Sat.’s Devo - The Branch

Read: Ezekiel 16:42-17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9 When God finishes his punishment against Judah and their sins are repaid, God’s anger will subside. But he explains why he had to punish them. They had forgotten their youth and their covenant. They had far surpassed the other nations in sinning. Sodom was wiped out for its detestable sins of pride, gluttony and laziness and ignoring the needs of the poor and suffering. They sinned worse than Samaria, the capital of Israel who had golden calves that they worshipped. One day, God would restore Sodom, Samaria and Judah. Judah was lewd and did detestable sins. They took their vows they had made to the Lord lightly and did not fulfill them so in the future they would remember this in shame. God gave Ezekiel a vision of an eagle that came and took the highest branch of the cedar tree and carried it off to a city of merchants and traders. There the branch took root. This highest branch was King Zedekiah and his leaders. Nebuchadnezzar came and took the leaders of Israel to Babylon where they lived in exile. Zedekiah stayed in Jerusalem and then rebelled against the king of Babylon and hired Egypt to help him. The army of Babylon came back and took Zedekiah and scattered the rest of the people all over the land. But God was going to plant his righteous Branch and give him the highest place of honor. It will grow and prosper and produce fruit. In Hebrews we read about the Branch and his system of worship. It is modeled after the worship in heaven. Jesus as our High Priest mediates for us a far better covenant with God based on better promises. His laws will be in our minds and hearts, and everyone - from the least to the greatest will know Him and He will forgive their sins. Lord, we couldn’t come up with a better plan than what you have devised for us. We are so grateful for the day we are living in and we are thankful for those who have gone before us to pave the way for us to walk on.