Thurs.’s Devo - The Destruction of Jerusalem

Read: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Psalm 110:1-7; Proverbs 27:14

The people had a saying, “This city is the caldron and we be the flesh.” It meant to them that they were the flesh safe in the iron-clad defense of Jerusalem. They were safe from the fire. But God meant it as they were the caldron that would be set on fire. The choice bones were the most distinguished of the people. The bones under the pot alluded to the poorest who suffered first and were put out of their pain sooner than the rich who endured the slower process of boiling. Ezekiel gave them the exact day when this would happen. He said that would be destroyed by successive attacks (piece by piece). 

God said that they were like blood poured out on a rock instead of in the dirt where it would be absorbed and covered up. Their sin had been exposed to the Lord and all their murder and evil was going to be exposed for all to see.

Then the Lord told Ezekiel that he was going to take the delight of his eyes away from him with a stroke. He was not to mourn or weep but to bind on his turban and put his shoes on his feet. He announced that word to the people in the morning and at evening, his wife died. Usually, they would cut their hair when mourning or if they were a priest, they would uncover their head and go barefoot, but Ezekiel would not be allowed to do any of these things in exile. 

Jerusalem was the pride of they eyes and it would be taken away from them and they would not be able to mourn because they were in exile. They had to mourn quietly to themselves. 

In Chapter 25, God prophesied against seven nations. Israel’s ruin would be temporary but theirs would be final and of utter destruction. These nations were Ammon, Moab and Seir, 

Edom, Philistia, Tyre and later mentioned - Egypt and Babylon.

They all rejoiced when Jerusalem fell so they would fall, not to rise again. They would all see God’s vengeance and know that he is the Lord.

Hebrews gives us a great definition of faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. It is to believe in something even though you cannot see it yet. Faith tells us that God created the would with his voice. He made it out of nothing. Abel offered a sacrifice to God that was acceptable to God not like Cain’s. Abel still speaks from the ground for vengeance for his death. It was faith that took Enoch up so he did not die. Noah believed what God said and built a boat in the middle of the dessert. Abraham left his home to travel to a place he had never seen. Isaac and Jacob became heirs of Abraham’s promise and believed in a city whose builder was God. Sarah conceived at an unconceivable age and had Isaac, the promise child. 

All of these people died without seeing their promise yet they pleased God with their belief. They were all desiring a better land that God had promised them. God was not ashamed to be called their God. He has a city prepared for them. 

Lord, may we not lose hope even when we do not see what we are praying and believing for. God does not lie. What he says will come to pass. Give us strength to continue with joy. 

      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Wed.’s Devo - Oholah and Oholibah -

 Read: Ezekiel 23:1-49; Hebrews 10:18-39; Psalm 109:1-31; Proverbs 27:13

God gave Ezekiel a proverb about two very promiscuous women named Oholah and Oholibah. Oholah represented Israel and Oholibah represented Jerusalem. They both played the harlot with Egypt, then Babylon. They lusted after their armies and their pagan worship. They copied them in sacrificing their children to their gods on the Day of Atonement which was the day when they were supposed to be repenting and praying for God’s blessing on the next year. They used the holy things God had given them to worship pagan gods who couldn’t do one thing for them. They gave up God’s blessing for a curse.

So now, God would give them over to the people they lusted after. Their enemies would stand in judgement against them and their adultery. They would not treat them kindly, but take all their wealth for themselves and make them a mockery and a derision.

God had judged Israel first. Jerusalem saw this and didn’t repent. They continued in their idolatry and even did worse than Israel. Jerusalem had the priests and the Temple which they defiled with pagan worship. They would now bear the penalty for their sins and come to realize that God is the Lord.

Hebrews tells us that since Christ died for our sins, we no longer have a need for offerings to atone for our sins. We can boldly enter into the holy place because of the blood of Christ. He opened the veil for us when Christ died and we can draw near to God because of our faith. We know that Christ’s blood sprinkled our hearts and made us pure and righteous. We can now love and do good works that are acceptable to God. In our fellowships we are to stir others to do these good works and walk in God’s love. 

But, if anyone continues to sin deliberately after coming to the truth, there is no other sacrifice for their sins. They only have judgement and God’s fury to look forward to. In Moses’ day, those who didn’t follow the law were punished on the evidence of two or more witnesses. How much worse will it be for those who reject and dishonor Christ. They will receive God’s vengeance. 

We are reminded of those who endured great persecution to follow Christ. They lived for eternity and not the present suffering. We, too will be rewarded for our faith in God’s promises. We are to walk boldly and confidently until Christ returns. We are not to be of those who shrink back with fear. 

Lord, may we walk in boldness because of what you have done for us. Thank you that you are God and you want us to have an audience with you. You are love and mercy. May we bring all our praise and worship to you. Thank you for being our Father, our God and our Redeemer.

      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tues.’s Devo - The Land of Israel

Read: Ezekiel 21:1-22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 27:12

God told Ezekiel to prophecy against the land of Israel which included northern Israel and southern Judah. God was sending the sword of Babylon against them. It would come two ways. Ezekiel was to set up a sign post which would one sign would point to Rabbah in Israel and one to Jerusalem in Judah. When the king of Babylon reached that signpost he would do all sorts of Satanic rituals to decide which way to go first. 

The day had come for Israel’s final punishment. Everything was about to change and their power would be taken and they were about to be ruined.

Their false prophets prophesied peace but God was coming to judge them in their own land and bring his judgment of fire. They would be destroyed and remembered no more.

God called Jerusalem a bloody city. The chose to become defiled by worshiping idols so they would become a reproach to other nations - a mockery.

The princes of Israel abused their power. They shed innocent blood, wronged widows, did not honor their father and their mother, committed perverse acts, and extorted from one another for dishonest gain. Their prophets lied and their priests profaned God’s holy things and killed many men. They did not discern right from wrong or holy from unholy. They disregarded the Sabbath and profaned the Lord. They oppressed the poor and refused to give justice to the innocent. God had looked for a man to stand up for truth and righteousness, but found none. 

God had no other choice than to give them what they deserved. He would disperse their survivors throughout the nations until they came to know that God is the Lord.

Hebrews tells us that the law was a shadow of truth. Their sacrifices could not make them perfect or they wouldn’t have stopped doing them. The sacrifices they gave annually just reminded them of their sins; they could not take their sins away.

Christ came to fulfill the laws. He came to be the last sacrifice that would do what all the sacrifices before could not do. His blood sanctified us - cleansed us from our sins. Jesus offered his life then he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting for the time when his enemies would become a footstool for his feet. He did what the scriptures had prophesied - he put his laws in our hearts and wrote them on our minds. He proclaimed that he would not remember our sins any more.

Such good news! Thank you, Father that you made a way for us to stand clean before you and be your priests. May we obey the commandments you have put in our hearts and may we renew our minds in your holiness. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Mon.’s Devo - The Power of the New Covenant

Read: Ezekiel 20:1-49; Hebrews 9:11-28; Psalm 107:1-43; Proverbs 27:11

They were seven years and five months and ten days into their 70 year count down. It began when Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon. The elders of Israel came to Ezekiel to ask for a word from the Lord. 

Ezekiel gave them a history lesson of their past. God had chosen them to be his people and he was to be their god, but they lusted after the gods of the lands around them. They forsook the one who rescued them from Egypt and went after the idols of Egypt, their captors. 

God brought them out of Egypt into the wilderness and gave them his laws and his way of worship. They rejected his laws and refused to worship him. Instead they worshiped their idols and profaned his Sabbaths. For his own name’s sake, God brought them through the wilderness and gave them the land he had promised them. When they continued to reject the Lord, he gave them over to the gods they chose to worship. Now, God will not hear them or let them ask him for help. 

After they have learned their lesson, God will bring them out of all the nations he scattered them to. He will bring them into the wilderness where they will be judged face to face. There he will purge out the rebels and they will not return to Israel. 

So God told them to go and worship their idols because they would not listen to him. He would not let his holy name continue to be profaned by their gifts and their idols. 

At the appointed time those that repented will meet God on his holy mountain and he will accept them and their gifts. He will manifest his holiness among them and bring them into the land of Israel. They will remember their sins and be ashamed.  

God gave a word for the land to the south in the Negeb and said that he would start a fire to devour all of them. He was saying he would bring all sorts of judgments on Jerusalem and the southern kingdom. It will fall on everyone and no one would escape his judgments.

In Hebrews it is explained that when Christ died he took his own blood into the temple in heaven and cleansed the holy place just like the priests did on earth on the Day of Atonement. His blood had the power to purify our consciences from our sins. 

Christ mediated a new covenant that we may receive the promise of eternal inheritance sealed with his blood. Christ appeared before God once and for all to put away sin through the sacrifice of himself. When he appears the second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Lord, may we be eagerly waiting for your salvation. Thank you that you dealt with sin and we can walk with a clear conscience. Thank you for your blood that cleansed us and made us able to come to God face to face.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Sun.’s Devo - Choose Life -

Read: Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 27:10

There was a saying in Israel that “the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. This meant that whatever sin the fathers did it would affect the children. God told them to stop saying that because it wasn’t true. He judged each man according to his own life. A person couldn’t blame his parents for his decisions, he was responsible for his own choices. Anyone who sins and does not repent will die for his own sins and anyone who repents and changes his ways will be given life. 

God appealed to the people to choose life and stop sinning and make for themselves a new heart and a new spirit. 

God told Ezekiel to lament for the princes who watched as Jehoiachin’s mother, who worshiped idols, was taken in chains to Egypt. Jehoahaz, one of her sons was also carried captive from Riblah to Egypt by Pharaoh-necho. Then Jehoiakim, brother of Jehoahaz, was placed on the throne of Judah by the Pharaoh. He was just as evil as his brother. He was eventually taken to Babylon in a cage. That was the end of their strong kings.

In Hebrews, the sections of the tabernacle were explained. In the first section of the tabernacle was the lamp stand and the table of showbread. It was called the Holy Place. Behind the veil was the altar of incense and the ark of the covenant which held the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded and the tablets of the covenant. This was the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies.

The priests would go regularly into the Holy Place and do their rituals, but only the high priest would go into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement and make intercession for the sins of the nation with blood offered for himself and the people. 

The tabernacle was symbolic for that present age. Only the priest could enter into the Holy Place and only the high priest into the Most Holy Place. They offered gifts and sacrifices but they could not cleanse the conscience of the sinner. It was just a picture of what was to come through Jesus who would cleanse us totally from our sins and set us free from the power of sin. 

Lord, thank you for the new covenant we are in where your blood has made us priests and cleansed us from our sins. We look forward to the kingdom age we are entering into where you will make us kings also where we will rule with you.

Sat.’s Devo - Our New Covenant

Read: Ezekiel 16:43-17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9

God told Ezekiel to tell the people that they were like their mother who was a Hittite and their father who was an Amorite. And they were like their older sister Samaria and their younger sister Sodom. They joined in the worship of all these nation’s idolatry. But, Judah was even more sinful than all of them. They were full of pride and lived in excessive ease and did nothing to help the poor and the needy. Judah was so sinful they made Sodom and Samaria look righteous.

They had despised the covenant they made with God, but the day was coming when they would remember it and be filled with shame and remorse. 

In Chapter 17 God gave Ezekiel a parable of a great eagle who came to Lebanon and took the top most branch and carried it along with the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil beside abundant waters. There it became a vine that sprouted and grew and prospered.

Another great eagle came forth and the vine reached out to this eagle, so it would be nourished by this eagle and become a fruitful vine and flourish also. The Lord said it would be pulled up by its rood and cut off so that it wouldn’t produce fruit. 

The first eagle was the king of Babylon who came and took Jehoiachin with him to Babylon along with the best people of the land. There they would flourish and thrive. The second eagle was Egypt, who Zedekiah reached out to to help them against the king of Babylon. Zedekiah broke his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar and made a new covenant with the Pharaoh of Egypt. This was a very bad decision. The people wouldn’t thrive or be nourished there. They would die and wither away.

Then God gave his plan of redemption. He would plant the Messiah himself on his mountain and it would bear much fruit. It would bring to life those who were hopeless and bring down those who were proud. 

Hebrews explains that the priests of the Old Testament were pictures of Jesus our High Priest and what he would do for us. Moses was told to make the tabernacle just like the one he was shown in heaven. Everything in the tabernacle was to be run like God’s tabernacle in heaven was run. But, the ministry of Christ is much more excellent ministry than that of the old covenant. The old covenant was given to Moses and written on tablets of stone, but the new covenant is written on our hearts and in our minds. All can know the Lord. 

Lord, thank you for being our High Priest. May we know your as we walk in your covenant and hear your voice.

Fri.’s Devo - Judgment Now

Read: Ezekiel 14:12-16:42; Hebrews 7:18-28; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 27:4-6

God said that when a land sins against him and he acts against that land, nothing can save it. Even if three of the most righteous men lived in the land: Noah, Daniel, and Job, he would only save them. He gave four different scenarios of his judgement - war, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence. Only a few would survive and when their deeds are exposed, everyone will see why God had to bring judgment. 

God uses the vine to make his point. The wood from a vine cannot be used for anything. It is only good for firewood and that is how he sees his people at that time. There was no good in them. 

Ezekiel was told to remind the people of their humble beginnings and how God took them from nothing and made them into a great and prosperous people. But, instead of being the example of a people who served the Lord, they prostituted themselves with every god from all the nations around them. They were like the adulterous wife who went looking for lovers to pay to be her lover. Because they gave themselves and the blood of their children to these gods, God would expose their nakedness to other nations. They would rule over them and take everything they have. They would stone them and burn their houses and then they will stop playing the whore and return to the Lord.

Hebrew explains that the law had to be set aside because it proved weak and useless. It didn’t make them perfect and the priests were made priests with an oath. Now, God promises that all may be priests because Jesus ushered in a better covenant.

Under the old covenant, they had to replace the priests because they died. Under the new covenant Jesus remains our high priest forever because he will never die. He is perfect and remains perfect forever. He is always making intercession for us.

Lord, thank you for becoming our perfect sacrifice. Thank you that our sins are forgiven and we are now priests with you and can offer intercession for ourselves, our families, our friends, our enemies, our nation, etc. Help us to pray successfully and powerfully.