Faith Through the Ages … Part 2

Faith Through the Ages ... Part 2

HEBREWS 11:17-31

(November 13)

Here the writer of Hebrews continues to give examples of people of the Old Testament who had faith in what they could not see, but only were promised.

What faith it must have taken for Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, who was promised to be the son who would give him the multitude of descendants.

That same faith was shown in Isaac as an adult when he promised blessings for the future for his own sons, Jacob and Esau.

Jacob, in his dying days, offered a blessing to each of Joseph's sons and then bowed in worship, exercising his faith.

Joseph, in his dying moments, had so much faith that he commanded the Israelites to take his bones with them when they left Egypt, his faith was so strong that they would indeed leave.

Moses had a mother of faith who kept him hidden because she knew he was special and had faith in the God who gave him to her. When he grew up, he chose hardship over luxury. Moses chose to suffer for the sake of Christ because his faith assured him he had a great reward coming. His faith helped him lead his people out of Egypt, keeping his eye on the one he couldn't see, but was sure of.

Faith helped the Israelites take those scary steps into the parted sea, even though it was more than the eye could behold.

To march around Jericho for seven days, expecting the walls to fall, is another example of the faith of the Israelites.

And then there is Rahab, a Gentile prostitute. She welcomed the spies of Joshua into her home, and trusted God to keep her and her family safe when Jericho was destroyed.

We see so many examples of faith in the Old Testament. Faith before Jesus ever came to this earth. These people exercised their hope and trust in a God they could not see. Their faith wasn't for this life, but for the glorious one to come.

What are you putting your hope and trust in today?

Sing a Sad Song

One Year Bible: November 13

Ezekiel 27:1-28:26

Sing a Sad Song

Sing a funeral song? Thanks for the offer, but I would rather not! I have helped lead worship for many a funeral or memorial service, but I know better than to even attempt singing a solo at such an event. I am an empath and that means that my empathy spreads from my right brain to my left brain faster than I can finish a verse. The lump in my throat grows and there it goes…

I remember trying to sing “Amazing Grace” at the service for a stillborn baby while I myself was pregnant. The father’s shoulders were going up and down as he cried, and just one glimpse of that sorrow did me in. Funerals are such unchangeable moments.

My father was part of a special group of the bugle corp that played taps for funerals and burials. What a touching and heartbreaking role to play in people’s lives. It actually helped him because at that young age he learned lessons that would help him perform uncountable numbers of services for people and minister to their families in grief.

Make no mistake here, Ezekiel is not there to comfort, sing, play taps or mourn with the people. He is there to bring a funeral song of stern judgment! Who would ever want a role like his?

His first funeral song is for the mighty gateway to the sea that was the trading center of the world, Tyre. They had often boasted, “My beauty is perfect!” (27:3)

They were like a great ship… until they SUNK! Their story reminds me of the Titanic. They thought they were the latest, greatest, envy of the world until they were NO MORE!

“Now, they are a wrecked ship, broken at the bottom of the sea.” (27:34)

God has a little tune for Ezekiel to deliver to their king as well, “In your great PRIDE you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea. But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are a god.”

Their CATASTROPHIC mistake was rooted in PRIDE. Their heart was lifted up because of their national success and riches. Not only did they have idols, but they had become their own IDOL.

Ezekiel’s funeral song was to LAMENT their fate at the hand of strangers.

This “lamentation” over the ‘King of Tyre” now shifts from describing the ACTUAL KING to describing the ACTUAL POWER BEHIND his throne. (28:11-19)

The description that Ezekiel is giving uses terms that do not apply to the human ruler of Tyre or to any other mortal. He begins describing the “power behind this conflict” by relating it to the supernatural being who empowered this literal king. That power was Satan, himself!

Ezekiel is describing him, “with a seal of perfection” (v. 12), “having been in Eden” (v. 13), “on the holy mountain of God”, and “walked in the midst of the stones of fire”(v. 14), and “created by God”. (v. 15). He is said to have been “blameless” until “unrighteousness was found” in him.

Satan was the anointed cherub in Heaven with God before the fall. He was created to worship God but wanted to be God’s equal. This choice brought about everything that we have been reading about in the Old Testament. It is Satan’s attempt to overthrow God!

The passage goes on to say that his chief sin was PRIDE (I Tim. 3:6) which led to his eternal downfall. In the book of Job, we learned that Satan still had access to God to accuse God and his people, but his time of judgment is coming with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which will end this war on all of mankind!

The passage ends today with a prophetic promise, “The people of Israel will again live in their own land, the land I gave my servant Jacob. For I will gather them from the distant lands where I have scattered them. I will reveal to the nations of the world my holiness among my people. They will live safely in Israel and build homes and plant vineyards.” (28:25-26)

The Jewish nation did return to Israel, but they do not live securely… YET!

This promise made through Ezekiel awaits fulfillment in the millennial kingdom when God finally punishes Israel’s enemies and blesses His chosen people. It will not be until His nation recognizes Jesus as the Messiah that they will know the true Sovereign Lord. (28:25-26)

And so we are asked to, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” (Ps 122:6)

The saddest song of all is a dirge for a life destroyed through pride and disobedience. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anyone to “Sing Me A Sad Song”...

Just look up, smile, and send me out with GRACE!

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years. Bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God's praise. Than when we first begun.” (Amazing Grace, Traditional Hymn)

Faith Through the Ages

Faith Through the Ages

HEBREWS 11: 1-16

(November 12)

We live in a world where instant gratification reigns supreme. Noone likes to wait on anything. We want it all right now ... or maybe yesterday.

We order fast food because it is quick. We use the microwave because it takes too long to warm something in the oven. We have the internet at our fingertips, so news and information are available in an instant. (And if that little loading circle keeps spinning ... we get so impatient!)

When I compare the world we live in now to the world the people of the Old Testament walked through, it is so vastly different. There was nothing quick or convenient about their lives. They had none of the conveniences we have today that simplify our lives.

But they had faith. And this portion of Hebrews shares with us the meaning of faith. Faith is the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Verse 1)

I believe it is a little different for us today. We live a life after Jesus. We have the assurance that Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. We can rest on the fact that our salvation is secure, when we put our faith in him.

The people of faith who lived through the ages were basing their hope and trust in something that had not happened yet but was promised to come.

Abel, in his faith of what was to come, brought a righteous offering to God. Enoch, because of his faith, was spared death and taken to heaven because he had pleased God so much. And there is no way to please God without faith.

Noah ... living in a dry place ... had faith in God. So, he built an ark based on his faith in what was to come and survived the disaster that killed all but his family. Sometimes our faith will stretch us to do things we would never do on our own.

Abraham had no idea where God was taking him, but he went. I don't know about you, but I want a plan for my trip when I leave the house. And I want my Google maps to get me there. When he got to where God wanted him, his faith helped him live in a foreign land without much comfort.

His wife Sarah could only exercise faith when told she would conceive a child in her old age. She believed that God would bring to pass what he had promised.

Each of these people died before Jesus ever came. But they believed. They had faith in the promises of God, even when they couldn't see them. They all knew something so much better was to come than this life as a foreigner here on earth.

None of them were looking to go back to where they had come from. They were all living (and dying) in anticipation of a promised new home, the city God had prepared for them as they exercised their faith through the ages.

As we live out our days being instantly gratified by the conveniences of our lives, we can remember those who came before us. Those who waited and hoped and were rewarded for their faith in something they could not see. Those who walked into the unknown for no other reason than God asked them to.

Let us slow down in our fast-paced world and live out our days with the faith of Abraham and Sarah, the assuredness of Abel and Noah, and the absolute adoration of Enoch. God will be pleased.

Your Dearest Treasure

One Year Bible: November 12

Ezekiel 24:1-26:21

Your Dearest Treasure

What is the price tag that you would place on your faithfulness?

How hot would it need to get in your kitchen for you to throw in the towel and walk away?

The pot is HOT and boiling over right about now in the life of Ezekiel, and many a servant would run right on out of the kitchen and feel that what God is requiring of them is just too much!

Today’s story begins with a parable about meat cooking in a pot. The problem is that the meat is rotten and its corruption can’t be cleaned out. God is the FIRE below the pot and the heat He places on the situation has just added fuel for the fire. The time of cleansing has passed and the filth must be thrown out and God’s fury must be satisfied.

The servant carrying the sign to demonstrate this devastating judgment is Ezekiel and the price for his obedience is the death of “His Dearest Treasure”!

That very night Ezekiel’s wife dies! Ezekiel is told, “Yet, you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.” (Ezekiel 24:15-17)

Can you imagine such a steep price of commitment to be God’s messenger?

Ezekiel was to be “The Living Sign” of what God was going to do to His own wife, Jerusalem. They were to know that when the time came for judgment, it was the Sovereign LORD! (Chp. 24) How sad for Ezekiel! Yet, his wife would not be there to face this devastating day of dread.

Ezekiel is not allowed to mourn or grieve, and his voice is then taken away from him also. It will not return to him until these things have happened and a survivor from Jerusalem comes to Babylon to tell him what has happened. “Then the people will know that I am the Lord”.

Perhaps, you may recall when Jesus went into the Temple in the New Testament and cleaned it out. His righteous anger showed that day also. He said, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” (Mt. 21:13)

The Sovereign God of the Old Testament is doing the Very Same Thing but to a greater extent.

They had brought “their rotten meat” to the altar and defamed the temple. The watching world had discredited Jerusalem and the Temple because of their disastrous actions.

God is “removing the rotten meat” that has been boiling over the pot for quite some time. He is also dealing with “The Pagan Pot Stirrers”... Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre.

You see, all of these nations had been rejoicing in Jerusalem’s destruction and God was not about to let them rejoice over evil. They too will learn that the wrath of God that demands OBEDIENCE rather than REBELLION.

Ezekiel was not the only servant of God to pay the ultimate price for his obedience to follow a Holy God in an Unholy World!

Perhaps you have never heard the name, Betty Stam, but to me, her story of faith by Standing In The Gap is truly unforgettable!

They were young missionaries to China and it was a bleak December day. They heard rumors of a possible bandit attack on their isolated community. They had a beautiful baby girl, Helen Priscilla, who had blue eyes, an innocent face, and curly hair. Betty asked her husband if he thought they should leave, but with the weather, they hunkered down to wait and see…

The wildly cheering bandits broke down the doorway of the Stam’s home and stripped them of their outer clothes leading them away in humiliation with just their underwear on this winter’s day. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and Betty was allowed to tightly hold her three-month-old baby. They were taken to a hut before being executed.

Somehow, Betty had wrapped the baby tightly and stuck a $10.00 bill inside the baby’s blanket before being executed. How the baby did not cry for 27 hours (to not be found or killed) is beyond human explanation. However, a man did find the baby and the money. With this money, he bought baby formula to save the baby’s life.

He placed John and Betty Stam in caskets and had to leave them there for fear of his life. John Stam had a short note on him, “My wife, baby, and myself are today in the hands of communist bandits. Whether we will be released or not no one knows. May God be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death.”

God was magnified in their faithfulness, and they were released into His loving hand through death into LIFE! A high price for faithfulness had been paid on that fateful day, but God had prepared both of their hearts in advance. Listen to the words of Betty Stam written on Aug. 3, 1925, nine years before being martyred with her husband, John, in China.

“Lord, I give up my own purposes and plans, all my own desires, hopes, and ambitions, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships, and my love; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Work out your will in my life, AT ANY COST now and forever.”

You see, both Ezekiel and John and Betty Stam knew the price of serving and the message that goes beyond all grief. Both gave up “Their dearest treasures” to receive… “Their Dearest Treasure.”

John Stam’s final words were, “To me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:20)

What or WHO is “Your Dearest Treasure”?

Faith in Persecution

HEBREWS 10: 18-39

(November 11)

I am so glad I don't have to offer sacrifices for my sins. If I did, I would be a very busy gal. What about you?

There is no need for us to gather up animals and follow the process of the old ceremony. We get to boldly enter the Most Holy Place of heaven simply because Jesus loved us enough to be our sacrifice.

To reject this salvation is to reject God's most precious gift to us. They ignore the Holy Spirit, the communicator of God's love to us. There is no other religion that can take the place of God. There is no other acceptable sacrifice for our sins than Jesus dying on the cross. When you understand this message of the gospel, yet reject it, there is no way to experience salvation.

We can go to God with sincere hearts and complete trust in him. Our bodies have been washed clean with the living water and our guilt has been covered by the blood of Jesus.

But for those of us who BELIEVE, we get that most precious gift. Because of this, we can have rock-solid faith. Faith that stands firm against persecution that WILL come our way. We will not escape persecution in this life, but because of our faith, we can endure, resting in what Christ has done for us in the past, and trusting what he will do for us in the present and future. What a beautiful promise to stand on!

When we choose to live by faith it pleases God. It fills him with joy. This faith gives us confidence, security, and boldness. We feel the firm foundation under our feet, and we do not run from those who come against us. It is with certainty and endurance that we can face whatever comes our way, because we know that there is no persecution that is greater than our God.

Stand in the Gap

One Year Bible: November 11

Ezekiel 23:1-49

Stand In The Gap

“The eyes of the Father run to and fro. He’s searching the earth. He’s looking for those who make intercession on behalf of their nation. Those who will rise up and pray.” (Stand in the Gap, Tom Inglis.)

At the end of yesterday’s passage, there were some haunting words from God that have just stuck with me. I wonder if they have stuck in your heart also…

“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 that I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found NO ONE. So, now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 22:30)

There was NO ONE, not one righteous person, to STAND IN THE GAP interceding and leading God’s people. That is beyond sad!

God tells a parable of two young girls, Oholah and Ohoibah. Look how closely the two sisters are related even in their names. Who are these girls that God is saying are His own brides yet they are off prostituting themselves with handsome Babylonian officers?

Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. They have longed and lusted for “The Babylonian life” filled with glitz and glamour, idolatry, and adultery. The lure of the sensual pleasures of life has pulled them away from their true homeland as God’s people.

God then gives Ezekiel a picture of how bad it really has gotten. “They have committed both adultery and murder--adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore me.

Furthermore, they have DEFILED MY TEMPLE AND VIOLATED MY SABBATH DAY! On the VERY DAY they sacrificed their children to their idols, they BOLDLY came into MY TEMPLE to worship! They came in and defiled MY HOUSE!”

That is called Pseudo-Religiosity. They have a fake appearance of worship, but worship of “everything” equals “nothing”!

On the VERY SAME DAY, they are sacrificing their own children to idols and then entered the house of the Lord. That is called ABOMINATiON.

Mankind can not worship God and demons!!

So, my mind went back to Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and how it relates to God’s comment that He could not find one righteous person to STAND IN THE GAP for these wicked people.

“Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign LORD.” (Ez. 14:14)

What do these three have in common that they are being mentioned here in this passage?

First and foremost, all three of these men of faith had their lives spared when they went “head to head” with Satan in the war of good and evil.

Secondly, all three of these men were outspoken advocates who forgave, prayed for the lost, and spoke up to God as advocates for the ungodly around them.

Noah built a boat when everyone ridiculed him, and he kept on building for 120 years while the world called him INSANE because they couldn’t even comprehend RAIN. He never stopped to voice doubts like, “What will everyone think of me if I do this thing?” His obedience to “Standing in the Gap” spared the world. What was said of Noah? “Noah was a just man, perfect and blameless in his generation.” and “He walked with God.” (Gen. 5:24) He is also mentioned in Heb. 11:7.

Then, there was Daniel who was a young man taken into captivity by Babylon. We see that Daniel maintains his faith in God in face of death more than once. He knew exactly where he stood even though he was dwelling as an exile in a pagan land. He knew to bow in prayer as his normal practice could ensure certain death, but he did it anyway. He does not hesitate to acknowledge the true God and seek his wisdom and direction from him. The royal decree was irrevocable, but so was his loyalty to God. He stood in the Gap three times a day… every day! (Dan. 6:10,13) Here is what is said of Daniel, “You are greatly esteemed.” (Dan. 9:23) and “O Daniel, greatly beloved.” (10:11;18-19)

Daniel was the only Old Testament character affirmed in this way much like Jesus in the New Testament when God said, “This is My beloved Son.” Daniel is a little glimpse of the mediator who is to come to stand in the gap for us.

Then, there is Job, “Have you seen my servant Job?” He was not even a Jew, as he lived before Abraham and the patriarchs. But Job stood up against Satan’s full-frontal attack and his three “so-called friends”, and one spare. In all of his suffering, He did not sin by blaming God! In the end, he forgave his accusers and prayed for them and God restored him twice fold.

Here is what I have learned as I have read these passages, God doesn’t call a group, a board meeting, a church body, a gang… He calls ONE SINGLE MINDED PERSON at a time who is willing to PRAY, PROTECT, and PERSEVERE!

He called Noah, Daniel, and Job… He calls the available, righteous, and faithful.

He calls the person who is PRESENT in the PLACE where HE NEEDS them to… STAND IN THE GAP! Will that person be you and me?

Perfect Cleansing

HEBREWS 10: 1-17

(November 10)

I am a budget-minded gal. I like to find bargains when I shop, and make my dollars stretch a little farther. And while finding bargains is a great thing, there are some things you just can't skimp on (in my opinion).

"Back in the day" I would buy bargain brand dish soap. The price suited me just fine. But I wasn't always happy with the cleanliness of my dishes. It seemed like I had to scrub and scrub to get them clean and make them shine. My mom kept telling me I needed to change dish soap brands, but my frugal self wouldn't listen.

After many years of this issue, I finally did break down and buy the "good stuff". I fussed over the difference in price (SERIOUSLY??) but I decided to give it a try.

You can imagine my delight when my dishes felt cleaner and shinier, with way less effort! No more bargain dish soap for me. From now on, my family would eat off of dishes that had been truly cleansed.

It is sort of the same thing with the sacrificial ceremonies of the Old Testament. They served a purpose and did the job, after much work. (Finding the animal, cutting it open, cleaning up the mess ...) but they weren't a perfect cleansing.

Those who sacrificed were not really purified, because they kept feeling the guilt, especially as they repeated the same ceremony year after year.

But then ... Jesus.

The ceremonial law was set aside for something far better ... a purified cleansing. Setting aside this ceremonial law didn't mean that the moral law was cast aside. It meant that all the while these people had been making these sacrifices, they were doing so in preparation for Jesus to come.

When Christ died and experienced resurrection, there was no longer a need for that old ceremonial system. And when Jesus lives in us, we fulfill the moral law as well, living as imitators of him.

Jesus cancels out the first covenant and puts the new and final one into place. He, himself, is the final sacrifice for sins. He is the single sacrifice for sins, good for all time (Verse 12).

Jesus is our perfect cleansing.

Sovereign

One Year Bible: November 10

Ezekiel 21:1-22:31

Sovereign

“Sovereign in the mountain air. Sovereign on the ocean floor. With me in the calm. With me in the storm. Sovereign in my greatest joy. Sovereign in my deepest cry. With me in the dark. With me at the dawn. In your everlasting arms, all the pieces of my life from beginning to the end, I can trust You.” (Sovereign, Chris Tomlin)

Do you trust God with your entire life?

Does reading about his anger and judgment in the Old Testament give you pause or wonder if you can really trust Him?

It is a lot to take in, and that has prompted me to read about His anger and how it relates to our anger. God does not hide at all the fact that He is over the brim with anger at His people.

First, let’s look at what He reveals about their present state of being, and then let’s look at how that relates to God’s anger, and how His anger is different than human anger.

God speaks to Ezekiel who he calls “son of man”, which I find to be such an interesting term, as it just directs our thoughts to “The Son of Man” who will come down in perfection to live among men bringing us parables, signs, and wonders.

The difference is that He will not just tell the people of their sins; He will bring them the way out of their sins.

Ezekiel is to do another “Show & Tell” on the people’s behalf. This one involves GROANING with a BITTER and BROKEN HEART. He is to make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow and put a signpost coming out of Babylon where the road forks into two. (Ch. 21)

Meanwhile back at the ‘Not Okay Corral” the Babylonians are casting lots and following “Omens”, but then their time of judgment is coming next. God is going to allow His unfaithful people to all be destroyed or captured by the immoral people that they have sold themselves to join through idol worship. Their gods have become their god, and now their evil will become Jerusalem’s evil. They are ALL going down, and here is why…

“You are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.” (22:4-5)

As the judge takes the bench and they refuse to take allegiance to swear “to tell the absolute truth so help me God” there is a long dirty list against them…

“Every leader who lives within their walls is bent on murder. Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women…” (27: 6-11)

It goes on to describe rape, hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners. In the midst of the long list of evils, it says that the priests have violated my instructions, and defiled my holy things and that they make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. That is why people don’t know. They are not being taught. (22:26)

Here is the saddest of all commentaries, “They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD.” (22:12)

In the midst of this mess, can you hear the anguish of God?

There are four things that we need to be mindful of as we process the anger of God upon His people in the Old Testament.

First, God’s wrath is PROVOKED. “Do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness.” (Deut. 9:7) The Bible tells us that God’s nature is LOVE.

Secondly, God is SLOW to ANGER. Psalm 103:8 tells us, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That is WHO HE IS!

Thirdly, God’s Wrath is RELATED to His UNMUTABLE JUSTICE. Holiness can not be connected with utter unholiness. It is contrary to His being and nature.

Romans 1:18 tells us, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Do we recall when the people touched the ark or tried to look at the Lord’s blinding brightness?

They would die! Unholiness can not look upon complete pure perfection. We can not begin to fathom this, and perhaps that is why we do not understand His anger and judgment, but it is part of His sinless nature.

Does anyone stick their finger in a light socket and boast about that? Well, God is hotter than the hottest circuit. He is the origin of light and light itself.

Lastly, God’s wrath is stored up and will be poured out on all sinners. His timing is different than our timing. His ways are higher, and His plan is His plan. It is bound in His nature and perfect order.

Why didn’t He just send Jesus the day after Adam and Eve sinned?

Satan lived in a perfect heaven and that did not stop him from pride and rebellion against God. Part of the plan of God bringing His people back to him is the struggle and desperation to want Him and honor Him as their God.

The Old Testament is the suffering and the rebellion. Jesus is the Way and the Life, and the Holy Spirit is the Down Payment placed in our hearts to want to reside with our God and let Him be God.

And so I ask you, do you trust the Sovereign God to be the Sovereign God in your life?

His words are your ways. His Will is your direction. His path is your mission.

“In Your never failing love, You work everything for good. God, whatever comes my way, I will trust you.” (Sovereign, Chris Tomlin)

A Purified Tabernacle

HEBREWS 9: 11-28

(November 9)

The decisions we make today can have a great effect on the people of tomorrow. If I decide today to walk away from God, my family in the future days will be much different. We would be lost, without purpose, probably caught up in a mess of sin.

But when I decided many years ago to follow God, it effected my family in a positive way, even though none of them were in my life at the time. That choice defined the way I live, which in turn defines the wife and mother I am, and the grandmother I am.

The past can greatly impact the present, and the future can greatly impact the past.

When Jesus died on the cross, it greatly impacted all the people who had sinned long before he lived. They were saved through his sacrifice before the sacrifice ever occurred. They offered pure, unblemished animal sacrifices in anticipation of Christ's coming and the price he would pay for their sin.

Why animal sacrifice? Why Jesus' sacrifice? Why bloodshed? Blood is the greatest symbol of life. It is what keeps us alive. When Jesus shed his own blood and gave his own life, he did it so we wouldn't have to experience spiritual death or be separated from God in our eternal life.

Jesus is the source of LIFE, not DEATH. Yes, he gave his blood and his life for us. But he also rose again, gaining victory over both sin and death.

According to verse 26, he will appear at the end of the ages. This will be the time he comes to the earth, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. With his death, he brought a new era ... one of grace and forgiveness. We live today in the end of the ages. The day of the Lord has begun and will be completed at Christ's return.

When he does return, we will see much of God's plan come to pass.

• Our salvation will be completed

• He will reign in heaven and on earth as our sovereign king

• Death will be destroyed

• All the saints will praise him

• Every dark and hidden thing will be brought to the surface

• The final judgement of all living and dead will occur

• The dead believers will rise

• The living believers will be caught up together with the risen dead in the clouds

• The man of lawlessness will be destroyed

And all who believe will be joined together for eternity, in a purified Tabernacle.

A Solemn Oath

One Year Bible: November 9

Ezekiel 20:1-49

A Solemn Oath

“I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I solemnly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” (Legal Oath in a Court of Law)

Isn’t it interesting that before you can testify in a court of law in our judicial system you need to swear by Almighty God that you will speak the complete whole truth? Yet many people today do not believe in God, the counsel of His Word, or follow His teaching.

Today’s passage is about God’s Solemn Oath and Man’s Sin Progression.

Does anyone think that a person who lies, swindles others, steals, sells themself for their addictions, and murders will actually tell the whole truth because they swear to do so?

God’s people are asking today for counsel with God, but they don’t keep their word or obey anything He has asked them to do. So, the court has denied that right as God is the good and faithful judge. Therefore, that is His call.

By the way, who does God swear on? “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will tell you nothing!” (Ezekiel 20:3) Yes, the answer to that question would be, Himself.

You see, it doesn’t work for sinful man to come to God demanding answers to get his way without obeying the covenant and will of God. You can lay your hand on the cover of the Bible all you want, but the power comes from reading and obeying what is WITHIN.

Next, our passage goes through Sin’s Progression. It starts with rebellion. The people refused to listen, and would not get rid of their vile images. They defiled themselves because they were obsessed with their idols and would not forsake them. (20:8)

Now, we get an inside look at the reasons for God’s judgment and the many times that he delayed judgment to try and make a way. All of these ways were not accepted or implemented by His people. They snubbed their noses at the Sovereign God, but He still provided for them in the midst of their rebellion.

“Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt. But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.” (Ezekiel 20: 8-12)

God’s prescription for the progression of sin was fellowship with HIM.

How many times throughout the Old Testament have we seen God dealing with His children who have fallen into extreme sin?

Even David, a man after God’s own heart, betrayed God through adultery and murder. God disciplined him, forgave him, and restored him.

But, these rebellious, stiff-necked people have no repentance in them. Even after prophet after prophet brought them warnings, parables, and living signs.

Is it that they mentally can not understand the ways of God?

If so, then ‘Ignorance is bliss’ and they are living in a temporary state of that. They have certainly missed reading and living out God’s words. But, their problem seems far more connected to their hearts than just their heads.

How is God’s covenant different for us today than it was for the people trapped in this progression of sin in Old Testament times?

Hebrews 10 is a powerful chapter to explain this to us. It says, “THE OLD SYSTEM under the law of Moses was only a SHADOW, a DIM preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.” (Hebrews 10:1-2)

This passage goes on to say that animal sacrifices would NEVER BE ENOUGH to take away the sins of God’s people. Under this covenant, the priests would stand and minister day in and day out offering sin offerings and burnt offerings. But then Jesus, the High Priest offered himself to God as the SINGLE SACRIFICE FOR SINS, all sins, for all time!

The one question I would want to ask God is, “Why was this sacrifice so long coming?”

Yet, scripture tells us that it came in “the fulness of time” through the Davidic lineage as planned. God is never late, but sometimes it may seem that way to us…

The result of this ONCE FOR ALL SACRIFICE, is that by God’s Sovereign Oath He will remember our sins no more when we are in Christ Jesus.

“I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (Heb. 10:16)

Temporary Design

HEBREWS 9:1-10

(November 8 )

When I was buying my new house, waiting for the construction to finish, I spent a lot of time thinking about the design of the interior. What would I put where? How would I set things up to flow nicely?

I also knew that I would not be able to set it up completely the way I wanted right away. There were things I wanted to buy, but I would have to have patience and purchase them a little at a time. (Unless I won the lottery!)

When we moved in, I did my best with what I had and the few things I had purchased. This was a temporary design until my purchases could be finished. A year 1/2 later, I finally have things in their permanent place.

The Tabernacle was designed with two rooms. In the first room, the priests would gather for their religious duties amid the lampstand, table, and sacred loaves of bread. This room was called the Holy Place.

There was a curtain that separated the Holy Place from the second room, which they called the Most Holy Place. In that room sat the Ark of the Covenant. How beautiful it must have been sitting there covered in gold on all sides. Inside it were a gold jar with manna, Aaron's staff with the sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets Moses had carried down the mountain. The room was also home to a gold incense burner and cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant.

Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place. And he could only do so once a year. To the Jews, this was considered the most sacred place on earth. Anyone besides the high priest was forbidden to enter the room. The high priest entered once a year to offer sacrifice with the blood of animals as atonement for his own sins and the sins of the people.

All of this was the TEMPORARY DESIGN. It was not forever, it was not the best, it was just until the best came along.

There is no need for the Most Holy Place anymore. The lasting design was creating when the atonement of sins was purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. No longer does a priest need a special room, special items, and animal's blood to offer a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. Now we have Jesus. He is our sacrifice. He is the blood offered for our sins. He is the source that leads us to God's forgiveness.

This new system, which God had planned all along, is so much better than the temporary design of long ago.

Sour Grapes

One Year Bible: November 8

Ezekiel 18:1-19:14

SOUR GRAPES

Recently, I bought a large container of unfiltered cherry juice in a glass container. It looked so pretty, and I had heard it lowers blood pressure. I poured myself a nice large cup and took my first large gulp. It has been a week now and my eyes are still crossed and my cheeks are wrinkled and puckered! I threw away the juice but washed and kept the nice glass bottle.

Now, when I partook of this puckering punch of a drink, my daughter’s mouth did not pucker. She was smarter than me and makes her own blended potions with vitamins and tasty fruits.

This, however, was a proverb that the Jewish people had come to believe. Probably because of what they had observed in punishment during Old Testament times… But God is telling them that he hands out judgment according to each person’s deeds.

“Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste’? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. For all people are mine to judge--both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.”

Yet, the people persisted in saying, “The Lord isn’t doing what’s right! O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I.” (18:29)

How will God judge each person?

“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions… Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!” (18:30 F)

Here is the part that is brand new to them as it is a peek at the new covenant that God will be bringing their way. God is going to give them a NEW HEART and a NEW SPIRIT in the right relationship with HIM.

This passage ends with a funeral song for the kings of Israel. God had given his people Judges to rule over them, and God, himself, was to have been their king.

But, oh no, that was not what they wanted and so they cried out for a king. How well did that work for them?

Most of the kings over Judah and Israel had unlimited power, wealth, and self-reliance. They turned out to be evil rulers. Their time has ended with the judgment of the LORD.

God will bring about a holy righteous king through the lineage of the Davidic Dynasty and a new reign of peace will be born, but this lament puts the Kings of Israel and Judah in the past.

Zedekiah was the very last king from the Davidic dynasty until Jesus the Messiah came just as the prophets foretold. (Gen. 49:10, Dn 9:26, Luke 1: 30-33)

It will not be until Jesus returns that a son of David will again sit on a throne in Jerusalem to reign as Israel’s king.

(Dan. 2:44, Is. 52: 1-10, Jer. 23: 3-8).

“The Sour Grapes” Proverb is being replaced by the “Fruit of the Vine”.

Isn’t it interesting that each LORD’s DAY as Christians gather together we partake of the bread and the cup of juice from the vine?

The one-time sacrifice of Christ as God’s Passover Lamb established a brand new covenant with God’s people. They were not able to have that NEW HEART and NEW SPIRIT that was spoken of in this passage. They would need someone perfect to pay the price for their death warrant and that was Jesus.

What does this passage mean to us today?

It is such a powerful reminder that we don’t pay for our parents’ sins and our children don’t pay for our sins either. God will judge each and every man according to their actions.

The bad news is that each and every one of us is guilty of sin. Our actions are not perfect in thought or manner. However, God has made a way to bridge that uncrossable gap that the Israelites faced in the Old Testament.

“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the NEW COVENANT in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” ( I Cor. 11: 23-28)

Jesus, the perfect son of God, took the SOUR GRAPES and gave us the bread (his body), and the cup, (his precious lifegiving blood) as our reminder that “Whosoever will may come” through Him and His perfect sacrifice.

The New Covenant seals the deal! No more SOUR GRAPES!

New Covenant of Grace

HEBREWS 8:1-3

(November 7)

Have you ever heard the term "out with the old, in with the new"? This phrase is often spoken at the beginning of a new year, when people have set their minds to resolutions of new habits to replace the old ones, hoping to improve their situations in life.

Or sometimes it is meant to infer a person in leaving old regrets and ideas behind and looking towards new ideas or changes. This phrase is actually of Scottish origin when it was first spoken by the Douglas clan.

In chapter 8 of Hebrews, we are discussing covenants. The old covenant where the high priest was required to offer gifts and sacrifices has been replaced with a new covenant ... on that revolves around grace.

The old custom of high priests being chosen from the tribe of Levi and doing their daily sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins would never have permitted Jesus to be a high priest while he lived on earth. He was from the tribe of Judah, so it wasn't possible. But because of the sacrifice he made, there was no longer a need for the high priests and their daily sacrifices.

The old covenant, which was between God and Israel, was now replaced with a new covenant of grace in which Christ's offer to forgive our sins through his sacrifice of death on the cross leads us to God's grace.

Because of Jesus, we have a new way to receive forgiveness. This promise is written on our hearts and is our road to salvation. We no longer need the old covenant, which has become obsolete. We now live in a new covenant of grace.

So, when we make those new year's resolutions, those promises that we will do this or try that, and we end up failing in our efforts, grace is there. When we hurt someone with our words, intentionally or unintentionally, this new covenant of grace is available. ALL our sins, big and small, can be forgiven because of this new covenant of grace.

Adorned

One Year Bible: November 7

Ezekiel 16:42-17:24

ADORNED

Her name is Mary Ann Bevan, and she is known as the “ugliest woman in the world”.

She died in 1933. I guess you could say that she lived a little bit before her time. If she would have lived later she could have been part of the cast for “The Greatest Showman” as her appearance was a real show stopper! Mary Ann suffered from a disease called acromegaly which means that she had abnormal growth and facial distortion.

After her husband died she was left to take care of the financial, physical, and emotional needs of her four children and she had no money. She decided to enter a humiliating contest and won the title of the “ugliest woman in the world”! She was then hired by a circus and toured cities where people came to view her in a mocking manner. That is why I say that she was definitely “ahead of her time” as no one was singing the song “This is Me” in that day and age…

She endured the scorn and agony to give her four children a beautiful life, and they say that if you knew her, you would know a woman who was truly ADORNED in inner beauty!

Today’s passage is truly about the “ugliest woman in the world”, and her name was Jerusalem.

She is the opposite of Mary Ann Bevan as she was given all beauty and lavished with adornment. Out of her own choosing, she became truly ugly in her unfaithfulness. She is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah and they were destroyed completely. Jerusalem did not lay down her life to protect her children as Mary Ann did. Instead, she sacrificed her children on altars to pagan gods with demonic rituals. Jerusalem was the chosen, beautiful, adorned bride that will now be stripped of all her glory. She will be laid bare in shame, humiliation, and captivity.

Listen to what God says to her, “Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, this is what I am going to do. I will gather all your allies--the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated-- and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. I will punish you for murder and adultery.” (Ezekiel 16:36-38)

You see, UGLY IS AS UGLY DOES! Jerusalem had degenerated from her beautiful royalty into a detestable harlot (Vv. 35, 36)

God gives a parable of the TWO EAGLES to Ezekiel to demonstrate the theological background for Jerusalem’s condition and to tell of her plight. In Ezekiel 17 we read of the eagle and the cedar. The eagle pictures the beauty and power of Babylon, and the title “Lebanon” stood for Jerusalem. The eagle had gone to Lebanon and plucked off the top of the cedar tree and replanted the bough in a land of merchants a city of traders. This referred to Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Jerusalem in 597 when he took King Jehoiachin as a prisoner to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar did not completely destroy the land at that time and so we see the seed of land is planted in fertile soil so that is sprouted. Zedekiah was planted as a vassal king so the people could continue to live in peace although in bondage if they kept the peace treaty or covenant with Nebuchadnezzar.

Then, there is a parable of a second eagle and the vine. The new eagle was Egypt which influenced Zedekiah to rebel against Babylon whom God had placed over them for discipline. The people were still fighting God and trying to make their own way. Ezekiel is prophesying before the event that this would be a fatal decision and cause destruction as the people would be breaking the oath of their punishment.

The parable of the eagle ends with an amazing Messianic promise. In the future, the Lord God will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it on top of Israel’s highest mountain and it will become a majestic cedar where all will find shelter. (17:22)

Do you know the name of the highest mountain in Israel?

Mount Hermon which is known as “the sacred mountain” is the highest in ancient Israel at 9,000 feet above sea level. It was significant for many reasons. It marked the northern limits of the Promised Land. King David compared God’s people living in unity to the dew of Mount Hermon falling on Mount Zion in Psalm 133:1-3.

By both accounts of Matthew and Mark Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a “high mountain”. Scholars believe that this “high mountain” was either Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon, which was actually closer to their location. Mount Hermon afforded privacy and seclusion where they were all alone as recorded in Mark 9:2.

The significance of this ending about true beauty is found in the FRUIT, not the FLUFF. God was making a way for his people to bear fruit. Their fruit was rotten as they were not connected to the vine, Jesus. They were not allowing God to prune or discipline them!

As you begin your day, how do you ADORN yourself? How much time is spent on make-up, clothes, and outward adorning? These women in this passage had all the primping in the world, but they didn’t have the inside beauty of Mary Ann Bevan. She sacrificed herself through love.

Reading through the Old Testament is often ugly and painful, but it is necessary. Life isn’t Hallmark. However, it is made of hallmark moments where we choose how we will live…

Are we ADORNED with inner beauty from being connected to the LIVING VINE?

High Priest Forever

HEBREWS 7:18-28

(November 6)

Do you tend to stay stuck in your ways or are you generally open to new things? Are you willing to try something new and better?

Change is a huge part of life, and we hope the change is for the better. Sometimes it is. Other times, not so much. But when we go through a change that is really beneficial, and rewarding to us, it is such a great thing.

The old covenant with the high priests required change in leadership often. Death would be the typical cause of this change in leadership. One high priest would pass on, and the next in line in the family of Levi would take over. There was never any oath or promise of anything different. This is how it went for a very long time.

But then God made an oath to Jesus that changed everything. "The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow. You are a priest forever." (Verse 21)

No more changeover! Those priests of old died off, one after another. But Jesus was alive at the time of his appointment, is alive today, and will live forever. There is no longer a need for a change is the position of High Priest.

How awesome it is that he is sinless, without blemish, set apart and given this highest of the high honor. Because of this, we no longer need to offer sacrifices of atonement, for our own sins or the sins of others. Jesus died for ALL our sins. Yours, mine, and everyone else's.

This new covenant allows us to go directly to God through Christ. We no longer need to rely on a priest to mediate for us. These priests of the past couldn't save anyone. But Jesus can save EVERYONE.

Now, I don't know about you, but that is the kind of change I like to see. That is change I can wrap my head and my heart around and be very grateful for. Because of Jesus, I have access to God. Because of Jesus, YOU have access to God. And there is no time limit on this. We don't have to use our "access to God" coupon within 30 days or lose it. It is there for us always, because Jesus is our forever High Priest.

The Grapevine

One Year Bible: November 6

Ezekiel 14:12-16:41

The Grapevine

Have you ever done “The Grapevine”?

There is a little video that says that we have all done “The Grapevine” at some time in our lives.

Perhaps at a birthday party, wedding, or backyard barbeque. The instructor then claims that it is very simple. This is where they lose me and my eyes kind of “gloss over” like they are doing in this passage today.

The steps of this little dance are, “One, Two, Three. Tap” Now, make sure that your leg crosses behind and not in front of you. Meanwhile, you can move those arms and “snake that head.”

That sure sounds a lot like the dance the people who were supposed to be God’s bride were doing at their backyard barbeque, and it was no wedding feast with the lamb who sought them and bought them!

They were certainly crossing their feet behind them. I will give them credit for that!

In this passage, God portrays Jerusalem as an abandoned infant who is reduced by the Lord. He took in, clothed, comforted, and betrothed her as his very own bride. He bathed washed her clean and adorned her.

Now, I want you to really catch this next part. It is kind of humorous to me…

Do you know how “nose rings” are such a big deal these days? The younger people are going wild over “rings everywhere” and the parents are far from overjoyed. Well, I hate to break the news to you, but you need to read Ezekiel 16:11-12, “I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, A RING FOR YOUR NOSE, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head.”

Well, you heard it here, folks! No need to read this verse to your child. We much prefer to focus on the princess and the crown!

The gist of the story is that God gave his lovely child everything! He was the husband who spared no expense and lavished love upon HIS bride. She on the other hand pursued adultery as a shameless profit without even getting paid. This was part of the rituals of idol worship which involved pagan sacrifices and orgies. They went for the thrill of evil and companionship with demons. They sold out!

This is what God says about them, “The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned.” (15:6)

He says that they are nothing but a Canaanite and that their father was an Amorite and their mother was a Hittite. We can tell this is not a compliment. He is referring to their moral condition. The pagan occupants of the land were to have been driven out and God’s people were to remain holy and set apart, but instead, they adopted their pagan abominations as if they were the spiritual children of Canaan.

Let’s take a closer look at the grapevine from a New Testament point of view.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” (John 15:1-4)

You see, they couldn’t do the dance because they weren’t connected to the VINE. Jesus is the TRUE VINE and His Father is the gardener. If we want to bear fruit we must “Remain” in HIM. We need to be connected and receive daily nourishment from HIM.

Ezekiel is dealing with people who literally cut themselves off and were grafted to an entirely different vine. No one can have it both ways. Not them. Not us.

So, back to the little dance for today. First, you’re going to move to the RIGHT. Side, back, side, tap… Are you taking steps daily to move to the RIGHT to REMAIN and be grafted, pruned, and bear fruit?

So, here’s the secret of doing any dance, including “The Grapevine”. Someone leads and the other person follows. Who is "doing the leading" in your life?

Melchizedek… King of Justice

HEBREWS 7:1-17

(November 5)

Have you delved into your family history? Ancestry or other DNA testing has made it possible for us to trace our families back for generations. Before all these newfangled ways, people who wanted to know their family history had to spend a lot of time researching old documents and historical sites. It was quite a task.

I have such a family member. She is a distant cousin on my dad's side of the family. She spent SO MUCH time researching the history of the Chandler family. She traced our family roots all the way back to John Chandler who came to this country from England on the Good Ship Hercules in the early 1600's.

Lineage ... history ... descendants ... it is all so interesting!

When we talk about Melchizedek, it is interesting to note there is no record of his father or mother. There is no record of any ancestors at all. Who was this "King of Justice" who has no noted beginning or end to his life? He remains a priest forever, which is why he is said to resemble the Son of God and why the psalmist said of Jesus, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."

If you remember, the law of Moses stated that all priests had to be descendants of Levi. They were to collect a tithe from all the people of Israel, who were also Abraham's descendants.

Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of his wealth, and Melchizedek was not a descendant of Levi. But Abraham did so because this "King of Justice" had blessed him so greatly as he was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings.

How highly must Melchizedek be thought of that Abraham, who was the great father of Israel, would give him a tenth of his battle winnings. He truly held a place of honor.

An even higher honor is held by the High Priest who was sent by God. He has no ancestorial ties to the tribe of Levi, but he has the power of eternal life and that cannot be destroyed.

Our High Priest sits at the right-hand side of our Father in heaven. He sits there now, and he will sit there forever. And probably not too far down the table sits the King of Justice ... Melchizedek.

Baggage Boogie

One Year Bible: November 5

Ezekiel 12:1-14:11

The Baggage Boogie

“Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you.” (Ezekiel 12:4-5)

Have you ever made a scene carting your luggage, or is that just me? You know that people are watching, right? Is there a gracious way to lug in multiple suitcases, a briefcase, snacks, pool equipment, and dog supplies? Just askin’ for a friend, and my toes and shins…

Well, the friend in this story is Sovereign God, and this is the task being asked of Ezekiel.

He is supposed to pack his baggage and cart it out in broad daylight, because “watching eyes” …WILL BE WATCHING.

(See, there is some validity to our phobias!)

And now for the rest of the story…”Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands. Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it. As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made YOU A SIGN for the people of Israel.” (Ezekiel 12:4-6)

Did you catch that part? Ezekiel is not just supposed to TELL them some little parable; he is supposed to LIVE the parable. God has made him as a SIGN for the rebellious people of Israel.

He is to dig a hole and leave like a man heading into exile. Then he is to eat and drink like a man shaking in fear because the time of prophecy is coming to pass. But the people are saying, ”Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.” (12:22)

The Lord is replacing their old proverb with a new one, “The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled.” (12:23) False prophets keep saying, “He’s talking about the distant future. His vision won’t come true for a long, long time.” (12: 27)

So, Ezekiel is called upon to do “The Baggage Boogie” with a blindfold on his eyes, covering his face, so that he cannot see the land that he is leaving, because he is a SIGN!

Interesting that God has him cover his face and hide his eyes. The metaphor of “eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear” was not just used in the case of Ezekiel, but also by Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Jesus. God desired to lead His people away from exile and into an eternal covenant with HIM, but they had other evil obsessions.

Why are they so blind and not listening even with Ezekiel’s very best boogie?

How many prophets had God sent these people at their peril?

Do you want to know THE SECRET?

Jesus tells us what it is in Matthew 13: 14-38. He begins by saying that what Isaiah said about them is true, “You people will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not really see. Yes, the minds of these people are now closed. They have ears, but they don’t listen. They have eyes, but they refuse to see. If their minds were not closed, they might see with their eyes; they might hear with their ears; they might understand with their minds. Then they might turn back to me and be healed.”

Why are their minds closed? Jesus tells a parable of good seed in a field and of the weeds. He then asks them, “Where did the weeds come from?” The man answered that an enemy planted the weeds and asked Jesus if he was to “go and pull up the weeds”. Jesus said that he should not pull up the weeds because he might pull up some wheat along the way. They are to grow up together until HARVEST TIME.

This is the season of fall and pumpkins are growing before our eyes, and it is the time of HARVEST. God is the only one who knows the time of reaping, harvesting, and judgment.

This passage goes on to tell of the mustard seed. It is the smallest of all seeds, kind of like you and me… and Ezekiel. He will use this little mustard seed to grow into the largest of garden plants even though it starts out quite small. Jesus ends this passage by telling us the Big Secret. It is the hidden factor behind all the evil we see in the world masquerading as light.

Let us listen intently, “I will speak using stories; I will tell things that have been SECRETS since the world was made… The man who planted the good seed in the field is the SON of MAN. The field is the world. The good seed is the people in God’s kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One.” (Matthew 13:14-38)

The Lord of the Harvest WILL and DOES judge the evil one, but like Ezekiel, He often asks us to pray, be obedient, and be HIS SIGN to a lost world around us. When you are a movin’ and a groovin’ and pulling your baggage, you are going someplace and everyone is watching to see where you are going. (It’s not just your phobia. It’s your calling… “to walk worthy”.

It’s called “The Baggage Boogie”, and that’s the story the world needs to see from us! We need to show them where we are headed…Out of Exile and into Eternity, Out of Captivity and into Glorious Light. Now that’s something worth dancing about!

An Oath & A Promise

HEBREWS 6: 1-20

(November 4)

I had a conversation with my teenager this morning. I had asked her to clean her room. She said she did. Yet when I went in to wake her up, I saw various little messes scattered here and there.

I was upset with her and told her how frustrating it felt to have to continue to tell her the same thing over and over again. It gets old. It gets wearisome. I just need her to hear me the first time, and do what is asked of her, without the constant repeating of my words. I am trying to teach her to get the clear message the first time it is given to her.

So far ... we are still working on it!

The same thing is happening in Chapter 6 of Hebrews. The writer is feeling tired of repeating the same teachings about Christ over and over again. Why does the importance of repentance need to be explained multiple times? Or instructions about baptism? Or the laying of hands, resurrection of the dear, or eternal judgement? Or cleaning your room?

These things should be knowledge by now, and these believers should be maturing in their faith. They should be taking the hope they have in Christ and putting it into action.

When we become lazy in our beliefs, we begin to lose our faith. When we lose our faith, we begin to lose hope.

The writer speaks of an oath and a promise. When someone makes a promise to you, do you expect them to keep it? Do you keep the promises you make to others? Is your word reliable and something others can put their trust in?

God's word is faithful, even if we sometimes have to wait on it. It never fails us. Nothing in this world is more certain or secure than God's word.

God promised Abraham that he would bless him will a multitude of descendants and he kept that promise. Abraham had to wait patiently, but it did come to pass.

Because we can trust his word, we who have sought refuge in him can have confidence and hold on to the hope that we have in him. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. (Verse 19)

The writer speaks about our hope leading us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. The curtain hung across the entrance from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place and kept anyone from entering or even getting a glimpse of the Most Holy Place. Even the high priest could only go in once per year. The high priest would offer atonement for the sins of the nation at that time.

But when we have Christ as our Savior, we have that intercession between ourselves and God ALL THE TIME. He is our eternal High Priest. We can believe this because he made an oath and a promise, and his word is truth.

Indescribable

One Year Bible: November 4

Ezekiel 10:1-11:25

Indescribable

“Indescribable, uncontainable. You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God.” (Indescribable. Tomlin)

Ezekiel is trying to describe another vision that is just as Indescribable as the first.

Today, as I was reading, I heard the words of this song playing in my mind as I reflected. I encourage you to stop and worship as well because our God is truly INDESCRIBABLE.

People always say, “What is heaven going to be like?”

That’s a good question, isn’t it? Some think we will be floating on clouds playing harps and they think they will be bored to death. ( I hate to tell them they are already dead.)

But, the truth is, “Eye has not seen, nor heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

(I Corinthians 2:9-10)

Heaven will be INDESCRIBABLE!

Ezekiel is getting some “Behind the Scenes, Sneak Peeks.”

His words are like trying to take a picture of an extensive land with mountains, ocean, and sunset. No picture can do it justice. This is even beyond that…

Do you remember the story where Paul was stoned at Lystra and left for dead? He said that he was caught up into heaven and saw things that were “unlawful for him to speak of because words were inadequate”. (2 Corinthians 12:2).

Once again Ezekiel sees the same heavenly creatures, the HIERARCHY of HEAVEN.

Coals speak of judgment and we see the ‘Man in Linen’ who scholars say symbolizes the Holy Spirit scattering these coals of judgment among the city.

There is a good description of the Holy Spirit and His role found in I Corinthians 2:10, “But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.”

The Spirit of God reveals what is hidden from sight… the deep secrets.

The princes of Jerusalem were called by name. They thought they were “Livin’ Large and In Charge”. However, they were seriously mistaken! Ezekiel got a sneak peek of what the Spirit was revealing about their deep secrets.

Ezekiel went to deliver the message of the Lord to them, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah died!

Ananias and Sapphira (in the New Testament church) forgot to read all about Ol’ Pelatiah! I bet they wished they would have taken better notes! We might want to make a mental note as well. God sees everything and He reveals the true hidden secrets of men!

The passage today ends with them standing on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city. That mountain is known as Mount of Olives.

Yes, this is the very same mountain where Jesus departed and ascended into heaven after his death and resurrection. According to Zechariah (14:4), this is the mountain where Christ will descend on His return to earth.

Perhaps this helps explain all of the prophetic words embedded in this passage today.

“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God”. (Ezekiel 11: 17-20)

Judgment will come again. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to the glory of God the Father.

Will we humbly bow of our own desire? Will we weep for sin and rejoice for salvation?

I don’t know what heaven will be like, but Ezekiel lets us know that it will be…INDESCRIBABLE!

“All-powerful, untameable, awestruck, we fall to our knees, as we humbly proclaim. You are amazing God.” (Indescribable, Tomlin)