Sun.’s Devo - The Shaking of Kingdoms

Read: Ezekiel 31:1-32:32; Hebrews 12:14-29; Psalms 113-114:8; Proverbs 27:18-20 Egypt had once been the greatest empire in the earth. The Assyrians were becoming more powerful than the Egyptians as there was a shift in the power structure. God compared Egypt to Assyria, the land that got its water from the rivers that flowed from the Garden of Eden. He gave them a parable about trees in the Garden to explain his point. He called Egypt the big cedar tree in the garden. The big cedar was taller and fuller and more beautiful than all the other trees in the Garden and all the other trees envied it. This was what was happening on the earth. The other nations looked at powerful Egypt and envied its power and wealth. All of what everyone envied of Egypt would be destroyed by the Assyrians. They would ascend to the pit of hell and death. All the nations will tremble when Egypt fell because if that could happened to Egypt, there was no hope from them against the Assyrians (Babylonians). The Babylonians were the “terror of the nations”. Other nations had either met their fate of Babylon or were going to meet the same ending: Assur, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom and Sidon. Many of them never recovered and are no longer nations. They went down to death in shame and dishonor because of their sins and the terror they brought on people while they lived. In Hebrews we are encouraged to live on earth as we will live in heaven: a holy life, free of bitterness and jealousy. God compared the fearful meeting the children of Israel had at Mt. Sinai to the joyful meeting we experience when we come to God. We meet with the angels in heaven - the first born children of God, to God himself, to the spirits of the righteous humans who walked the earth and to Jesus who mediated this great new covenant between God and people. His covenant speaks of forgiveness instead of vengeance. All the earth is being shaken now as kingdoms in the heavenly realms are falling but the kingdom that God is bringing is unshakable. Lord, may we live on earth as they live in heaven. May our hearts be holy and forgiving. May we not lose hope. You are the Joy of the whole earth.