Sun.’s Devo - The Old and the New

Read: Ezekiel 18;1-19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 27:10 They had an old proverb that said, ”The parents have eaten sour grapes, and their children’s teeth are set on edge?” This is the same question that Jesus was asked when they brought the blind son to Jesus. They wanted to know if he or his parents had sinned. God said, that this proverb was not his proverb. His proverb was “the person who sins is the one who will pay for it”. Then he went into a long examples of people who live sinfully and repent and people who life righteously and then turn and do wrong. It is how you end up when you die. Everyone is responsible for their own actions. God told them this to let them know that just because it was not going well for their nation, it did not have to go badly for them individually. God was giving them another chance to repent. Chapter 19 is an allegory of the last kings of Judah after Josiah. Jehoiahaz was king and he was so evil he was taken to Egypt in hooks. Then his son, Jehoiakim ruled. He was evil also and was taken to Babylon. So was the next king, Jehoiachin. He ruled 100 days and was taken to Babylon. Lastly, Zedekiah ruled and he was no better. He ruled over the ones left and he was eventually taken to Babylon and Jerusalem was burned to the ground. In Hebrews the writer explains the old system of worship where only the High Priest could enter the Holy Of Holies once a year with sacrifices to cover their sins. Only priests could enter the first room where the table of shewbread, the menorah and the altar of incense were. That was the old system. The new system says that we are all priests and can all enter into the Holy of Holies and present our offerings to the Lord. We all have an audience with God anytime we want it. We an all sit at his table and have communion with him. Thank you, Lord for this better covenant and better way. Thank you for making yourself available for all of us no matter who we are.