Mon.’s Devo - Judgment for Jerusalem

Read: Ezekiel 21:1-22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 27:12 God gave Ezekiel the message that he was about to destroy the people of Judah - the righteous and the wicked. He was sharpening his sword to bring this slaughter. He told Ezekiel to act this out with a sword and to brandish it three times, then slash to the left and the right to show what was about to happen. *** Next, God told Ezekiel to take a map and trace two routes from Babylon. He was to put a signpost where the road forked. One way was to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon and the other was to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. When the king of Babylon gets to this fork he will do his rituals to decide which way to go first. His omens will tell him to go to Jerusalem. *** God tells the wicked prince ruling Jerusalem to take off his crown because the new order has arrived. The kingdom of Jerusalem would not be restored until the Messiah comes who has the right to judge it. *** The people would be destroyed. God gave Ezekiel a message warning them of the coming judgment. All their leaders were guilty of murder. They oppressed the people, despised the holy things of God, violated his Sabbath’s, judged unfairly and their list goes on and on. They would be killed and some scattered among the nations till they learned that the Lord is the only God. *** God exposed the princes, leaders, priests and false prophets who did everything for dishonest gain. They didn’t care who they had to kill to get what they wanted. *** God had looked for someone who would protect the people with righteousness so he wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but couldn’t find one. So they will receive the full weight of the penalty of their sins. *** Hebrews tells us that the old system under Moses was a dim preview of the new covenant. The rituals they went through year after year reminded them of their sins, but was impossible to cleanse them of them. So, Christ came and offered his own body for us, once and for all. He now sits at God’s right hand until his enemies are put under his feet. Under the new covenant the laws of God are written in our hearts and in our minds. Our sins are forgiven and forgotten. *** Lord, may we read the covenant in our hearts and walk by it. Thank you for making your presence available to us always. May we seek your presence above anything else.