouthpiece and tell all the countries and the nations the good news, don’t keep this a secret, but tell everyone.  “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, cleansing their hearts, their minds, and their souls of their past transgressions and identifying ourselves as believers in Christ and that we now fall under the authority of the one and only living God.  “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”  Bringing a person to Christ is one thing, but to make them fend for themselves after that is not what He intended.  We must be vigilant in teaching those who have given themselves to the Lord’s cause so they understand what He is commanding.  Therefore go……… watchman.

Speak with our Lord today.  He is the ultimate listener and understands your heart.  He is in your corner, and willing to help you through all circumstances.

“I will give you peace and quietness”  1 Chronicles 16:11

Be blessed today, and have a wonderful weekend………….Larry