NOVEMBER 16
Ezekiel 33-34
Chapters 33-38 are a
major section of Ezekiel dealing with God's blessing on Israel. What is
interesting is that this section begins with a re-commissioning of Ezekiel. You
can imagine that Ezekiel was tired and felt used up. There is nothing more
thankless than working with stubborn people who blame God for all their
problems, seeing themselves as honest victims. Not only had these been a very
intense seven years, but he had lost his wife, God using her death as a symbol
to the people. Sure, Ezekiel was a great man and had a book of the Bible named
after him, but what a price. I don't think Ezekiel had any problem with the
proverb for today as it applied to the people, but I'll bet he had his days
when he himself felt crushed.
Ezekiel 33
Vs. 1-16 I wonder if
Ezekiel knew why his mission to the people as a watchman was being renewed? God
spoke to Ezekiel at the beginning of his ministry, making him a watchman in
3:17. As you read this, without departing on a guilt trip, this commissioning
is also a part of our commissioning as disciples in the harvest. Even when
Jesus' disciples were rejected, they were still to shake the dust off of their
feet and warn the people of their coming judgment. Sometimes people respond
better to a warning than to flowery words of having a good life, being
empowered and receiving heavenly love. In the West, even unbelievers think God
loves them and they're going to heaven. As the atheist Penn Jillette, of Penn and Teller, has said, how
much do you have to hate a person not to tell them about God's judgment if you
really believe that. The simple gospel that Jesus gave His disciples was that
the kingdom was coming and that people needed to turn from their sins to God.
This message of warning is in that simple presentation of the good news.
V. 11 Notice the
grace in this to the people. This section is beginning to set the foundation
for the blessing of God to the nation. There is hope for anyone who turns to
God. God's heart is inclined to them.
Vs. 17-20 This is all
very ironic. The people should have known the Lord but didn't. Now they felt
they could judge Him. This is the kind of bitterness and rationalizing that
keeps people from turning to the Lord. They are lost and blind and they blame
God. That is still true today. Everyone blames God for the mess in the world
and sometimes for the mess in their lives. What is interesting in the first
verses of Daniel is that these teens knew that it was God who had acted against
Judah and Jerusalem, and they understood why.
Vs. 21-22 Jerusalem
fell on 11.4.9 (the eleventh year in the fourth month on the ninth day) of
Zedekiah's reign. This was a year later. (The German says the eleventh year and
10th month, or six months later.) Notice that Ezekiel says it was the 12th year
of their exile. Ezekiel's deportation and Zedekiah's reign began at the same
time. It was a long way to walk from Jerusalem to Babylon and took over four
months. And, I'm sure the army didn't begin to bring people back the next day
after they broke into the city. The Babylonians had to tear down Jerusalem and
set up a provisional government. With the travel time, all this probably took six
months to a year. And remember, back then, cell phone reception was spotty at
best.
The news finally
reached Ezekiel and the exiles in Babylon. It had been seven or eight years
since God had struck Ezekiel with this muteness. Now judgment had struck
Jerusalem. This weary prophet was vindicated, but neither he nor the people had
anything to celebrate. It was time for Ezekiel to stand again, and, as a
watchman, begin to point the people to the future as God directed him. But in
directing the people to God's blessing, there would still be judgments to
pronounce and attitudes to correct. I wonder if the false prophets were
suddenly (and finally) out of business.
Vs. 23-29 This is
addressed to the remnant with Gedaliah in Jerusalem. We’ve read about them in
Jeremiah 42. God was going to cleanse Israel down to the last person. The fact
that there was still a remnant of people didn't mean God would rebuild with
them. Their analogy with Abraham was silly. He was righteous and they were very
unrighteous. Abraham followed God. They didn't know God at all. In fact, we saw
in Jeremiah how this remnant asked Jeremiah to inquire of God for them and then
accused Jeremiah of lying when he brought them the Lord's word.
Vs. 30-33 The work of
rebuilding the nation would begin with the people in exile. Ezekiel had become
a rock star to them. He was a famous man. That was step one in God's plan. But
they hadn't really turned their hearts toward God. That would come and they
would really understand that a real
prophet was among them.
Ezekiel 34
In blessing Israel,
God will give them a great Good Shepherd and a pretty good under shepherd.
Vs. 1-10 God declares
His judgment on the leaders of the people. If you read John 10:1-18, it seems
that Jesus must have had this section in Ezekiel in mind when He spoke those
words and declared Himself to be the Good Shepherd. What is also apparent by Jesus'
words is that God's word through Ezekiel hasn't been fulfilled and is still
future. Jesus said that all who came before Him were thieves and robbers and
that the sheep did not heed them. Even with exceptional men like Zerubbabel,
Ezra and Nehemiah, the normal leaders were still a disaster. Remember when
Nehemiah left and returned, how he found everything in disarray. Then read the
final book of the OT, Malachi, and notice how God takes the leaders to task for
their lack of leadership and devotion to God.
Vs. 11-22 Jesus
Himself will be the Shepherd. What a great future promise for Israel. In this
too, Jesus will judge between the sheep. Still, if Jesus is King over all the
nations, who will do the day-to-day over the nation of Israel?
Vs. 23-24 How about
the resurrected shepherd of Israel, David? Obviously this is in the Millennial
Kingdom.
Vs. 25-31 I'll bet
this was easier for Ezekiel to preach. I'll bet he felt great walking home.
I'll bet the reality of the present hit him like a hammer when he walked into
that empty house. This would have been the same for all the people hearing that
message. What a great hope for the future, but what an awful, present
situation.
In the harvest, this
is the same for us. We live in many present distresses, yet it is the truth of
God and the life of His Spirit in us that keeps us strong as we walk in faith.
This is why our joy has to be in the Lord, and our hope has to be in Him and
His appearing. This world is not our home, and for many, it isn't a place of
comfort. But, the Shepherd is coming and that should give us joy.
Hebrews 13
The author of Hebrews
is being pastoral, or apostolic, in giving guiding exhortations to the people.
This is a great closing.
Vs. 1-6 There is a
lot going on in these very general exhortations.
Vs. 1-2 This sure
sounds like Romans 12, vs. 9-10 in particular.
V. 3 More and more
Christians were adorning the inside of prisons. Paul told Timothy of the
bravery of Onesiphorus, finding and visiting him in a Roman prison. It's hard
to be brave in visiting someone if you know they might throw you in jail too.
The focus is on encouraging those suffering for Christ.
V. 4 Marriage is the
proper place to express sexuality. God takes all sexual deviation, including
your "run of the mill" adultery and immorality, very seriously.
Vs. 5-6 These verses
go together. God will take care of us. The more I read Jesus' words, the better
I understand that our seeking of comfort works against our trust in the Lord.
Some of the wording here seems like it might have come out of Psalm 27.
Vs. 7-17 This section
is bracketed by the exhortation to remember and obey the leaders. When you read
this you get a picture of what leaders were to do for the group and why the
people were to follow these leaders during such hard times. The people were to
follow the leaders in resisting false teaching and in holding firm in faith
through the tough times. Most of all, the leaders were to direct people to
Christ as in v. 15.
Vs. 18-19 This sounds
a little like Paul in Ephesians 6:18-19.
Vs. 20-21 What a
great benediction. This sounds like work in the harvest to me.
Vs. 22-25 This is a
great ending, though vague in detail. It sounds like Paul in Philippians 2:19-23,
only that here, Timothy had been a prisoner and released. Obviously the writer
of Hebrews couldn't have been Timothy. So much for that theory.
V. 24 Were the
readers located in Rome, so that those who had been from Italy were sending
greetings? Or, was the writer in Rome, and were the believers in Italy sending
greetings to the readers in some other place?
What do you get from
this entire letter to strengthen you in your work in the harvest? What speaks
to me is that now, God has spoken through His Son, so don't give up or give in.
Psalm 115
V. 1 This declaration
to give glory to God has David's favorite formula. The steadfast love and faithfulness
of God stand together.
Vs. 2-3 This is
almost like Psalm 2 where the nations rage. Here, at least in David's reign, as
the nations visited the new and improved Israel they didn't see idols all over
the landscape. Therefore the nations asked where Israel's god was. Well, He is
a living God, with a big "G" and He occupies the heavens.
Vs. 4-8 This section
works its way to v. 8 where you become what you make.
Vs. 9-11 How hard it
is to have a heart of faith and seek your help in a living, invisible God. It
proves one's faith.
Vs. 12-13 God's
remembrance is keyed to many things, but particularly to the promise to
Abraham. (Luke 1:54-55)
Vs. 14-15 God is the
One who gives increase and blessing, because He is the living Creator.
Vs. 16-18 This
declaration seems like an oath to obey, to bless and to praise the Lord. It is
interesting that he mentions that the earth was given to mankind. That earth
and plan were ruined, but God will renew everything and then we can begin anew
with the Lord.
Proverbs 27:21-22
V. 21 Both the
crucible and the furnace show what is in the metals. If they are pure, this
testing shows it. If there is impurity in either, the heat brings it to the
surface. I guess this is what the praise of others does to us. It reveals the
truth of our hearts and what is in us. That puts a different perspective on God
allowing us to be well thought of. It makes me think of how important those 25
years were for Abraham, or those 40 years for Moses, or those 10 years for
David, or those 14 years for Paul (although he also needed a thorn), to keep
them humble in the testing flame of the praise of others. It is good to be
humbled, and through that humbling finally and deeply to understand it is the
Lord, not we, who accomplishes things.
V. 22 The foolishness
in a fool is through every molecule. Or as C.S. Lewis said in The Magician's
Nephew, "Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than
you really are is that you very often succeed. Uncle Andrew did." And so
do we, and sometimes it pickles every molecule of us.
If you’re reading along
and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments
to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples,
meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out
and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal
manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us
more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that
the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to
find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples,
disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more
descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the
Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is the
commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never
hurts.
I am not endorsing any
particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte
Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with
us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their
own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular
tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to
criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has
written to us, as I understand it. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like
documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
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