Fri.’s Devo - The Great Race

Read: Ezekiel 29:1-30:26; Hebrews 11:32-12:13; Psalm 112:1-10; Proverbs 27:17 It had been 10 years since captives had been taken to Babylon. God gave Ezekiel a message concerning the Pharaoh of Egypt. He compared him to a monster who lived in the Nile. God was going to drag him out of the water and leave him and all his followers in the wilderness to die. They would be devoured by the wild animals because Israel had leaned on them for help and they hadn’t been there for them. *** Egypt had claimed to have made the Nile River so they would lie desolate for 40 years uninhabited. Its survivors would be scattered among the nations. After the 40 years they would return and prosper, but never be of significance in the global scene. Then, Israel would not be tempted to ask for their help. *** In the 27th year of Israel’s captivity, God spoke to Ezekiel to King Nebuchadnezzar. His army had fought so hard against Tyre with nothing to show for it, so God gave Egypt’s land and riches to them for a reward. And the day would come that Israel’s wealth would return and Ezekiel’s prophecies would come to pass and be respected by the people. *** In the same war that Egypt would be destroyed, Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, and all Arabia would also be destroyed by Babylon. They would all come to know that the Lord is God, Almighty. *** Hebrews recounts many stories of victories for the faithful, but also many other endings of those who were martyred for their faith in the Lord. Their hope was in the reward that would come after the resurrection. None of them achieved their goal on earth because they were part of the process that continues throughout time. It will continue till time is no more. We are part of that process. Everyone who has gone before us is a member of God’s crowd of witnesses that watch us and cheer us on. *** We now take the baton and run our section of the race. To keep on the track, we keep our eyes on Jesus who ran as a champion, and we try to imitate him. He has finished his race and is seated beside God in heaven. He encourages us not to give up when we need disciplining because it just proves he loves us and we are his beloved child. He disciplines us so we can share in his holiness. *** Lord, may we draw strength from the life Jesus lived on the earth and all the promises you have given us. The greatest promise is your presence and the honor of being your child.

Thurs.’s Devo - Tyre and Sidon -

Read: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26; Hebrews 11:17-31; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 27:15-16 God told Ezekiel to sing Tyre’s funeral song. Tyre was the trading center of the world. There were two parts to Tyre. There was the Tyre that was on the coast and then there was another “new Tyre” that was built out on an island rock. This was the Dubai of the world. Everyone traded through Tyre. The finest merchandise came through its borders. *** We have the list of all the things they bought and sold in Tyre and all the countries that participated. David had bought building supplies from Tyre to build his palace and the Temple. He, in return gave them food supplies. *** Jezebel was from Tyre and the daughter of the pagan high priest, Ethbaal. She was given to Ahab to form an alliance between Israel and Tyre. *** Tyre was the center of Baal worship and the island of Tyre was known as the “holy island” being sacred to Hercules. The colonies looked up to Tyre as the mother city of their religion, as well as of their political existence. In verse 3 of Chapter 28, Ezekiel ironically alludes to Ithbaal’s (Tyre’s king) exaggerated opinion of his own wisdom, as though it was superior to that of Daniel’s, whose fame was known about even in Tyre. This king thought of himself as a god, but he would be exposed as an imposter and only a man. This Ithbaal gets his own funeral song. Ithbaal was a type of Lucifer in the garden of Eden. He once had access to God’s holy mountain and the stones of fire. Then evil was found in him and he became filled with pride and his wisdom was corrupted. He became grossly deceived. Just like God was going to bring this king down, Lucifer would be exposed and brought to the ground. He would come to a terrible end and exist no more. *** Sidon was built before Tyre, founded by Canaan’s first-born (Genesis 10:15). It was famous as a fishery, its international trading, and its artistic beauty. It was also overthrown by the Chaldeans when Tyre was. It was the seat of the false gods Ashtaroth, Tammuz, or Adonis which infected Israel more than that of Tyre did (Eze 8:14; Jud 10:6; 1Ki 11:33). *** Then the Lord gives us hope for Israel. God will punish the neighbors of Israel. Then the people would return and rebuild their nation. They will know that the Lord is their God. *** Hebrews continues their list of people in their line of faith. Abraham was willing to sacrifice the promise God had give him because he trusted in God’s resurrection power. Isaac spoke the future over his two sons Jacob and Esau. Jacob did the same for his 12 sons. *** Joseph made his sons promise to bury his bones in the land of Israel when they returned as a sign that they would go back to Israel. *** Moses’ parents recognized the Spirit on Moses and disobeyed the law of the land to keep him alive. Moses grew up to be Israel’s deliverer. Moses left the pleasures of the Egyptian kingdom and power to suffer with his own people and bring them out of bondage. He did not fear the Pharaoh, but God who had all power. *** By faith, the people of Israel observed their first Passover and spread the blood of the lamb on their door, saving them from death. They walked through the Red Sea only to watch it cave in on the Egyptians. By faith, the people of Israel walked around Jericho seven times not knowing if it would fall or not. Rahab feared God and had faith that the spies could save her and her family. *** None of these people knew what their outcome would be, but believed God and trusted in him. It is easy to see looking back but not so easy to believe when you are facing the giant. *** Lord, may we be known as people who have great faith to know that You will bring us through what we are going through and give us a good testimony on the other side.

Wed.’s Devo - By Faith -

Read: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Psalm 110:1-7; Proverbs 27:14 Ezekiel was 300 miles away from Jerusalem and predicted the very day the Babylonians would reach Jerusalem and start their siege. *** Ezekiel was told to put a pot on the fire and fill it with choice pieces of meat. He had already prophesied that the city was like an iron pot and the people were the meat (Ezekiel 11:3). Now he was illustrating it. He took out pieces randomly to show that they will all be treated the same. Their blood will be splashed on the rocks. When the pot was empty he was to let it continue to burn over the fire to burn out all the impurities. This was to show the severity and longevity of their judgment. *** Then the Lord said that he would take away Ezekiel’s dearest treasure and he was not to show any sorrow on the outside. He must hold it in. He told the people that morning, and that night his wife died. He could not even accept any food brought by friends. When the people asked what all this meant he told them that God would defile their Temple, their source of pride and safety and love. Their children left in Judah would all be killed by the sword. They will not be able to mourn or weep but will realize it was their sins that caused this. *** God gave Ezekiel words for Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre. Because Ammon and Moab rejoiced when they saw Jerusalem fall, the same thing will happen to them. Because Edom and Philistia hated Israel, they would be wiped out. Tyre also rejoiced at Judah’s downfall. They had been the trade route to the rest of the world. Many nations would come and destroy them. Nebuchadnezzar would destroy them till nothing was left but the rock they built on. They would never rebuild. All of these nations would come to know that God is the Lord. *** Hebrews Eleven is the “Hall of Faith.” First we are given a definition of faith which is the reality of what we hope for. It is evidence of what has not yet manifested. Faith is what people were measured by in the Old Testament and is still our measurement. We believe everything by faith. By faith we believe that God created the earth by his word. By faith Abel offered the perfect sacrifice as a type of Christ. By faith, Enoch by-passed death to go to heaven. He was a picture of Christ defeating death. By faith, Noah built his ark to save them from death, because he believed what God told him. Noah was a type of Christ who is the Ark that saves us from death. He brings “rest” in the midst of the storms of our lives. *** Abraham left his home to seek an inheritance give to him by God. He lived by faith showing us how we live on earth, seeking the kingdom of God. Sarah, by faith brought forth the nations of God. She is a picture of the Church who is birthing God’s people and his kingdom on earth. All of these people did not see the manifestation of what they believed in their lifetime. But, they kept going towards the goal, knowing it was attainable one day. *** Lord, may our faith lead us down the road you have ordained for us to walk. May we forge the way for others to walk by faith.

Tues.’s Devo - Patient Endurance

Read: Ezekiel 23:1-49; Hebrews 10:18-39; Psalm 109:1-31; Proverbs 27:13 God gave Ezekiel a parable about two promiscuous sisters, Oholah and Oholibah. Oholah stood for Samaria and Oholibah stood for Jerusalem. God married them, but they both lusted after the officers of Assyria. When they left Egypt with Moses, the people did not leave their spirit of prostitution. They brought their idols with them. *** Jehoiakim had solicited the Assyrians to ally with them against Egypt, paying them tribute every year. Then, Jehoiakim decided to stop paying the Assyrians, so the Assyrians send an army to attack Jerusalem. When Jehoiakim found out they were on their way, he tried to pay Egypt to help them. Egypt took the money but never showed up to help them. *** Righteous people would judge their sins. God listed their sins of adultery and murder as they worshipped their idols and sacrificed their children to their gods. Then, on the same day that they sacrificed their children to their gods, they dared to come to the Temple to worship Him. *** Their enemies would ravage them in war and butcher their children and burn their homes. God would put the end of their lewdness and idolatry and they would know that He is the Lord. *** Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are forgiven of our sins and can boldly enter into Heaven’s Most Holy Place. The veil was torn on the cross and we now have access to God’s presence. *** We are to motivate one another to good works and acts of love. If a person deliberately continues to sin after Jesus has forgiven him, then Jesus cannot die again and this person is without hope of being cleansed. Take note that this person is deliberately choosing to defile God and what he did for him. God compares this activity as trampling on the Son of God and treating his blood sacrifice as not holy. *** Suffering for Christ out of the right heart brings joy because of the promise awaiting us. Suffering produces patient endurance and requires great faith in the One who brings his reward with him. I love the last line, “But we are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.” *** Lord, may we have faithful and patiently wait on your timing. Thank you that you have already rescued us from sin. May we be faithful till the end.

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.

Sun.’s Devo - Forgiveness of Sins

Read: Ezekiel 20:1-49; Hebrews 9:11-28; Psalm 107:1-43; Proverbs 27:11 In the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, the leaders of Jerusalem came to Ezekiel to ask them what the Lord was saying. Ezekiel was enraged that they would ask since they had not listened to anything he had said in the past, and had persecuted him for the things he said. *** But, the Lord did have something to say to them. He told Ezekiel to bring charges against them and pronounce them condemned for the sins of their ancestors. He reminded them of the covenant God had given them when he took them out of Egypt. He said he wanted to give them the land of Israel, but they must get rid of all their Egyptian idols. When they refused, he threatened to pour out his fury on them. For the sake of his reputation, he didn’t destroy them. He didn’t want the nations who were watching to think that their God brought them out to destroy them. *** Israel continued to disobey the Lord. They violated his Sabbaths, rejected his laws and refused to follow his decrees. God warned their children not to follow in their parent’s footsteps, but they did. God wanted to give them life and prosperity, but instead they chose death. God then promised to scatter them among the nations because they refused to obey him. *** God had a question for these leaders who had come to Ezekiel for a word. He asked them if they intended to keep worshiping their idols and offering their first born as sacrifices? They had said that they wanted to be like the other nations and serve idols made of stone and wood. But they would not be able to do that because God would rule over them with an iron fist. He would bring them back to their land and they would stand before him in judgment. He will hold them to the covenant they made with him in the wilderness. He would purge them of those who rebelled against him and they would not be allowed to return to their land. Those who repented would return and be a pleasing sacrifice to him. *** Ezekiel was told to turn toward Jerusalem and prophesy against it. God would destroy it with fire. *** Hebrews tells us that when Christ died, he took his own blood up to heaven and offered it up on the altar in heaven. If the blood of animals could cleanse people’s bodies from sins, how much more can the blood of Christ cleanse our consciences from our sins. Not only does it do that but it sets us free from the penalty of our sins. *** The covenant God gave through Moses was their inheritance which was put into effect through the death of animals. Our new covenant was put into effect by the death of Christ. Moses taught us that blood purifies and without shedding blood, there is no forgiveness which is why the priest sprinkled everything with blood. The Tabernacle on earth was a copy of the one in heaven so it had to be purified also. Christ did it once and for all when he died. He carried his own blood to heaven and poured it on the altar in heaven, sanctifying the altar and removing our sins. Jesus will come again offering salvation to all who are waiting for him. *** Lord, thank you for your marvelous plan to save us. May we speak out and share your great love and plan of redemption for all who want it.

Sat.’s Devo - The Funeral Song of Judah

Read: Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 27:10 The people believed that the children had to pay for the parent’s sins and vice versa but God wanted to set things straight. He told them that the individual was responsible for their own sins and they chose how their life ended. If it ended in sin then they received death. If it ended in righteousness then they received life. *** God gave them a funeral song for the princes of Israel. He described Judah as a lioness who raised Jehoakim as his young lion. He taught him how to cheat and murder his prey. Jehoiakim was led in hooks to Babylon. *** Then Jehoiachin was put in his place and did the same thing. He was attacked by Chaldea, Syrian, Moab and Ammon from every direction. He was also taken to Babylon never to return. Next, Zedekiah was put as their leader and he was taken to Babylon also, “the vine transplanted to the wilderness”. God pronounced this as a funeral song that would one day be sung. *** In Hebrews, the holy place of worship was described. There was the Holy Place inside the inner tent which housed the lamp stand, and the table with the shew bread. This room was separated from the next with a curtain. Behind the curtain was known as the Most Holy Place. In it was the gold incense altar and the Ark of the Covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim whose wings covered the Ark. Inside the Ark was the jar of manna and the stone tablets of the covenant. *** The priest carried out their duties in the first room but only the high priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year with blood which he offered for his own sins and the sins of the people. *** This system of worship was in effect till a better one could come. This system could not cleanse the consciences of the people. *** Thank you, Lord, that we live under a better covenant than the old one. Thank you that we have access to your throne all the time. May we come boldly to your throne of grace and receive mercy and help whenever we need it.