The end of this long confusing section of Ezekiel ends by naming the city “The LORD is there”…God with His people! What a contrast to the beginning of the book where they are in exile, separated from God because of their own decisions. What a mighty God who has a plan to restore relationship with us even when we actively run from Him.
How incredible that God is not just willing to forgive and restore, but He sacrifices for us to make it possible.
Give thanks to the Lord! For the Lord is good! For His loving kindness is everlasting!
God doesn’t have to remind the people of what the future holds, but He does because His goal is not punishment, but Restoration!
This heartbreaking chapter tells about how God has lost His patience and is finally sending the punishment that the people of Israel deserve…but He ends with a promise of restoration. Lord in this time, when You are bringing My boy low, will You remind me of restoration. Remind me of Your power and might, Your strength and reputation…You are a God of mercy and grace.
“And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?””
Jonah 4:11 ESV
What a strange story to highlight our selfishness in contrast to God loving even my enemies. Lord, help me to be compassionate to everyone You put in my path…
“As a result, ten tracts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are beyond the Jordan, because Manasseh’s daughters received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh’s sons.”
Joshua 17:5-6 CSB
Gods care for the weak (Manasseh’s daughters, at least in that culture) has always stood out to me. He is not shaped by culture or man’s expectations but His character always points to love. Lord, give me eyes to see the weak and help me to work toward justice for their good!
“No one of illegitimate birth may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter the Lord’s assembly.”
Deuteronomy 23:2 CSB
The law that is given through these instructions was designed to keep Israel holy. I am so grateful that holiness no longer depends solely on me, rather on the finished work of Jesus. That doesn’t give me reason to live in sin, but Jesus does cover even the things that I have no control over.
Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to fix the problem of sin. Help me to pursue holiness in every thought, action or word. I am so grateful that You made a way for me to come into Your presence!
“Any male among Aaron’s descendants may eat it. It is a permanent portion , throughout your generations from the food offerings to the Lord. Anything that touches the offerings will become holy.”
Leviticus 6:18 CSB
It’s very interesting that most of the laws about touching things will bring the touches down to the level of the “unclean” thing…this seems logical. Contamination of germs and illnesses work like this. But the sacrifices are the opposite, anything that touches them, becomes holy like they are! This is a pointer to Jesus who had the same impact on people who were sick, they could touch Him and be healed…He would ultimately become the sacrifice for my sin.
““Now if any of the common people sins unintentionally by violating one of the Lord’s commands, does what is prohibited, and incurs guilt, or if someone informs him about the sin he has committed, then he is to bring an unblemished female goat as his offering for the sin that he has committed. He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.”
Leviticus 4:27-29 CSB
Interesting that there is a whole chapter dedicated to sacrificing for people who unintentionally sin, but someone tells them about it. Obviously when it domes to sin, ignorance is not absolution…you are still guilty of sin if it had been committed! This is an example where Gods standards are so much higher than ours.
I am so thankful that God points this out, because I think it is easy to slip into shrinking God down to our size, or making Him like us, only a little better…but there really is no comparison! He is incomparable to us, just so much higher and more holy.
Lord, thank You for caring enough about me to make a way for relationship with You. And thank You that because of Jesus, the process is so much simpler. Lord, help me to trust You at every moment of life!
“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. ”
John 21:25 CSB
John was selective about what he wrote because he was telling a story about the greatest man to ever live…a story that would be compelling and force the reader to deal with the truth about God. The undeniable truth is that Jesus was a real person, He performed miracles that are not possible even today, He loved people as if they were His family even when they were against Him, and He spoke with authority, clarity and conviction like nobody in history. Then, He died, punished as a criminal for you and me, and miraculously came back to life.
All of these things were undeniable. The people who witnessed them could have torn down these as lies when they were written if that was the case…but they didn’t because it is all true.
So, the question is: will you believe? Or will you reject Jesus love for you? That is the only question that matters…
“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.””
John 11:38, 40, 43-44 CSB
Lord, I want to see Gods glory…give me eyes to see the work You are doing. I know You are actively working all around me, and I believe that You are actively doing the impossible…but I am often blind to it.
“Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.
Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water; but a person of understanding draws it out.
Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.”
Proverbs 20:3, 5, 18 CSB
Lord, you have called me to counsel and help with disputes. I need Your wisdom to be effective, Your Word to impact peoples hearts. For the sake of those whom I minister, remind me that my words are flawed and only Your Word and Spirit can bring transformation!
“Remember your word to your servant; you have given me hope through it. This is my comfort in my affliction: Your promise has given me life. The arrogant constantly ridicule me, but I do not turn away from your instruction. Lord, I remember your judgments from long ago and find comfort. Fury seizes me because of the wicked who reject your instruction. Your statutes are the theme of my song during my earthly life. Lord, I remember your name in the night, and I obey your instruction. This is my practice: I obey your precepts.”
Psalms 119:49-56 CSB
The author talks about remembering Gods name in the night…it stands out to me that Gods name really is His reputation (who He is, what He stands for, and His character). Then in reference to the night, he is likely referring to emotional darkness, discouragement, depression or teals…where there seems to be nothing but bad news. I can relate to this!
Some days when I feel discouraged about disappointment in life, I just remember who God is and what He has done in the past. It is a great encouragement because so many times He has done the very thing that seemed impossible, that transformed a tragedy into a blessing! That gives me hope that One day He will do that again!
“Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out before you day and night. May my prayer reach your presence; listen to my cry. You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit, in the darkest places, in the depths. Your wrath weighs heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah
You have distanced my friends from me; you have made me repulsive to them. I am shut in and cannot go out. My eyes are worn out from crying. Lord, I cry out to you all day long; I spread out my hands to you.”
Psalms 88:1-2, 6-9 CSB
What a sad and heavy psalm…I love how this is in scripture! Feeling so far from God and feeling like He is the one who is causing our pain seems like something that would be hidden, but it is not! It is right out in the open, because sometimes, this is how we feel, and God can handle it.
Thankfully, He doesn’t leave us there…He always restores us to relationship and shows Himself to be present, listening, caring and transforming. He uses even these hard time to shape us into the people He wants us to be. Most of these periods of depression help us to see ourselves more clearly and know Him more deeply.
”But I will sing of your strength and will joyfully proclaim your faithful love in the morning. For you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. To you, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold — my faithful God.“
Psalms 59:16-17 CSB
God has always been my refuge, the One I turn to when things go wrong. He is always faithful, ready to listen, remind me of truth and point out my wrong thinking. I am blessed to know Him as Savior and Stronghold…what a blessing!
”Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me. They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches. Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God — since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying — so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.
But God will redeem me from the power of Sheol, for he will take me. Selah“
Psalms 49:5-9, 15 CSB
I love that this passage was written hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth. Gods plan was clear in the minds of His people long before He enacted the work of redemption through Jesus on the cross. Even during this time the people knew that God was the only one able to redeem a person, to pay the price required by all the sin committed while they lived. The price was too great for even the wealthiest king. God was their only hope!
There is nothing different about that statement almost 3,000 years later. Nothing we can do will help pay down the debt we owe for the sin we have committed. If we attempt to do right/good things to pay that debt, we fall utterly short…even if we lived 1,000 years, and perfectly accomplished 1,000,000 good deed every day, we still haven’t scraped the surface. Elon Musk isn’t rich enough to begin to erase even one sin.
Yet shockingly, God offers forgiveness for free. He sent Jesus to live 33 years, perfectly, no sin, no failures, just perfection…then asked Jesus to sacrifice Himself by dying on the cross. Jesus takes our sin, selfishness and pride…He accepted the penalty and gave us in exchange the opportunity to freely receive the gift of salvation. Something only God Himself can do.
Rejection of this truth, brings a life dull and impotent. Only fleeting moments of joy, days or weeks of forgetting that the end of life brings judgment…judgment that we have no answer strong enough to tip the scales in our favor. We are hopeless without accepting the truth of salvation through Jesus.
Lord, thank you for saving me, help me live every moment looking for the opportunity to share what you have done in me. I pray that my life would be an attractive example to those who don’t know you!!!
”Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking; my whole being is shaken with terror. And you, Lord — how long? Turn, Lord! Rescue me; save me because of your faithful love.“
Psalms 6:1-4 CSB
This is one of those really raw psalms than makes me wonder, “why did this make it into scripture?”…it is not only in scripture but it is a song that Gods people would sing…But then I experienced deep depression where I would be staring at the ceiling feeling just like this. I was desperate for God to show up, He was the only one who could change my situation, but it felt like he was far away and not listening. From my perspective, for Him to leave me in this hopeless state was against His character:
Reading this passage and others like it, brought me comfort because I saw great people from the past voicing the very thing I was experiencing…and they watched God show up! And finally so did I!!! And I t was all because of His faithful love for us. He was there all along, but the distance I felt amplified my desire to know Him and to see what it is that I was really craving, less despair or more of Him!
God, thank you for seasons of suffering that brought me closer to You! Help me to stay in a posture that desires to know and love You more! I pray that I would continue to seek You above all other comforts because You last forever and every other thing/feeling/experience is so fleeting…it is gone in a flash leaving me lonely, alone and broken. You are faithful forever and bring lasting comfort, joy and peace!
”“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for him as one weeps for a firstborn.“
Zechariah 12:10 CSB
More than 500 years before Jesus was born Zachariah prophesied about Jesus death. He told where He would be crucified and that they would pierce his body (hands, feed and side). This is not the only time Jesus death is portrayed before it happened…in fact there are more than 300 times! (Here is a quick article https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html)
Gods plan was put into effect from the beginning of time. He knew what would happen and what He would to to resolve the problem of sin. We are still in the middle of Gods plan for redemption and I am so thankful that one day, we will be with Him and He will make all things new. Nothing will be stained by sin and destruction! There will be no more pain and suffering or even death.
Lord, you have a perfect plan, help me to walk into Your plan every day. Correct my thinking when I go my own way and help me to trust You every step! I need You because my own plans are stubborn and “make sense”…but they don’t lead to life. That is where I want to live today…the life abiding with You.
”So the angel of the Lord spoke to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to him, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with festive robes.”“
Zechariah 3:4 CSB
Zechariah continues to bring good news to Gods people telling them of how completely He transforms them. In this scene he looks into heaven and sees the High Priest (most religious person in their people) wearing clothes covered in feces…with Satan at his side accusing him of all of the sin he has ever committed! From the outside the High Priest is hopeless, and helpless…there is nothing he can do to fix this situation.
Then God steps in, removes his disgusting clothes and gives him perfect clothes fit for a celebration and a new head covering, so now he looks OK. Then the miraculous, God tells him not only is he clean on the outside, but all the sin he has ever committed is now gone forever!
This is a picture of what God does for us at salvation! I love how God chose to use the most perfect person as the example and he was still disgusting! Sometimes we look at a pastor, or someone we think has really got it all together…but they still have the same problem as us in Gods presence. Thankfully the solution is the same as well, go to Jesus for transformation!
Lord, I am so thankful that you saved me…you have done all the work to clean me inside and out. You did it all…my only part is recognizing You are the solution and that I am helpless on my own. Help me to love You and follow You every moment today, because I don’t deserve all that You have done for me!
