Read: Ezekiel 16:43-17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9
God rebuked Jerusalem for copying Israel, their older sister, to the north in their worshipping of idols. Then, they had copied their younger sister, Sodom to the south. But Jerusalem far surpassed the sins of Sodom. Sodom had become rich and arrogant, looking down on the poor and needy. Israel had fallen into idolatry, but none of these surpassed the sins of Judah in their idolatrous practices. Now God would deal with them as they deserved because they had broken the covenant.
He gave them an allegory about a great eagle which came to Lebanon. It took off the top of the tree and carried it away to a land of merchants. This referred to Babylonians coming to Jerusalem and taking King Jeconiah to Babylon.
Zedekiah, Jeconiah’s uncle was made king of Judah and he revolted against Babylon and refused to pay tribute anymore. This put Jerusalem and all of Judah in a very vulnerable spot leading to her downfall. Zedekiah broke his covenant with Babylon as a picture of Judah breaking their covenant with God. Now they were exposed and open for attack from earth and heaven.
The second eagle was Egypt who had horses. They had stalls from Thebes to Memphis that housed 40,000 horses and 20,000 chariots. Zedekiah had sent a message to Egypt to bring their horses and help them fight the Babylonians when they came. Would they be able to help them? That was the question that God answered. No, it would not help. Zedekiah could not escape breaking his covenant. He would be carried to Babylon where he would be judged. His army would die in battle and the survivors would be scattered all over the earth. When all seemed hopeless, the Messiah would come to earth and bring peace.
In their day, Zerubbabel was that savoir. “The shoot from the top of the cedar “ was the sprig that God raised up. Zerubbabel would bring the captives in Babylon back to Jerusalem, with Ezra and lay the cornerstone to the Temple. He was the picture of Jesus, who was the cornerstone. Jesus was the root out of a dry ground that would bring the kingdom of heaven down to earth. Zerubbabel was of lowly birth from the tribe of Judah just as Jesus as. He was a picture of Christ.
In Hebrews, we see that Jesus is our High Priest of a better covenant than that of Moses’. In our new covenant, the law is written in our hearts and Jesus is our High Priest.
Lord, thank you for our new covenant that is full of love and grace. We want to do your laws and they are not heavy or grievous to us. We follow out of love and not fear.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Wed.’s Devo - The New Priesthood
Read: Ezekiel 14:12-16:47; Hebrews 7:18-28; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 27:4-67
God cut off the food supply of Jerusalem and even if Noah, Daniel and Job were living in the city, they would not be able to save anyone but themselves. Noah did save his family because they believed in what he had heard from God and helped him build the ark. Daniel was taken in the first group of exiles to Babylon, but none of his family was saved. Job prayed and sacrificed for his family and all but his wife were killed. What God was saying was that national judgement falls on a nation and all are responsible for their own sins. What happens in a nation affects everyone in it. Ezekiel was innocent and would be spared but he had to go through all the hardships because of the choices of the people. We are bearing the consequences of the sin of abortion in our nation even though we don’t agree with it.
Ezekiel put it another way: if the root of the tree is bad then the branches are bad. Jesus said that same thing in Matthew 3:10. “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
In Chapter 16 we have Israel’s history of how God chose her and raised her up from nothing and made her great. When she became a woman, she prostituted herself with the gods of every nation around her. She not only did this but she paid them instead of vice versa. She went after their gods and chose them over her own God. Now, she would be exposed to the nations who had watched God do such marvelous things for. She would be handed over to her lovers and they would not love her but enslave her instead.
In Hebrews, we continue the conversation about the priesthood. There has been a changing of the guards. The priesthood that was of this earth and governed by human priests who lived and died was replaced by the priesthood of heaven. Jesus was made our priest forever like Melchezekek. He will never die but remain our priest forever. Just like the priest of the earth, Jesus goes before the Father and makes intercession for us. We don’t have to wait until the Day of Atonement for this to happen because Jesus is always before the face of God praying for us. Earthly priests had to bring a sacrifice for their own sins, but Jesus had no sins so he is always clean and ready to do the job of our priest.
Thank you, Lord for your perfect plan that is always for our good. Thank you that you are our perfect priest who is always praying for us.
God cut off the food supply of Jerusalem and even if Noah, Daniel and Job were living in the city, they would not be able to save anyone but themselves. Noah did save his family because they believed in what he had heard from God and helped him build the ark. Daniel was taken in the first group of exiles to Babylon, but none of his family was saved. Job prayed and sacrificed for his family and all but his wife were killed. What God was saying was that national judgement falls on a nation and all are responsible for their own sins. What happens in a nation affects everyone in it. Ezekiel was innocent and would be spared but he had to go through all the hardships because of the choices of the people. We are bearing the consequences of the sin of abortion in our nation even though we don’t agree with it.
Ezekiel put it another way: if the root of the tree is bad then the branches are bad. Jesus said that same thing in Matthew 3:10. “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
In Chapter 16 we have Israel’s history of how God chose her and raised her up from nothing and made her great. When she became a woman, she prostituted herself with the gods of every nation around her. She not only did this but she paid them instead of vice versa. She went after their gods and chose them over her own God. Now, she would be exposed to the nations who had watched God do such marvelous things for. She would be handed over to her lovers and they would not love her but enslave her instead.
In Hebrews, we continue the conversation about the priesthood. There has been a changing of the guards. The priesthood that was of this earth and governed by human priests who lived and died was replaced by the priesthood of heaven. Jesus was made our priest forever like Melchezekek. He will never die but remain our priest forever. Just like the priest of the earth, Jesus goes before the Father and makes intercession for us. We don’t have to wait until the Day of Atonement for this to happen because Jesus is always before the face of God praying for us. Earthly priests had to bring a sacrifice for their own sins, but Jesus had no sins so he is always clean and ready to do the job of our priest.
Thank you, Lord for your perfect plan that is always for our good. Thank you that you are our perfect priest who is always praying for us.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Tues.’s Devo - God’s High Priest
Read: Ezekiel 12:1-14:11; Hebrews 7:1-17; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 27:3
Ezekiel was to be a sign and a wonder to the people. He acted out, like Jeremiah, what was about to happen. God told him to pack what he owned in a bag like he was going into exile. He was to carry it around the city then dig through the wall and take his bag on his shoulder through the hole. He was to cover his face so he couldn’t see where he was going.
He did this at dusk and the next day, God let him answer the questions of the people. He told them that the prince would do just as he did. He would be caught and carried to Babylon but he would not see the land. That is exactly what happened to Zedekiah (Jeremiah 39:4-7). He tried to escape by the gate in his garden and was pursued by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. They put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in chains and carried him to Babylon.
The people had a proverbs that said: “The days go by and every vision comes to nothing”. God told Ezekiel to tell them that none of the visions of their false prophets would come to fruition but they were about to see all His words come to pass. God was delaying no longer. God was going to hold the false prophets responsible for telling the people lies. They had prophesied that peace was coming and they would be safe. They had lied to God’s people which killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not live. They had held the people captive with their incantations and spells, but God was going to release the people and save them.
The elders came to sit before Ezekiel to ask for a word from God. God told him that the only word he had for them was to turn from their idols. Once they removed the idols, they could see God and what he had to say to them.
In Hebrews, we read about Melchizedek who had no beginning or end and whose name means “king of righteousness” and also “king of Salem”. This is God’s High Priest in heaven. He met Abraham who was the Father of the Nations and Abraham paid him a tenth of his spoils from the battle of the kings. The kings on both sides of that battle were evil yet Abraham walked away with the spoils. He offered up a tenth to God through Melchizedek. Jesus was made a priest after his order just like all the priests on the earth were priests after Aaron’s order. Melchizedek was eternal and forever a priest, where Aaron was earthly and died. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe, yet he was made a priest after Melchizedek’s order making him both priest and king.
Lord, everything you say you will do, you do! Thank you for your promises and your faithfulness.
Ezekiel was to be a sign and a wonder to the people. He acted out, like Jeremiah, what was about to happen. God told him to pack what he owned in a bag like he was going into exile. He was to carry it around the city then dig through the wall and take his bag on his shoulder through the hole. He was to cover his face so he couldn’t see where he was going.
He did this at dusk and the next day, God let him answer the questions of the people. He told them that the prince would do just as he did. He would be caught and carried to Babylon but he would not see the land. That is exactly what happened to Zedekiah (Jeremiah 39:4-7). He tried to escape by the gate in his garden and was pursued by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. They put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in chains and carried him to Babylon.
The people had a proverbs that said: “The days go by and every vision comes to nothing”. God told Ezekiel to tell them that none of the visions of their false prophets would come to fruition but they were about to see all His words come to pass. God was delaying no longer. God was going to hold the false prophets responsible for telling the people lies. They had prophesied that peace was coming and they would be safe. They had lied to God’s people which killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not live. They had held the people captive with their incantations and spells, but God was going to release the people and save them.
The elders came to sit before Ezekiel to ask for a word from God. God told him that the only word he had for them was to turn from their idols. Once they removed the idols, they could see God and what he had to say to them.
In Hebrews, we read about Melchizedek who had no beginning or end and whose name means “king of righteousness” and also “king of Salem”. This is God’s High Priest in heaven. He met Abraham who was the Father of the Nations and Abraham paid him a tenth of his spoils from the battle of the kings. The kings on both sides of that battle were evil yet Abraham walked away with the spoils. He offered up a tenth to God through Melchizedek. Jesus was made a priest after his order just like all the priests on the earth were priests after Aaron’s order. Melchizedek was eternal and forever a priest, where Aaron was earthly and died. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe, yet he was made a priest after Melchizedek’s order making him both priest and king.
Lord, everything you say you will do, you do! Thank you for your promises and your faithfulness.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Mon.’s Devo - Live for Eternity
Read: Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 27:1-2
God’s priest, the man in linen, was told to take the coals from the altar and scatter them over the city. This was just what Aaron was told to do in Leviticus 16:12. He was to put incense on the coals and bring them into the Holy of Holies and put them on the mercy seat so that he would not die. Ezekiel was seeing this same ritual happening in heaven.
Ezekiel saw the four living creatures which are before the throne in heaven which watch over the kingdoms of the earth.
The face of the eagle stands for the Roman Empire, and the Apostle John who wrote to the Church and revealed Jesus as the Son of God. The lion stands for the Assyrian Empire, and the Apostle Matthew who wrote to the Jews and revealed Jesus as the King. The cherub which is also the ox, stands for the Persian Empire and the Apostle Mark who wrote to the Romans and revealed Jesus as the Servant. The face of the man represents the Greek Empire and the Apostle Luke who wrote to the Greeks revealing Jesus as the Son of Man.
In Chapter 11, Ezekiel was taken to the temple and shown the 25 priests who he was shown in yesterday’s reading bowing down toward the east. The leaders were Jaazaniah and Pelatiah and they were responsible for the false counsel and lies they were telling the people on God’s behalf. They told the people to build houses and that the end was not near.
Ezekiel was to warn the people that everything they feared was about to happen. Judgement was coming and they would not escape. When he said this, Pelatiah died. His name means “Jehovah’s way of escape.” This was a picture that there was no hope in Jehovah saving them or giving them a way of escape.
Ezekiel fell on his face and cried out for God to save a remnant. God gave Ezekiel the promise that he would save a remnant and bring them back to their land. He would give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them. They would follow his decrees and keep his laws. Ezekiel then awoke from his vision and was brought back to the exiles in Babylon where he shared what he had seen.
In Hebrews we see that it is impossible for someone who has come to the light, eaten of the heavenly gift, and participated in the acts of the Holy Spirit, who have experienced the fruit of God’s Word and seen his miraculous powers and then fallen away, to repent. I’m not sure if this person saw all this from an unsaved position or not but it is a perfect picture of what Satan did. He was once Lucifer who had tasted all of God’s goodness in heaven and was a believer and still is a believer in God. He is just not a worshipper of God. He will never be able to repent.
He gives us a practical picture to understand this concept. Ground that often drinks in the rain will produce fruit that is useful. A heart that feeds on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will continually produce fruit. Land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and in danger of being cursed. A heart that produces curses and hatred will be cursed in the end and burned in the lake of fire.
In the same way, all our righteous acts and deeds will be remembered.
Lord, help us to remember that we are living for eternity.
God’s priest, the man in linen, was told to take the coals from the altar and scatter them over the city. This was just what Aaron was told to do in Leviticus 16:12. He was to put incense on the coals and bring them into the Holy of Holies and put them on the mercy seat so that he would not die. Ezekiel was seeing this same ritual happening in heaven.
Ezekiel saw the four living creatures which are before the throne in heaven which watch over the kingdoms of the earth.
The face of the eagle stands for the Roman Empire, and the Apostle John who wrote to the Church and revealed Jesus as the Son of God. The lion stands for the Assyrian Empire, and the Apostle Matthew who wrote to the Jews and revealed Jesus as the King. The cherub which is also the ox, stands for the Persian Empire and the Apostle Mark who wrote to the Romans and revealed Jesus as the Servant. The face of the man represents the Greek Empire and the Apostle Luke who wrote to the Greeks revealing Jesus as the Son of Man.
In Chapter 11, Ezekiel was taken to the temple and shown the 25 priests who he was shown in yesterday’s reading bowing down toward the east. The leaders were Jaazaniah and Pelatiah and they were responsible for the false counsel and lies they were telling the people on God’s behalf. They told the people to build houses and that the end was not near.
Ezekiel was to warn the people that everything they feared was about to happen. Judgement was coming and they would not escape. When he said this, Pelatiah died. His name means “Jehovah’s way of escape.” This was a picture that there was no hope in Jehovah saving them or giving them a way of escape.
Ezekiel fell on his face and cried out for God to save a remnant. God gave Ezekiel the promise that he would save a remnant and bring them back to their land. He would give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them. They would follow his decrees and keep his laws. Ezekiel then awoke from his vision and was brought back to the exiles in Babylon where he shared what he had seen.
In Hebrews we see that it is impossible for someone who has come to the light, eaten of the heavenly gift, and participated in the acts of the Holy Spirit, who have experienced the fruit of God’s Word and seen his miraculous powers and then fallen away, to repent. I’m not sure if this person saw all this from an unsaved position or not but it is a perfect picture of what Satan did. He was once Lucifer who had tasted all of God’s goodness in heaven and was a believer and still is a believer in God. He is just not a worshipper of God. He will never be able to repent.
He gives us a practical picture to understand this concept. Ground that often drinks in the rain will produce fruit that is useful. A heart that feeds on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will continually produce fruit. Land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and in danger of being cursed. A heart that produces curses and hatred will be cursed in the end and burned in the lake of fire.
In the same way, all our righteous acts and deeds will be remembered.
Lord, help us to remember that we are living for eternity.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Sun.’s Devo - Why Now?
Read: Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 27:1-2
After all the prophesies about what would happen, finally happens. God called it “the end” which is a picture of the final end. Everyone was being judged according to their works. In James 2:20 says that faith without works is dead. The way a person conducts their lives reveals whether they have faith. Walking down an aisle and repeating a prayer is not salvation. Salvation comes by faith. What happens after a person walks out of that service will prove his salvation.
Today, in Ezekiel’s life everything had turned to doom and the rod had budded and arrogance had blossomed. It was the reverse of Aaron’s rod. This was like Satan’s rod blossoming. In other words, sin had come to its complete stage. No one from that crowd of sinners would be left.
Those who went out of the city of Jerusalem would die by the sword, those left inside would die of famine and disease. Those who escaped to the mountains would moan their sin. All of their gold and silver would not be able to save them.
In the 6th year, while Ezekiel was sitting with he elders of the city, he is taken up in a vision. God suspended him between earth and heaven and let him see the north gate of Jerusalem. There saw the statue of Baal and his wife Asherah. Josiah had had torn this idol of Baal down during his reformation, but they had rebuilt it.
Then Ezekiel was taken to the wall where there was a small hole in the wall of this temple of Baal. He dug into the wall and found a doorway. God told him to crawl in and look at what went on in this temple. He did and say all the horrid engravings on the wall. He saw the 70 elders of Israel inside this abominable temple offering incense to Baal.
Next he was shown the women mourning for Tammuz, or Adonis. Instead of weeping for the sins of their nation, they were weeping for this idol. His next stop was God’s temple. Inside were 25 priests who were on their knees with their backs to the altar and facing the east worshipping the sun god, Ormuzd who was a Persian god.
Ezekiel saw “the man in linen” throughout his life. These men in linen are the priests of God’s temple in heaven. Today, the man in linen had a writing kit at his side. He was to mark all the people on their foreheads who were mourning and repenting of their sins. This was the practice that Satan will copy in the last days when he will mark his followers with his own mark. Satan is not original and only counterfeits God.
God showed Ezekiel all this sin and abomination so he would understand why he had to bring judgment now.
In Hebrews, God explains why Jesus had to come to earth in order to be our High Priest in Heaven. He had to understand temptation and humanity first hand so he would have compassion on the weak and ignorant. Jesus became a priest like Melchizedek, God’s High Priest. Melchizedek walked the earth in the day of Abraham but he was not born of a human or did he die as a human.
Jesus had to learn obedience from what he suffered in life just as we do. Jesus was made perfect so he could be our Savior.
Lord, forgive us for complaining when things don’t go our way. Help us to see that everything works a good work in us so that we too can learn to obey and be perfected in love.
After all the prophesies about what would happen, finally happens. God called it “the end” which is a picture of the final end. Everyone was being judged according to their works. In James 2:20 says that faith without works is dead. The way a person conducts their lives reveals whether they have faith. Walking down an aisle and repeating a prayer is not salvation. Salvation comes by faith. What happens after a person walks out of that service will prove his salvation.
Today, in Ezekiel’s life everything had turned to doom and the rod had budded and arrogance had blossomed. It was the reverse of Aaron’s rod. This was like Satan’s rod blossoming. In other words, sin had come to its complete stage. No one from that crowd of sinners would be left.
Those who went out of the city of Jerusalem would die by the sword, those left inside would die of famine and disease. Those who escaped to the mountains would moan their sin. All of their gold and silver would not be able to save them.
In the 6th year, while Ezekiel was sitting with he elders of the city, he is taken up in a vision. God suspended him between earth and heaven and let him see the north gate of Jerusalem. There saw the statue of Baal and his wife Asherah. Josiah had had torn this idol of Baal down during his reformation, but they had rebuilt it.
Then Ezekiel was taken to the wall where there was a small hole in the wall of this temple of Baal. He dug into the wall and found a doorway. God told him to crawl in and look at what went on in this temple. He did and say all the horrid engravings on the wall. He saw the 70 elders of Israel inside this abominable temple offering incense to Baal.
Next he was shown the women mourning for Tammuz, or Adonis. Instead of weeping for the sins of their nation, they were weeping for this idol. His next stop was God’s temple. Inside were 25 priests who were on their knees with their backs to the altar and facing the east worshipping the sun god, Ormuzd who was a Persian god.
Ezekiel saw “the man in linen” throughout his life. These men in linen are the priests of God’s temple in heaven. Today, the man in linen had a writing kit at his side. He was to mark all the people on their foreheads who were mourning and repenting of their sins. This was the practice that Satan will copy in the last days when he will mark his followers with his own mark. Satan is not original and only counterfeits God.
God showed Ezekiel all this sin and abomination so he would understand why he had to bring judgment now.
In Hebrews, God explains why Jesus had to come to earth in order to be our High Priest in Heaven. He had to understand temptation and humanity first hand so he would have compassion on the weak and ignorant. Jesus became a priest like Melchizedek, God’s High Priest. Melchizedek walked the earth in the day of Abraham but he was not born of a human or did he die as a human.
Jesus had to learn obedience from what he suffered in life just as we do. Jesus was made perfect so he could be our Savior.
Lord, forgive us for complaining when things don’t go our way. Help us to see that everything works a good work in us so that we too can learn to obey and be perfected in love.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Sat.’s Devo - The Choice was Theirs to Make
Read: Ezekiel 3:16-6:14; Hebrews 4:1016; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 26:27
God set Ezekiel as a watchman over the house of Israel. That means he was like their priest who was responsible to rebuke them if they were sinning and warn them of the judgment that would come if they didn’t repent. He would be held responsible if he did not tell them.
Ezekiel was to act out what would happen in the future if they didn’t repent. He was to go into his house and have someone tie him up and gag him so he could not come out or speak. Ezekiel would only be able to say what God told him to say.
Next, he was to take a clay tablet and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. He was to erect a siege work against it and a ramp up to it with battering rams around it. This was what was coming in their future.
He was to lie on his left side to bear the sins of Israel for 390 days then on his right side to bear the sins of Judah for 40 days. He was to eat rationed bread during these days to give them a picture of what the siege would look like.
After that he was to take his own hair and weigh it and divide it into three equal parts. One part was to be burned inside the city, one part was to be struck with a sword outside the city and the last part was to be scattered to the wind. But before he scattered the last part to the wind he was to take a few strands and hide it in the crease of his garment. What happened to the hair would be what would happen to his people. Some would be burned inside the city, some killed by the sword outside the city, and some scattered to other nations and a remnant would be left and preserved.
He reminded them that God has set them in the center of the nations to be the example and leader yet they had been more sinful than the nations around them. They had abandoned God’s laws and accepted the standards of the nations they were suppose to lead. God had to punish them and all the nations would watch in shock and surprise.
In Hebrews we learn that the invitation of walking in rest and the presence of the Lord is still available. There is a rest we can all walk in now which is the precursor to the seventh day or last millennium where the world will enter into rest. The only thing that keeps us from this rest is disobedience. The Word of God will divide everything and all secrets will be made open and the only thing that will live is truth and righteousness.
Lord, may we walk in your rest and presence.
God set Ezekiel as a watchman over the house of Israel. That means he was like their priest who was responsible to rebuke them if they were sinning and warn them of the judgment that would come if they didn’t repent. He would be held responsible if he did not tell them.
Ezekiel was to act out what would happen in the future if they didn’t repent. He was to go into his house and have someone tie him up and gag him so he could not come out or speak. Ezekiel would only be able to say what God told him to say.
Next, he was to take a clay tablet and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. He was to erect a siege work against it and a ramp up to it with battering rams around it. This was what was coming in their future.
He was to lie on his left side to bear the sins of Israel for 390 days then on his right side to bear the sins of Judah for 40 days. He was to eat rationed bread during these days to give them a picture of what the siege would look like.
After that he was to take his own hair and weigh it and divide it into three equal parts. One part was to be burned inside the city, one part was to be struck with a sword outside the city and the last part was to be scattered to the wind. But before he scattered the last part to the wind he was to take a few strands and hide it in the crease of his garment. What happened to the hair would be what would happen to his people. Some would be burned inside the city, some killed by the sword outside the city, and some scattered to other nations and a remnant would be left and preserved.
He reminded them that God has set them in the center of the nations to be the example and leader yet they had been more sinful than the nations around them. They had abandoned God’s laws and accepted the standards of the nations they were suppose to lead. God had to punish them and all the nations would watch in shock and surprise.
In Hebrews we learn that the invitation of walking in rest and the presence of the Lord is still available. There is a rest we can all walk in now which is the precursor to the seventh day or last millennium where the world will enter into rest. The only thing that keeps us from this rest is disobedience. The Word of God will divide everything and all secrets will be made open and the only thing that will live is truth and righteousness.
Lord, may we walk in your rest and presence.
Friday, November 1, 2019
Fri.’s Devo - God Sends Ezekiel
Read: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Hebrews 3:1-19; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 26:24-26
Ezekiel begins “In the thirtieth year”. Thirty years before this Josiah was king and found the copy of the law and reformation began. Also, Ezekiel was born that year. A priest officially becomes a priest at the age of 30 so this is his year of priesthood. God was going to build a sanctuary for the captives and Ezekiel was going to be their priest to the prophets.
It was the 5th day of the 5th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity which was also one month after Jeremiah (29) had prophesied to them to give up their lofty notions of returning to Jerusalem so quickly.
Ezekiel had a vision of the throne room in heaven. He saw the four living creatures and the throne with God in his glory. God spoke to Ezekiel and told him he was sending him to the children of Israel who were still rebellious and hard hearted. Whether they listened to Ezekiel or not, they would know that there had been a prophet among them. He encouraged Ezekiel not to be afraid of their harsh words or their rejection, but to speak what he told him to speak. Then he gave Ezekiel a scroll and told him to eat it. It was full of lamentations, mourning and woe which tasted like honey.
Then, the spirit took him up and away. He awoke and went to the captives at Tel-abib and sat for a week, wasted by what he had experienced.
In Hebrews, Jesus is called an Apostle. In the Greek “Apostle” means an ambassador of the Gospel who has miraculous powers. He is also the chief of priests. His faithfulness is compared to Moses’ faithfulness. Jesus was found more worthy of glory than Moses because Jesus was the creator and fulfillment of the law and Moses was just the giver of the law.
Hebrews begs the people not to be like the children of Israel who hardened their hearts and refused to believe which kept them from entering their rest. The “rest” that he was referring to is an abode. It is a state of being in peace here in the land of the living and also in the land of the dead. It has to do with abiding in the presence of the Lord in life and living in heaven after life. Our biggest enemy is unbelief.
Lord, help us to have faith in all that you have said and written to us. May we eat your words and may they be like honey to our mouths.
Ezekiel begins “In the thirtieth year”. Thirty years before this Josiah was king and found the copy of the law and reformation began. Also, Ezekiel was born that year. A priest officially becomes a priest at the age of 30 so this is his year of priesthood. God was going to build a sanctuary for the captives and Ezekiel was going to be their priest to the prophets.
It was the 5th day of the 5th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity which was also one month after Jeremiah (29) had prophesied to them to give up their lofty notions of returning to Jerusalem so quickly.
Ezekiel had a vision of the throne room in heaven. He saw the four living creatures and the throne with God in his glory. God spoke to Ezekiel and told him he was sending him to the children of Israel who were still rebellious and hard hearted. Whether they listened to Ezekiel or not, they would know that there had been a prophet among them. He encouraged Ezekiel not to be afraid of their harsh words or their rejection, but to speak what he told him to speak. Then he gave Ezekiel a scroll and told him to eat it. It was full of lamentations, mourning and woe which tasted like honey.
Then, the spirit took him up and away. He awoke and went to the captives at Tel-abib and sat for a week, wasted by what he had experienced.
In Hebrews, Jesus is called an Apostle. In the Greek “Apostle” means an ambassador of the Gospel who has miraculous powers. He is also the chief of priests. His faithfulness is compared to Moses’ faithfulness. Jesus was found more worthy of glory than Moses because Jesus was the creator and fulfillment of the law and Moses was just the giver of the law.
Hebrews begs the people not to be like the children of Israel who hardened their hearts and refused to believe which kept them from entering their rest. The “rest” that he was referring to is an abode. It is a state of being in peace here in the land of the living and also in the land of the dead. It has to do with abiding in the presence of the Lord in life and living in heaven after life. Our biggest enemy is unbelief.
Lord, help us to have faith in all that you have said and written to us. May we eat your words and may they be like honey to our mouths.
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