Wed.’s Devo - The Watchman

Read: Ezekiel 3:6-6:14; Hebrews 4:1-16; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 26:27 Ezekiel had been guided by the Spirit to Tel-Abib, the chief town of the Jewish colony of captives. Yesterday we left him sitting on the ground trying to process seeing the cherubim that had manifested before him. After seven days, the Lord gave him a message. He was to be a watchman for Israel. He was to receive messages from the Lord for them and if he gave them immediately, then he was released from any consequence, but if he didn’t give the message then the warning of his message would fall on him and he would reap the consequences. Ezekiel had been with the first group of captives taken and Jerusalem was still standing. He was sent to the Kedar River where God showed him to demonstrate a siege that was coming against Jerusalem. He was to bear the sins of Israel by lying on his left side for 390 days - one day for each year of their sin. Then he was to lie on his right side 40 days for the 40 years of Judah’s sin. God would tie him with ropes as he lay looking at the siege he had built. He would eat the barley cakes he had baked with human dung as fuel to show how they would eat their own flesh and blood to survive. Ezekiel begged to use cow dung instead and he allowed it. Next, Ezekiel was to use his own hair and a map of Jerusalem to illustrate what would happen to the people. He divided the hair into three parts with a little remaining which would be used to demonstrate what would happen to the people. One third of them would be burned in the middle of Jerusalem. God had placed Jerusalem in the center of the nations to be an example of how he loved his people and how he wanted to be worshipped. They failed and rebelled against him choosing the gods of the nations around them rather than their creator and God. One third would be chopped with the sword. These were the ones who would die outside the city walls slaughtered by the enemy. One third would be driven by the sword and scattered. These would be the ones who would be taken in exile to other nations until they remember their God and return with all their hearts. The small remnant was thrown into the fire that spread to destroy all of Israel. Disease would strike down those people while they were in exile. Instead of being an example to the other nations of how God blesses his people, they would become an example to the nations of how God disciplines his children. In Hebrews, God makes it clear that his rest is an experience we are invited to have. It was offered to the children of Israel but they didn’t enter into it because they didn’t have faith. God was our example. He rested on the seventh day from all his labor and we are invited into this rest also. The way we do that is by hearing his voice and not hardening our hearts or disobeying him. Since Jesus is our High Priest, he is our mediator. We can go to him for mercy and grace to help us enter into his rest. Lord, we come to you boldly because you made a way for us to enter into the throne room of God and petition our needs. We need your rest and your peace. Help us experience your rest and obey your every command. May we be an example to the nations of a people who obey and worship You as the creator and foundation of our faith.