Tues.’s Devo - God’s Funeral Song to Judah

Read: Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; Provers 27:10 God had much to say about the fact that the sinner would pay for his own sins, not his children. And, the sinner that turned from his sin would receive life. The righteous person who turned from his righteousness and chose to sin would end in death and judgement. It was how you ended up at the end of your life that determined your reward after death. If they didn’t think that was fair then they needed to be the one to change. It was their decision. Chapter 19 was a funeral song for the kings of Judah. It begins speaking about Jehoiachin’s mother as if she embodied Judea. She has a son named Jehoahaz with her husband Josiah. Jehoahaz was pompous and taken to Egypt by Pharaoh Necho. He was succeeded by his son, Jehoiakim who was “another of her cubs”. He was as reckless and ruthless as his father and was attacked by the Chaldeans, the Syrians, Moab and Ammon. He was eventually taken to Babylon. Judah was also likened to a vine which was the chief fruit-bearer of the trees. She became a powerful and prosperous nation in the land. Her sins would lead God to pour out his fury on her and she would be uprooted to the wilderness and her fruit devoured. This would happen in Zedekiah’s reign. In Hebrews, the old system was described with rooms and furniture for their rituals. The presence of God was reserved to a special room in the back of the Tabernacle and only the high priest could enter that room once a year. It was separated from the other room with a curtain. The room in front of it was only to be entered into by priests. The people stood in the outer court. That was the old covenant rules. Nothing the priest did could cleanse the consciences of the people. The purpose of that system was to point to their sin and a need for a savior. It was only in effect until a better system could be established. Jesus would bring that new covenant and at his death the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place would be rent so that all who wanted could enter into God’s presence. Lord, may we not take lightly the fact that we can enter into your presence at will. May we enter into your gates with praise and adoration, bringing our sacrifice of praise to You.