NOVEMBER 3
Ezekiel
7-9
Ezekiel is a very orderly and chronological kind of guy.
Everything we are reading follows the last event in a way we can understand.
What we see today will really conclude in chapter 11, but it all makes sense.
Ezekiel 7
This is another public proclamation Ezekiel made during the
time he was lying on his side. When he walked and spoke, Ezekiel, the paralyzed
and mute guy, was a sort of living disturbance. The hardness of this message
would have gotten everyone's notice. I have a feeling this word of the Lord came toward the end of his daily enactment of the
siege on Jerusalem. The elders of the Jews were probably standing in a group on
the corner of their new home in exile singing, "What do you do with a
problem like Ezekiel?" They were now sure that this very strange man was
actually being controlled and used of God. The reason for the hardness of this
prophecy will be explained in the next chapter. God will give Ezekiel, the
elders, and us a look at the people in Jerusalem.
One interesting note: It says three times in this chapter, Then you will know that I am the Lord.
The word used in my German Bible is not "know," but
"experience." That adds a twist to the meaning. There is a sense in
which these people will find out and experience that He is the Lord.
Vs. 1-4 Notice the repetition of the end. Finally all that the prophets had been saying, especially
Jeremiah, would come. Notice how this section ends.
Vs. 5-9 Notice the different words repeated here. Although
the Lord is giving prophecy to the exiles in Babylon, it applies to the people
still in Jerusalem. Now, some of the exiles were probably thinking, "You
know, Babylon isn't so bad after all." Notice how this section ends. This
was for all the people, but the only people who would benefit would be the
survivors who were in exile in Babylon.
Vs. 10-13 You notice again that words are repeated. Life as
they knew it would end in Jerusalem. As of this time, King Zedekiah hadn't yet
rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. In Jerusalem there was a certain amount of
calm and prosperity. Everyone was telling “Jeremiah” jokes. But God knew that
the sin in Jerusalem would take the upper hand and that they would rebel
against Babylon. Then, destruction would come.
Vs. 14-22 What had been of value would be worthless. If
you’re starving, a slice of bread is worth more than ten bags of gold. All they
had lived for would be lost. They hadn't become rich toward God. In v. 22 God
said He would also allow the temple to be ruined and profaned. In God’s eyes,
that had already happened.
Vs. 23-27 The people were in bondage to everything, sin and
other kings. This was the last time until 1948 that Israel would be a sovereign
state. They are still not free from bondage to sin. That will come. Notice how
this section ends.
Remember that what is happening to Israel is a small model
of what is happening every day to humanity. There is tragedy, loss and bondage
every day. There is rebellion, sin and ruin. In the harvest, we are following
our Lord reaching out to seek and to save the lost and to make disciples, who
make disciples. The things we are reading are meant to give us a heart of
compassion as we work. Humanly speaking, there is only danger and ruin and
judgment, but with the Lord the salvation He offers is incredible and the hope
is forever.
Ezekiel 8
V. 1 So the elders come to Ezekiel and sit before him at his
house. Notice the time designation. This is almost exactly 430 days from the
time God first spoke to Ezekiel. That means he was either finished with the
siege enactment (with the gross lunch thing he did) or that enactment was
almost finished. Also, since the sixth year was marked from the time that
Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon, that means it was also the sixth year of
Zedekiah's kingship. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in his ninth year
and Jerusalem fell in his eleventh year. This vision would show why all of the
judgment spoken against Judah and Jerusalem was justified. It would show how
the sin of the people drove the presence of the Lord out of His temple and out
of the land. The fact that Ezekiel is working, along with Daniel & Co. and
Jeremiah, shows that God hadn't abandoned His people.
V. 2 As they were sitting there looking at him, Ezekiel went
into a trance. Talk about freaky. This could have taken a minute or an hour,
but the elders stayed for the entire show; and in 11:24 it says Ezekiel
explained the entire vision. They apparently stuck around.
Vs. 3-4 This doesn't sound like the best way to travel, but
it's not like he had a choice. Seeing the glory of the Lord at the end probably
made it worth it.
Vs. 5-6 You understand here, that the point of the vision is
to show Ezekiel what is driving God from His temple and from the city. What we
see here will justify the hardness of God's judgment in chapter 7.
In Solomon's temple the main entrance into the inner court
was on the east side, but there were also entrances on the north and south
sides. This north entrance is where Ezekiel is brought. As he stands next to
the glory of the Lord, looking into the inner court, there, next to the
entrance, is an idol, probably an Asherah pole, a statue of sorts. Asherah was
a goddess of fertility, the wife of Baal, and usually depicted as very well
endowed. Imagine that they had something like this at the entrance into the
court where the sacrifices were offered to the Lord.
Vs. 7-13 This chamber, where 70 men could have been
together, might have been the "Holy Place," where the lampstand, the
bread of the Presence and the altar of incense were. The temple was already
defiled. These were the priests and leaders of Israel.
Vs. 14-15 Tammuz was another fertility god who died in the
winter. The women cried for him and in the spring he would come alive again (if
they cried enough) and bring rains.
Vs. 16-18 Now in the inner court, between the altar and the
Holy Place, you have these 25 guys with their backs to the Holy Place and Holy
of Holies and the mercy seat (and God Himself); and they are worshiping the sun
as it rises.
God says there is nothing here to move Him to pity.
Ezekiel 9
Vs. 1-7 Notice that there is some mercy in this. The marking
on the foreheads of the ones who were righteous looks very much like Revelation
7:3-4, where the 144,000 are marked or sealed on their foreheads to be saved
out of the judgment of the Tribulation to serve God.
Vs. 8-11 In this judgment there was mercy.
So let me ask, what impact does all of this Scripture
dealing with judgment and mercy have on your thinking? Today in the harvest it
all seems so slow and fuzzy. Will the Lord really come? Will the Lord really
judge the unbelieving? It seems so slow and foggy and unreal that we don’t feel
any urgency or emotion toward it. Yet the reality of judgment appears
throughout Scripture and Jesus mentions it quite a bit. As disciples, following
Christ in the harvest, we need to keep alert to the reality of life. Books like
Jeremiah and Ezekiel help, and I think that’s why God put them here.
Hebrews
5
The discussion of Jesus' priesthood will go from here to
chapter 10. At the outset, you might want to muse why the writer thinks this is
so important. Obviously, for these Jewish Christians thinking of slipping back
into Judaism, it is important for them to know that Jesus is the better priest
and His sacrifice is the final and ultimate sacrifice. But along with this
thought of the priest, there is a very present help for them and for us. Those
who rely on their mediator/priest will be blessed and helped. Those who rely,
in this life, on other things will not experience the help and closeness to
their Lord. It only makes sense. The saved will all be saved. Some of the saved
will grow close to the Lord by following Him in the harvest, but some of the
saved will have their wood, hay and stubble burned away and will regret what
they missed by not following their Savior on this planet.
Vs. 1-6 The for
refers back to the final verses of chapter 4, introducing Jesus as the priest
who can identify with our weakness.
So how did Jesus become a priest?
V. 5 His Father appointed Him to be a priest. But I thought
only those descended from Aaron could be priests.
V. 6 God made Him a priest pre-dating the law, going back to
Genesis 14:18. Notice that the author is quoting from Psalm 110:4. What is
interesting is that Abraham was ministered to by this priest. Jesus then is
that kind of great priest. In chapter 7 the writer will enlarge on this
connection to Melchizedek.
Vs. 7-10 This is how Jesus was prepared for His priestly
responsibility and how He served on earth as a priest. And, Jesus is still
making intercession for us. The order of
Melchizedek would make Him greater than the priests of the Law of Moses.
The point for the people reading this letter was clear. Going back to the law
was rejecting Jesus’ priesthood.
Vs. 11-14 Because of fears and cares these believers had
stopped growing. They had been choked like the seed sown among thorns. Where
they should have been was probably closer to Philippians 3:7-21.
Thinking of these last words, it reminds me that God allows
things to enter our lives to test/strengthen our faith and our resolve to
follow in the harvest. Almost everyone begins well. We'll see later that the
people in Hebrews began very well, but they settled into having treasure on
earth. Now, in danger of losing that treasure, they are finding it almost
impossible to live with that early sense of sacrifice and willingness to follow
Christ. God is showing them that other things have become more important for
them than denying themselves and taking up their death daily and following
Jesus. We need to be careful, too, that this place doesn't become our home and
that things don't shine brighter than Jesus. We're here to follow Christ,
sharing His love with a dying world, making disciples, who make disciples, who
make disciples.
We are in the process of moving, cleaning out and letting
stuff go. Spiritually, we all need to do the same thing. We need to minimize,
until Jesus is everything, and knowing Him is enough for this life. Then we
find rest and direction and purpose in following Him. We find strength and
fearlessness, because nothing can separate us from Him or His love. We have a
truth that breaks the pretense of this life and becomes a rock of security for
those who find it. That truth is God as revealed in the Word and in the Son. It
isn't so much a matter of getting rid of stuff as much as it is a matter of us
being consumed in Him.
Psalm
105:1-15
We'll be in this psalm for three days.
Although the events mentioned here have to do with God
freeing Israel from Egypt, it is written in a way that it could have been meant
as an encouragement to those in exile in Babylon. Israel was never to have
forgotten the glory and power of God leading them out of the house of bondage
in Egypt. That salvation experience was to have been a constant source of hope
and encouragement.
Vs. 1-6 Notice the thanks and call to make God known among
all the nations. This was exactly what was supposed to have happened. It is a
blessing just to look at the verbs of command: give thanks, make known, sing to him, tell, glory in his holy name,
etc. This is a very rich little section of Scripture.
Vs. 7-11 Israel's blessing was based on God's promise to
Abraham. That promise had more to do with the salvation of man than the mere
creation of a nation. That nation was made to be a blessing to all other
nations in testimony to God.
Vs. 12-15 It never depended on the size of the people, just
the size of their God. And He was fully faithful to His promise. Verses 14-15
probably refer to Pharaoh, the kings of Moab, and the kings in Canaan; but
after we've read Daniel, it could also refer to Nebuchadnezzar and the kings
who followed him.
Proverbs
26:28
This is the
truth, although people often think that lying
and flattering have a good
purpose.
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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