Fri.’s Devo - The Promised Covenant

Read: Eze. 16:43-17:24; Heb. 8:1-13; Ps. 106:13-31; Pr.27:7-9 Sodom’s sin was pride and haughtiness, prosperity yet not helping the poor, and being idle. Samaria’s sin was idolatry but Israel surpassed them both. By the time God gets through humbling them they will return to Him. In chapter 17, God gives Judah a parable of two great eagles. This prophecy was given in the 6th year of Zedekiah’s reign five years before the carrying away of Jehoichin and the destruction of Jerusalem. The great eagle is the symbol of Babylon’s supreme god, Nisroch so in the parable it stands for Nebuchadnezzer, the king of Babylon. Lebanon was the chief city for the Hebrews and King Jeconiah was the king. Zedekiah was the “seed of the land” spoken of in verse 5. He was from the seed of David. Judah had sworn allegiance to Babylon’s allegiance which had given it peace. Zedekiah was the vassal of Judah and he wanted to stop giving money to Babylon because he was selfishly ambitious, prideful and ungrateful so he revolted. He was not only rebelling against Babylon, but against God. The king of Egypt was the second eagle. Zedekiah asked Egypt to help him against Babylon. Three times the writer asks if Israel will prosper. The answer to the question is “yes”. The Messiah came when Israel looked hopeless and He brought hope and salvation. He will come again when there seems to be no hope for Israel and he will bring everlasting hope and deliverance. God made a covenant with Moses about the children of Israel, but Christ has made an even better covenant with us that is perfect. With this covenant we can KNOW God. Jesus, thank you for the better covenant you brought us. We joyfully await your return.

Thurs.’s Devo - Noah, Daniel and Job

Read: Eze. 14:12-16:42; Heb. 7:18-28; Ps. 106:1-12; Pr. 27:4-6 The sins of the people were so great that even Noah, Daniel, or Job could save them. Why did he name these three? Noah was righteous when the rest of the world sinned. He preserved man’s seed to repopulate the world after the flood. Daniel stood firm in his convictions as a captive in a foreign kingdom. Job lived righteously as a wealthy leader who faced humility and slander. The world was restored because of Noah; a kingdom was restored because of Daniel; and a family was restored because of Job. These men had great authority and favor with God yet their righteousness would not be able to change God’s judgment on the land. Chapter 15 says that God will send one disaster right after another on the land…sound familiar? Chapter 16 describes the rising of the Israel nation but it is also a perfect description of the rising of America. We rose to be the most powerful nation on the earth but we have trusted in our own beauty and played the harlot. We’ve killed our own children through abortion and abuse and trusted in our own success and glory and forgotten God. God will judge until his fury is past then He will stop and heal us. God’s judgment always ends with hope and restoration. His cleansing is for our good, not our harm. Hebrews reminds us that all the priest’s before Jesus died in sin, but Jesus lives forever in righteousness. Jesus’ priesthood is eternal without end. Lord, we pray for our nation to be spared Your judgment. Help us as your people to soften our hearts toward you and repent of our sins and stand in the gap for our nation.

Wed.’s Devo - Jesus - Our Priest Forever

Read: Eze. 12:1-14:11:Heb. 7:1-17; Ps. 105:37-45; Pr. 27:3 Ezekiel is speaking to the remnant that stayed in Jerusalem after the first siege that Jeremiah prophesied. They didn’t learn from God’s discipline so he warns them of a second siege that would be coming to Jerusalem. Ezekiel was told to act out having to leave and go into captivity. In chapter 13 he was to prophesy against the false prophets that lied to the people saying there would be peace when God was not saying that. They had built a wall with cheap supplies that would not stand. It personified their vain prophesies that were without substance and God’s backing. They would not stand either. These prophets would be punished for deceiving the people. Hebrews 7 reminds me that what I do influences the next generation. When Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedek, his seed also received the benefit. Levi was a descendent of Abraham and he would be the tribe of the priests of God and one day the people would bring their tithes to him. He also paid tithes through Abraham. Jesus didn’t come from Aaron or Levi’s loins but Judah’s so there has to be a change in the law since the law pertained to the Levites being priests. Jesus was a priest like Melchisedek who rose out of obscurity and no one knew his ancestry. Melchisedek was a type of the priest of heaven - a type of Jesus our High Priest. There was no record of Melchisedek’s death and Jesus didn’t die either. Thank you for being our High Priest forever.

Tues.’s Devo - The Day of Atonement

Read: Ez. 10:1-11:25; Heb. 6:1-20; Ps. 105:16-36; Pr. 27:1-2 Exekiel is taken by the spirit to God’s throne. It is the day of Atonement when the High Priest enters the Holy Place. It is showing us what happens in heaven since the earthly temple was a replica of heaven’s temple and the priesthood a replica of heaven’s priesthood. As “the man” - the heavenly High Priest went into the house the glory of the Lord filled the temple. He took the coal from the altar of incense with him. This represented prayer and intercession for the people. The cherubims were sent forth to carry out God’s will on the earth. Next, Ezekiel was taken to the princes of the land and told to prophesy against them since they were not carrying out God’s will and were wicked. They would be killed by the sword because that was their greatest fear. When he said this, one of the leaders fell dead. Ezekiel cried out to the Lord on behalf of the rest of the people. God promised to bring them back and preserve a remnant. This remnant would have a new spirit and a heart of flesh. They will follow the Lord and be God’s people. God took Ezekiel back to the people so he could tell them what he had seen and warn them. Hebrews six is a much misunderstood passage. I have read several commentaries on these verses and I’m not sure I agree with any of them so I’m going to leave you to your own interpretation. I’m going to continue to pray for clarity. He sums it up in verses 7 and 8: rain falls on the earth and the land that is prepared to receive it brings forth herbs. The land that is not prepared to receive it bears thorns and briers and is cursed. The rain stands for the spirit of God that rains down upon all flesh. Those that prepare their hearts to receive it bear fruit, those that don’t will be judged and condemned. He also reminds us that it is through faith that we receive His promises. Lord, give us faith to receive Your rain.

Mon.’s Devo - Jesus Our High Priest

Read: Eze. 7:1-9:11; Heb. 5:1-14; Ps. 105:1-15; Pr. 26:28 When God brings judgment there is a complete exchange of wealth. The once wealthy are brought to poverty and the holy places are defiled. The worst of the heathen take over and the land is devastated; its people turned to desolation. Six years after Jerusalem was besieged, God gave Ezekiel a vision showing him the abominations of the people. It was acts they did in secret that God saw openly. God sent angels to mark the people who didn’t participate in idol worship and were true to Him. Like the death angel in the days of Moses they were sent to kill all who didn’t have the mark of God on their foreheads. In Hebrews we learn that the High Priest has to be a man who knows the weaknesses of man so he can have compassion. That is why Jesus had to become a man. Jesus was a priest in the manner of Melchisedec. He was an intercessor for the people who prayed with great fervency and power for the sins of the people. God heard him because he understood the holiness of God. Jesus was that kind of intercessor too. Thank you for being our intercessor and High Priest.

Sun.’s Devo - Ezekiel - The Living Parable

Read: Eze. 3:16-6:14; Heb. 4:1-16; Ps. 104:24-35; Pr. 26:27 God took Ezekiel in the spirit to the people he would be speaking to. God told him that if he didn’t warn them of their sin and rebellion then their sin would be on him. God knew they wouldn’t repent but He has to warn people first before he judges them. Ezekiel was a living parable of what God was saying so he was asked to do some pretty strange things. He was to draw the city of Jerusalem on a slate and portray the besieging of their city. Then he was to lie on his left side for 390 days to stand for 390 years that Israel would be punished for their sins and then on his right side 40 days to stand for the number of years Judah would be punished. Then he was to make bread out of wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and fitches and eat it 390 days. It was to be measured out and cooked over his own dung. He talked God into letting him use cow’s dung. It was to represent the unclean food that would be meted out to them in the land of their captors. He was to do another sign with his hair to show that a third of them would die with a plague and famine, a third by war and a third would be scattered across the world. Then they would know that the Lord is God. In Hebrews, the author speaks of a rest that God’s people who have faith can enter into. It is rest of mind knowing that God’s promises are sure and good. We can trust in our High Priest who has walked this earth as a man and knows the mercy and grace we need to enter into God’s rest. We always have access to our high priest.

Sat.’s Devo - God Will Stregnthen

Read: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Heb. 3:1-19; Ps. 104:1-23; Pr. 26:24-26 Israel had been sentenced to 70 years out of the land. It is now the 30th year, the fifth day of the fourth month when God showed Ezekiel an open vision. Ezekiel is a priest who is with the captives by the river Chebar. Ezekiel’s name means, “God will strengthen” so he is raised up to strengthen the captives. In his vision he sees four creatures each having four faces and four wings. They stood on their feet like a man and their faces were a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. They flew wherever the spirit led them. They were accompanied by a wheel that had eyes and rings which embodied the spirit of the creatures. Above them was the throne and God sitting on it. There was fire and colors and glory everywhere. In the midst of it, God spoke to Ezekiel and told him to go speak to the rebellious house of Israel. He told Ezekiel not to be afraid of the people and their reaction to his words. He was given a scroll of all the lamentations and woes of his nation and told to eat it. We see in Hebrews that the children of Israel that followed Moses out of Egypt were the same way. Hebrews talks of a rest that they were not able to enter into because of unbelief. I think that will be the dividing line in our future. To those who believe in God who can provide, protect and defend, they will be safe and blessed. Those who through fear and intimidation lose that confidence in God will suffer lack and oppression. Gird up your loins and be strong in the Lord! Lord, You are our hiding place, whom do we have to fear?