Fri.’s Devo - The Consequences of Sin

Read: Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 27:10 The people of Judah had a saying, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.” It meant that whatever the parents did, the next generation would pay the consequence. God wanted them to know that he didn’t judge that way; whoever sinned paid the consequence. The next generation could decide not to join in the sins of their parents and they would not die because of their sin, they would be rewarded for their righteousness. *** Ezekiel begged them to turn from their unrighteousness and do good, so it would go well for them. He gave them a funeral song to sing about the princes or kings of Judah. The mother lion is Judah. She begat Jehoiachin who led the way in heathen worship. He had a son named Jehoahaz who joined in his father’s sins and was taken with hooks to Egypt. Jehoiakim was put in his place as king. He was evil also, and did much destruction. He was attacked by the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites and the Ammonites. Jehoiakim and most of the people were taken to Babylon as captives. *** He reminded them of what they used to be: lush and prosperous, but they had been uprooted in God’s fury and transplanted to the wilderness where its fruits had dried up. *** Hebrews describes the first Tabernacle. It had two rooms. In the first room were a lamp stand, a table with the shewbread. This room was called the Holy Place. A curtain separated it from the Most Holy Place. In it were the gold incense altar and the Ark of the Covenant which contained the gold jar of manna and Aaron’s staff that sprouted and the stone tablets containing God’s covenant with them. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the the Day of Atonement. He had to offer sacrifices first for himself and the sins of the people. The entrance to the Most Holy Place was not open to the public as long as the Tabernacle and its system was in order. That system dealt with the physical regulations of cleansing until a better covenant could be made. *** Lord, thank you for the better covenant we have in Christ. May we remember that our lives do affect the generations after us. May we be examples of righteousness that they would want to follow in. Forgive us for our sins and cleanse our land.