Fri.’s Devo - Israel’s Sins and God’s Plan of Redemption

Read: Ezekiel 21:1-22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 27:12 God told Ezekiel to turn and face Jerusalem and prophecy against her. He did this while he was in Babylon. The Lord said he was unsheathing his sword to destroy the people in Jerusalem. He would not bring his sword back to its sheath until it was finished. *** Ezekiel was to groan before the people with a broken heart. When they asked why he was groaning, he was to tell them it was over the terrifying news he had heart from the Lord. God’s sword was being sharpened and polished for the executions. *** Ezekiel was told to make a map and trace two routes for the army of Babylon to follow. One road would have a fork in it with one road going to Ammon and the other to Judah and Jerusalem. The king of Babylon was standing at that fork and was having his magicians do omens to decide which way to turn. To the right is Jerusalem and that is the road they will take even though Jerusalem thought they had a treaty with Babylon to not attack them. *** The army of Babylon would also go to the left to Ammon. God gave Ezekiel a message for them also. They would be destroyed. Their prophets had given them false visions also. It was their final day of recounting and their memory would be lost to history. *** In Chapter 22, God turns back to Jerusalem to explain everything they had done to deserve God’s anger. It began with murder which was associated with their idol worship. All the leaders were bent on murder. They had total disrespect for parents, foreigners, orphans and widows. They despised the things God called holy and loved their idols instead. The sexual perversion was despicable. They hired murderers, loan racketeers and extortioners everywhere. They didn’t consider the Lord in any of their dealings but they would now. God would make himself know to him in his judgment. He called them worthless slag that would not make it in the fire. *** The people had had their land and their possessions taken by ruthless leaders. They had taken their men leaving many widows. The priests had violated God’s instructions and defiled his holy things. They made no distinction between the holy and the profane. They disregarded what God called holy and their prophets covered up for them by lying and giving false visions. *** God had looked for someone to rebuild the wall of righteousness to guard the land but found no one. So they would reap the full penalty for all their sins. *** Hebrews tells us that the old covenant was a dim preview of the new things God had for us in his new covenant. It would bring perfect cleansing to the one who came for forgiveness of their sins. God would write his laws on their hearts. *** Lord, thank your for the new covenant. Thank you that you have written your words on our hearts that we won’t sin against you.